Debut Column:
Little Kittens Inspire Big Ambitions

When I was three years old, my dad brought home a children’s book called Three Little Kittens. There was something enchanting about this simple little tome with the cartoon kitties dancing across the cover. Every evening, my mom and I would curl up in bed where she would read the words aloud to me. When she started to doze off – from sheer boredom, I’m sure – I would continue reading because, by now, I had memorized every word.

Little could I have known at the time that reading a tale about “kittens who lost their mittens” would help catapult me into a future that would revolve around writing and animal welfare. For in those simple words I felt a stirring; a spark perhaps, that eventually ignited into a fiery passion.

By the time I became a student in Mr. Fry’s fifth grade class at Harding School , I was actively involved in writing short stories about cats and dogs, as well as a myriad of other subjects close to my heart. On most afternoons, I could be found perched high up in my tree house in a giant avocado tree, scribbling away. There, I poured out my thoughts and feelings onto the crisp, white paper. That tree house and avocado tree are gone now, but my memories of them left an indelible mark on me. I now realized that someday I would write and share my message of respect and compassion toward all animals with others.

As I embark on this new phase in my writing career, it is my hope that For Pet’s Sake will entertain, engage, and educate you on a multitude of topics relating to our furred, finned, and feathered friends. I’ll be looking at some serious issues like pet overpopulation and how to slim down your pudgy pooch. On the lighter side, I’ll be sniffing out the most popular breed of dog in Santa Barbara and digging up the most common names we bestow upon our canine and feline pals. I’ll also be roving the streets in search of pets who resemble their people for a Pet/Person Look-Alike Contest.

I would love to hear from you. So fetch your computer keyboard and send in your comments and suggestions. You can find me back up in that old tree house, in memory at least, scribbling away.

When she’s not working to meet her next writing deadline, Karen and her Beagle buddy, Guinness, can be found nosing around their Upper Westside neighborhood. You can reach them at karenleestevens@cox.net.

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