From The Editor: Your Pets, Your Lives

Welcome to our Pride in Pets issue for 2024!

It is no secret that the key to a happy home life is having a pet around. A pet to love, cherish, feed, protect, make comfortable, and give it their best life while in your care. Plenty of surveys support this – including ones focused on LGBTQ+ households.

This is a fact worth repeating. This is also part of most of our lives, even to the point where we take them everywhere we go. That is, if they allow us to take them in when we reach our destination…

One thing we love doing is to take our pets out to brunch – or any mealtime. Inside is a guide to restaurant patios that welcome you and your pet. The challenge is to find one where everyone – wait staff, patrons, etc. – is comfortable having your beloved pet with you while you are soaking in the sun over a beverage and a delicious meal.

We also a few other good stories for you to read in this issue. I sincerely hope you enjoy taking the time and soaking in our articles and images.

What I really want to talk about is you.

As I look back at these past two-and-a-half years, my goal was to tell new stories in this magazine, along with ones that you’ve seen over the past 30-plus years in these pages. Have other voices seen and their words printed in these pages – and online.

It has not been easy. A lot of waiting, explaining, negotiating, and patience went into each issue since early 2022. I received my fair share of praise and criticism for the articles that have appeared in these pages.  For the most part, it has been very positive. You tell me that we certainly got it right when we deliver our best.

Sometimes, we don’t always get it right. For that, please accept my apologies. As the top name on the masthead, I accept all responsibility for those instances. After all, any situation – good or bad – falls ultimately on me.

Why am I being reflective in this issue – on this page of the magazine? There has been a lot on my mind professionally. Granted, the job that we do in these pages has been to your satisfaction overall. Yet, there is so much happening around us that should be in these pages. How do we tell those stories that never make it these pages?

I have to remind some readers that we are a lifestyle magazine. Our pets are a part of that lifestyle. It is something we share across generations.