Editor’s Paw

Dear FETCH Friends:

History has never sparked a sense of wonder in me until lately. Over the last month or so, I have binge-watched every season/episode of “Reign” on Netflix (not to be funny), and I’ve become extremely attached to the characters, the plot and often find myself daydreaming of what it would have been like to live in the 16th century. Would I have been lucky enough to have been born into royalty, or would I have died in the streets of France with some type of plague? It’s fascinating to think about, isn’t it? Would I have been a man or a woman? Would I have had children? My kids give me a heart attack now when they get a slight fever, so I can’t even imagine surviving with kids during a time when the Black Death was lurking around every corner.

I can tell you one thing is for certain, I would have had a dog—my own stray to cuddle up with on cold dark nights—and someone to share my scraps of food with. Because there is one certainty in my world, and that is I can’t seem to live without a dog. Sophia (the dog pictured above) was a stray in Mexico. She followed me around a village for three weeks, sleeping outside the gated complex my friend and I stayed in. And each day when I awoke, she was right around the corner looking for me. She saw me as an easy target as I stood in that village—a victim of culture shock. It seemed as if I was the only person with a dog in my suitcase on the flight home.

But that’s all history now. Eight years later, Sophia is quite heavy and happy. She is a cherished member of my family and one of the best dogs I’ve ever had.

In this issue, FETCH explores and celebrates the rich history of dogs. Therefore, we are extremely proud to bring you, “Old World Dogs”—The History Issue.

To a past that has steered the course on a better understanding of canine companionship and its importance—one we definitely benefit from today,