Vive la difference!

Looks matter. We'd like to think it's not true, but if that were so, there would be no bazillion-dollar fashion industry, no cosmetics or acne medications industry, no weight-loss industry, fewer re-designs of automobiles every year, and covers wouldn't be what sell books. But there are, and they do.

Our higher selves would like to believe that what's inside is what matters, whether we're talking about people or products...or pets. We want to be people who can see past the surface to inner beauty. But the fact is, we care—deeply—how things look. And that can keep us from connecting with a lot of good things in life.

This blog examines one facet of that reality: the tendency of most people to shy away from choosing animals that have been damaged in some way to be our pets, and what happens to those who manage to get past the fear of the different to welcome these critters into their lives.

I've edited and have an essay in a new book about this subject, titled Almost Perfect: Disabled Pets and the People Who Love Them.


The book celebrates the joy and inspiration "less-than-perfect" animals have brought into the lives of eleven authors in three countries. I'm hoping these stories spark honest discussion—and maybe even change—about prevailing attitudes concerning what makes a perfect pet, and the intrinsic value of these animals. I'm providing this blog as a place for people who care to connect and discuss these ideas. Welcome, and thanks for taking the time to consider this issue.