Fredericksburg Parent

6 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • February 2023 parent fredericksburg & family Entrepreneur of the Year PROUD FOUNDING MEMBER ADVERTISING PHONE 540-429-3572 EMAIL leighanne@fredericksburgparent.net CALENDAR & SOCIAL MEDIA EMAIL webmaster@fredericksburgparent.net EDITORIAL PHONE 540-429-3572 EMAIL fredparenteditor@gmail.com SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 7884, F'burg, VA 22404 www.fredericksburgparent.net The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertisement, editorial or listing that does not meet the publication's stan- dards. No part of this magazine may be reproduced with out permission. Listing and advertising rates are available upon request. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information con- tained herein, however, the publisher cannot guaran- tee such accuracy. Listings and advertisements are subject to typographical errors, ommissions and/or change without notice. For terms and conditions please visit our website at www.fredericksburgparent.net © Copyright 2023 Nurture, Inc. All rights reserved. LIKE facebook.com/FredericksburgParent SIGN UP www.FredParent.net PIN www.pinterest.com/fredparent FOLLOW @fredparentmagazine WRITTEN BY CHRIS JONES editor's note editor's note Photo by Corey Miller Photography The Role The Role of Pets of Pets PUBLISHER Leigh Anne Van Doren Tabitha & Jamie Nelle's mom EDITOR & WEBMASTER Chris Jones Quincy, Hayden & Olive's dad MEDIA & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Megan Walsh: Mia, Noelle & Adelaide's mom DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cheryl Carter: Alex, Kate & Jackie's mom CALENDAR & COOL THINGS TO DO ELETTER Caroline Murray: Nate and Brendan's mom EDUCATION & INFANT ELETTERS Debra Caffrey: Aidan's mom SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR Jessica Trask: Cye, Asher and Ragan's mom SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Mira Dover MARKETING & EVENT INTERN Ragan Trask Pets hold a special place in our hearts and home. When I was growing up, I had a mixed breed named Astro after the iconic animated pet of George Jetson. Astro and I would have amazing adventures. We'd run together through the woods collecting the arrows left behind from bow hunters after deer season. He'd follow me as far as I was willing to ride my bike on the back country roads where I lived. And though he was deemed an outdoor dog by my parents—it was the mid-80s—I'd sneak him in to play with me and would keep him near my bedside or next to me while I played Atari. When I was about 11 years old, Astro got into the habit of wandering off and returning every few days. One day, he wandered off and never returned. A few days later, my grandfather came home and said he saw a dog on the side of the road that he thought might be Astro. We drove over to the spot and surely enough, it was my faithful companion. I was devastated. I'd eventually get another dog, a beagle, and we'd have a similar connec- tion until I left home for art school. What both dogs had in common was they were rescue dogs. My grand- father brought home the first and my uncle the second. And though my grandmother had a couple of purebred dachshunds, nothing was like those rescue dogs I had. In this issue, we share tips for how to acclimate a rescue dog into the fam- ily. If done right, you'll have a friend for life. Rescue dogs are truly one of kind because you'd be hard-pressed to find a similar dog anywhere. We've come a long way since I grew up. Pets today are deeply engrained into the family. Some people clothe their pets, other cook for them. Pets can be great for children with autism, and pets accompany people into public places as service animals. And when we're down, just the stroke of their soft coats can take the edge off of a difficult day. And in a socio- economic climate where stress and anxiety can be higher than normal, a furry four-legged friend can be just what the doctor ordered.

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