Welcome to the Mail Tribune’s first pet blog, Unleashed.
My name is Sanne, and I’ve been covering small towns and features for the Mail Tribune for several years. I’ve recently been reassigned to cover courts and social services. Challenging? Yes. Stressful too. But my pets are great at making me laugh, and reminding me, “This too shall pass.” There is nothing like the unconditional love provided by our furry, feathered or even scaly friends to let us know life is good.
A recent survey of readers showed Southern Oregonians have a keen interest in their pets. Since I do, too, I was eager to write this blog. From informational tidbits to inspirational tales, there is nothing like a good pet story.
Animals have been an integral part of my life. My mom used to say my first babysitter was our family dog, a border collie. She always knew where I was because Jody was pointing in that direction. Since Jody, a steady stream of wonderful pets have graced my life. Later in life, I studied animal science at Cal Poly Pomona, managed horse stables in California and did some vet assisting and a lot of animal rescue. Today I co-habit with an aged (she prefers the term ‘venerable’) border collie, Twirley Jane, and two parrots, a spunky Africa Grey named Gaia and a sweet lutino cockatiel named Goose, as well as a motley collection of koi and goldfish I call “The Lucky Seven.”
I hope to hear from Rogue Valley residents who have pet stories and questions. Hopefully, we can make the pets page grow into not just a helpful resource but a place of inspiration and humor as well. You can contact me by e-mail or just post your thoughts as responses to this blog.
