The pets issue

I’m just gonna say it: We’re obsessed.

It’s kind of ridiculous. Most dog owners I know, myself included, spend $22 on a glorified play date at a vast, climate-controlled loft with built-in Web cams. We buy the highest-quality, organic, low-carb kibble to which we dutifully add the recommended vitamins and dietary supplements. We drop cash on fleece jackets and orthopedic beds, teeth cleanings and nail grindings, and, in the case of my 6-year-old boxer-mastiff mix, a root canal and knee-replacement surgery.

Last week, I commented to a friend that my dog is more expensive than her kid. A lot more expensive. (My cats, by comparison, are a relative bargain. Then again, only one of the three truly loves me.)

Why do we do these things? Because who else will blindly adore us every second of every day — never picking a fight, never muttering a sarcastic comeback, never forgetting that it is you and only you at the center of the universe?

With that in mind, we bring you not just this week’s pet issue, with its adorable pet-human matching contest, a calendar of animal-lover events and a four-legged business directory. We also are debuting our new pets column, penned by the even-more-dog-obsessed-than-me Carly Stewart.

If you’re facing an animal-related conundrum, or just want to talk about how awesome your Pomeranian is, drop Carly a line at pets@creativeloafing.com. I swear, she’ll listen.