Barbara Goodrich of the San Francisco Bay Area recently scolded me by e-mail:
“In your last issue, your Preview for the following month referred to some articles that weren’t in the next newsletter. Please either describe what’s coming in the next issue or change the title from a “Preview” of the coming month’s material to “Coming in Future Issues.” I sometimes look forward all month to an article, and then it doesn’t appear. Please don’t throw away my goodwill and commitment to an otherwise great newsletter.”
Guys, you know the rule: you chide me, you end up on page 2 of Your Dog as surely as errant glitterati find themselves on the page 6 scandal sheet of the New York Post.
Truth be told, Barbara is right. In fact, I can’t believe it has taken this long for someone to call me out for not always following through on my Preview promises. Sometimes a story runs longer than I anticipate and bumps something else out of the line-up, or something timely has to make it in. But no more excuses. You have my word that from now on, I’ll deliver when I say I will.
In the meantime, Barbara and I have become online friends. It’s hard not to like someone who says, “Tufts Your Dog is one of the rare publications I read all the way through the same day it arrives. I frequently refer to your articles when dog-loving friends are facing a challenge. More importantly, Your Dog has made me a more thoughtful, attentive canine companion, so my dogs thank you, too.”
But that’s not the only reason to like Barbara. She puts her time and energy where her heart is. “I foster with Humane Society Silicon Valley in Milpitas, California,” she explains, “hence, a house somewhat overflowing with four-legged loved ones” (three dogs and a cat).
“Humane Society Silicon Valley is an amazing organization and has been designated the first Model Shelter in the U.S,” Barbara reports, meaning it has met the high bar set by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians. “They’re also the ones who put together the Mutual Rescue videos” (videos about people who rescue dogs who “rescue” them in return).
“If you haven’t already seen it,” Barbara says, “a quick YouTube search for ‘Eric and Peety’ [a man and the dog who literally rescued him, and his soul] will be six minutes well-spent.” (A million and a half other viewers agree, but keep tissues nearby as you watch.)
Thanks, Barbara, for sharing that and, through your communication, for further bringing together our dog-loving community — helping us all keep in mind what forms our bond.
Happy tails to you,
Lawrence Lindner
Executive Editor
