Pets have won the hearts of people everywhere. What draws us to them? Why do we invite them into our homes, into our hearts? Why will some risk debt to keep their pet alive? How do we let go? The questions go on endlessly… I trust that in this column, the answers will flow as equally.

Looking over my life, I always had some type of paws leaving footprints. But for some of you reading, we won’t forget those pets that have tails, feet, or hooves, but no official paws. As we explore the many, varied critters that touch lives, may we all find a warm, heartfelt response.

As in anything that is just giving birth, this column will grow and mature as the weeks pass. I welcome emails that help with the direction it takes. Let’s make it “our” column, not just mine. Send your questions, send your answers, and send your warm fuzzy stories. If I can be so bold to edit and use them, we will see a tale unraveling that will form the heart of this column, a heart that beats in tune with you, my readers.

Rocky was a mid-sized dog who wandered into my life when I was about nine or ten years old. He was a mixed breed… looked kind of like a smooth-haired border collie. To be honest, I’m not sure how my family acquired him. I don’t remember any facts about his life and why he wasn’t with us long. But I do know that I have a picture of him sitting proudly between my brother and me. I do know that he keeps a firm ‘paw hold’ in my heart.

Many of us have such stories from childhood. A passing furry friend who influenced our lives, yet we’re not even sure why. My childhood memories are scanty, but most of them revolve around a critter of some kind. There was Freddy, my frog- how I cried when I found he’d escaped his confines during the night… such tiny paws he had. Then there were the beautiful cricket-like grasshoppers I caught. To this day I am still not sure what they are. But they were large, sang when they flew, and I filled countless hours of my time catching them. I didn’t know what they ate so I never kept them for long. But they had the tiniest of feet, not quite paws, but children rarely care about such things; so in this column, I won’t either. After all… don’t our pets often bring out our childlike side?

Let Paws for Thought touch your heart, stir your memories, give you tips for happier pets, and perhaps lead you to a better understanding of why some owners love pets that you still find less desirable. Isn’t it wiser to accept, than to reject through plain ignorance or fears? May this column be enjoyable reading, but may it also become, as its title infers, something that truly has you, pause… for thought.