March 14, 2026- My hiking buddy, back in Prescott, lost her best fur baby yesterday. Cancer took the lovable fluffy cat, leaving behind her “brother” and their devoted human. I know the pain of losing an animal friend, having had to put down two of my dogs, over a period of fifteen years-and having seen a third, who I had sold to a woman an hour from our then house, dead by the side of the road, near her house, four months after he had been sold.

Animals, from fish and snakes, to cats, dogs and horses, enrich our lives, in ways that can’t be quantified in dollars and cents. It is a shame that dogs and cats cost so much, these days, as pet ownership has been so heavily monetized. That is not the reason why I don’t presently have an animal. My peripatetic nature, while I lived in Arizona, had more to do with that. An animal deserves a human who will be able to offer quality time and attention to its needs.

There may come a time when my grandchild(ren) show(s) interest in having a pet. In that case, I will support the choice that the family makes. It was good for Aram to have been around dogs, and to a lesser extent, around horses. It may be good for his child(ren) to experience the same All I would ask is that the kids treat the animal kindly and that the animal be of suitable temperament to be around children.

A good animal-human match is a forever friendship.