Pet Census

Posted February 5th, 2008 at 4:22 pm in Pet Stories

One of the many things I look forward to on Sunday mornings is to relax in my favorite chair, Sunday paper spread out before me and a fresh, steaming hot cup of my favorite coffee in hand. My dog Duke lays down beside me with his favorite dog toy nearby while I scan for the latest articles in pet news. Duke is naturally more interested in the stuff about dogs but he enjoys news about all pets. .

With a full pot of java standing by I begin by reading the national news in the front page section, gradually working my way through the troubles of the world, local news and lastly sports because you never know which section a pet story will pop up in. My dog is only so patient so I have to read quickly.

I love to see what’s offered in the Pet classifieds, with special attention paid to the dog section and I always save the best for last, USA Weekend Magazine. There is always something of interest to pet owners with articles and reviews of things like dog collars, pet grooming, dog food, dog beds and all kinds of dog supplies. If my timing is good, I can make the coffee last until I finish reading Duke the latest pet news.

There Really Is A Pet Census

USA Weekend Magazine is chock-full of interesting stuff like; Celebrity Gossip, Helpful Tips For Everyday Life, Special Reports, Pet News, Music, Health Recipes and other cool things. They always come up with two or three things I didn't know (there really is a pet census!) and useful information that will be of interest to your pet dog owner.

Since weekends are for relaxing and pet recreation (for most of us dog owners anyway) you will be tempted to read the upbeat and informative articles in the USA Weekend Magazine first – but I wouldn’t risk it, the rest of the news is all downhill from there and starting with it could get you sidetracked.

Bear with me, I am getting to the heart of this post which is a nice piece on the Pet Census article that appeared in the January 27th issue of USA Weekend Magazine. I just feel it's my civic duty as a proud Arizonan to point out that this past Sunday was definitely not a slow (sports) news day in the Grand Canyon State. As a matter of fact, with the Super Bowl and the PGA Tour's FBR Open golf tournament both here in the Phoenix area there was a lot of speculating going on about players in both events that made for some interesting reading. Now, a week later, it’s back to normal but oh, what a Sunday it was!

The out-to-prove-to-themselves as the giant-killers they are, the New York Giants, in Super Bowl XLII, (one of the best Super Bowl games I ever saw), with less than two minutes remaining in the game – stole football’s most prize possession (The Lombardi Trophy) from the highly-favored (by almost two touchdowns) New England Patriots.

Both teams played their hearts out in front of a record crowd at University of Phoenix Stadium, (home of the Arizona Cardinals 8-8) in Glendale Arizona. I confess I was pulling for the Pat’s because they had gone 18-0 and winning Super Bowl XLII would have been an accomplishment that might take more than another thirty-six years to duplicate. The Giants and their monster defense outplayed the Pats, sacking a frustrated Tom Brady numerous times.

Have patience friends, I promise I will get to the Pet Census article in USA Weekend Magazine BUT – Right before the kick-off of Super Bowl XLII and just a few miles away to the east in Scottsdale (where I live) PGA TOUR Professional and long-hitting JB Holmes was putting the finishing touches on his bid for a second FBR Open title at the TPC of Scottsdale. He did it the hard way by birdying the 18th hole twice, once in regulation and again during a one-hole playoff, beating Phil Mickelson in the FBR Open and collecting his second title there in as many years. The TPC Scottsdale was again the site of PGA TOUR attendance records with 172,000 golf fans attending on the Saturday of the 3rd round alone!

So, what does all this have to do with Pets and or the USA Weekend Magazine insert in my Sunday newspaper? Well, when I picked up that January 27, issue of the USA Weekend Magazine, the one with Terrence Howard holding two SAG Awards, I came across a short but very interesting article written by Steve Dale, who was last seen in that publication back in December when he contributed tips for Pet owners during the holiday season. You may have seen it, the article is titled Pet Census and it offers some interesting insight about the pets we choose to love and their impact on our society.