This Thanksgiving, my thanks go to all the wonderful people who spend time on the Pet People blog. Love of animals brought us together, but we’ve become true friends.
Regulars include Roxanne (Skeeter), Alice, Adrienne, Stacey, Shannon, Pam, Brett, Kathy (Daisy), Birdie, Amy, Melissa, Tina, Jennifer and our resident comedian, Dragon, who loves to tease his “wenches.”

We’ve met several times for fun and games, and I haven’t had as much fun since I was wild and in my 20s.

Here’s what some Pet People have to say:

Adrienne: “If I hadn’t been considering a new place to relocate to from Virginia, I would never have come across the Pet People Blog. I started reading and soon became addicted to the people and topics. We all seemed to be crazy in love with our pets and just a great group of people. We are a family. The blog has become a place for advice, friendship, laughter and strength in times of need. I was finally able to meet some of the Pet People group this November. It was as though we had always known each other, like coming home.

“It was great to have someone to talk to when we were having trouble with our cat, when we have behavioral problems with the new puppy or our older dog and even being able to vent our frustrations about pet food recalls, the way others treat their pets and our spouses. I learned that even though I’m the baby of the group, I still have a lot in common with everyone. I’m proud to be a part of Pet People and thank The Leaf-Chronicle for having such a wonderful place for all of us to get together.”

Stacey: “The thing that amazes me the most about Pet People is how much alike we all are in how we feel about the fur babies in our lives, regardless of how different our personalities may be or how different our lifestyles are. Sometimes when I have a conversation with Brett about things, I feel like we’ve known each other forever, not just for a few months. We all get together and let our hair down and have fun. We all love each other for who we really are and can just be ourselves.

“And we aren’t just fanatics for our pets, but all animals in general. We did rescue a turtle from Virginia, for goodness sake! That was amazing. Within days of Skeeter’s offhand remark about needing to find a rescue for a poor desert turtle, I found a home for it. Now the turtle lives the life of luxury in Nashville, hanging out with Gracie the cat and soaking up the rays from her spotlights.

“Several of us have turned into helpers of local rescue groups: Brett and I getting totally involved in the decoration for the Humane Society’s Fur Ball Bash; me joining the Board of the Humane Society; Brett and Jeremy turning into angels for Cats Are Us, taking pictures for their Web site, bringing supplies and volunteering on Saturdays; Alice donating money to the Humane Society; our pledges of support for the Dover Humane Society.”

Skeeter: “I have been reading The Leaf-Chronicle ever since leaving home 22 years ago. I had mom mail them to me until they went online. I found the Pet People Blog soon after it started and had the best time reading the stories. I came to realize I had a ton of stuff in common with the people posting comments. I found the blog to be full of information about things I never knew, such as onions being deadly to pets. I also found the blog to be entertaining — only a pet owner can relate to some of the topics such as cleaning up barf, fur on the couch and cleaning poopy cat butts!”

Brett: “The Pet People blog was a godsend to us at a time when we were practically prisoners in our own home. All of our friends were either married, moved away or had fallen away like so many people do in our lives. Through the blog, I met wonderful people who have become good friends. We share not only our love for animals, but for family and the welfare of our world.

“If not for the pet blog, I would never have found my third dog, Hines. His picture appeared there with a posting, and I fell in love with him. We adopted him almost right away, thanks to the recommendations of many of my Pet People friends to the Humane Society that we would indeed give Hines all the love he could stand.

“I am so grateful I stumbled across the blog in The Leaf-Chronicle. Being a part of this wonderful communication tool has truly changed my life for the better by helping me meet other pet owners and become more involved in animal welfare issues in our community. I’ve not only found great friends, but also a group of crazy, dedicated animal lovers who will join together at a seconds notice to help rescue or donate anything for an animal in distress. That’s one of the greatest feelings in the world.”

Dragon: “The blog lets my alter ego, Dragon, get out and play. I have had a blast on the blog and have met some great people. I have also met some wild and crazy people. Maybe not Dragon category, but in the lizard category.”

So this Thanksgiving, my biggest thanks are for my Pet People pals. If you also love animals and don’t mind a lot of joking and teasing, join us. We make a great pack.

So what else are we all thankful for in out lives?