A FRONTDOORS MEDIA PUBLICATION FurryFriendsAZ.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Karen Werner PUBLISHER Andrea Tyler Evans ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Lisa Pagel CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Tom Evans CREATIVE DIRECTOR Neill Fox DESIGNER Cheyenne Brumlow DIGITAL EDITOR & PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Abby Petersen CHIEF OF STAFF & PRODUCTION MANAGER Lori Appleby Hoke LIFESTYLE EDITOR Zenobia Mertel CONTRIBUTORS Traci Chandler, owner of Oh, Sugar Events + Paperie Julie Coleman FRONTDOORS TV HOST AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Carey Peña SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES BEAUTY PARTNERS Remedy Salon & Spa The Sparkle Bar PHOTOGRAPHY Scott Foust Studios 3104 E. Camelback Road, #967, Phoenix, AZ 85016 480.622.4522 info@frontdoorsmedia.com | frontdoorsmedia.com FRONTDOORS MEDIA ADVISORY BOARD Latasha Causey Russ Dickey Rusty Foley Sue Glawe Sarah Krahenbuhl Larry Lytle Monique Porras Brad Vynalek SOCIETY OF CHAIRS ADVISORS Deborah Bateman Linda Herold Lisa Grannis Lindsay Green Robyn Lambert Morgan McClellan On the Cover Terra Schaad, founder and executive director of Hunkapi Programs Photo by Scott Foust Michelle Schneider Frontdoors Magazine is dedicated to the memory of Mike Saucier. Magazine EDITOR’S NOTE We Don’t Deserve Them Thirteen years ago, my dear friend KJ adopted a Chihuahua. A few weeks after bringing her home, she discovered that Dulce was pregnant, and she was now the owner of four adorable puppies. “Every boy needs a dog,” she said, giving me the hard sell on why my then 6-year-old son needed a companion. Fast-forward all these years, I can confidently say my buddy Tuco remains one of the best decisions my family has ever made. That little Chiweenie warms our laps, makes us laugh and is maybe the best friend we’ve ever had. “We don’t deserve dogs,” said Lori Appleby Hoke, the production manager at Frontdoors , and I couldn’t agree more. Of course, cats are wonderful pets, too! Our publisher Andrea Tyler Evans will regale anyone who’ll listen with stories about her awesome rescue kitties, Shelly and Sally. But the real animal lover in the Evans household is Andrea’s daughter Ellie, the proud owner of — and local expert on — Bartholomew, a bearded dragon. Lifestyle editor Zenobia Mertel has a son who is also mad for reptiles. And digital editor Abby Petersen grew up with a painted turtle named Sonic. Can you see why we all loved working on this issue? The Frontdoors team is filled with animal lovers, so we’re delighted to present this special issue spotlighting the unique bond between humans and animals, as well as devoted pet lovers, posh pet products and local efforts to keep people and pets together. Also included in these pages is the 2023 Furry Friends Resource Guide. Whether you are looking to adopt, volunteer or support local organizations, this resource is a great place to start. We hope you’ll hug your furry friend close while reading this issue — or maybe while they swim, fly, burrow or gallop. To paraphrase Lori, whatever animals are close to your heart, we don’t deserve them. Here’s to them! KAREN WERNER EDITOR IN CHIEF Karen
FURRY FRIENDS 2023 | 3 | Help end pet overpopulation and homelessness Fix, adopt, and save to reduce pet overpopulation, increase adoptions, reduce euthanasia and encourage responsible pet ownership. The following organizations spay and neuter animals as well as offer wellness programs for owned pets and trap-neuter-return programs for community cats. Altered Tails Barnhart Clinic (www.alteredtails.org) Animal Defense League of Arizona (www.adlaz.org) Arizona Humane Society (www.azhumane.org) Animal Defense League of Arizona (www.adlaz.org) Arizona Humane Society (www.azhumane.org) HALO Animal Rescue (www.halorescue.org) Maricopa County Animal Care & Control (www.maricopa.gov/pets) PACC 911 (https://pacc911.org) For information about volunteering and fostering animals, visit www. fixadoptsave.org/get-involved . ninapulliamtrust.org Dogs can have two litters a year with an average of six to 10 puppies per litter. O N E Y E A R Cats can have three litters a year with an average of four to six kittens per litter. O N E Y E A R