pet connection

Aiii-yeeee! October is going to be a busy month!

Oct. 1 is the official release date of “The Ultimate Dog Lover” and “The Ultimate Cat Lover” (”The Ultimate Horse Lover” launches on Nov. 1). Our Dr. Becker will be on “Good Morning America” on Oct. 8 to officially unveil the first two books, talking about the exclusive “must-know” information we have in both. He’ll also be celebrating his 11th year as the show’s veterinary correspondent, many congrats!

Our syndicated pet-care feature with Universal Press will have a two-parter (running in our client newspapers the weeks of Oct. 6 and Oct. 13) excerpting some of that information as well. And we’ll have a sampler from each of the books — with some pictures, “must-know” information from top experts and a couple of the stories — up on this Web site by next weekend.

Dr. Becker will pretty much be a non-stop media machine in October, with lots of appearances following the GMA one to talk about the new books.

And then, for whatever crazy reason, I’m going to Phoenix to cover the World Cynosport Games, the international celebration of the very best teams competing in agility, flyball and dock-diving, with exhibitions in many other sports as well. I’m taking along Pet Connection Director of Photography Morgan Ong, so we will have some fantastic pictures as well.

The weekend before that, our book publisher has invited me, racing fan that I am, to be his guest at the Breeders Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, held this year at historic Santa Anita in Southern California. Go Between (owned by our publisher, Peter Vegso) won the big race of the Del Mar meet, the $1 million win-and-you’re-in Pacific Classic. That sets Go Between up for a try at the top race on the BC card, the Classic, where he’ll likely compete again Curlin and possibly Derby-Preakness winner Big Brown. Check out this picture of Go Between winning the Pacific Classic, with top jockey Garret Gomez aboard. I’m trying to get a print, so I can get it signed by everyone except the horse himself. This will be the first time I’ve ever had anything like primo seats for a major event of any kind (with the exception of those I was covering).

Tomorrow, McKenzie and I will be in competition for our first junior hunter leg. Because of my hit-and-miss training schedule — eight books in two years will do that! — the poor girl is not near ready. So wish us luck, because we’ll need it. I’ve got a $50 side bet with Otter’s forever mom as to whose dog will be a junior hunter first. Otter already has her first leg (you need four). Drat, I should have sabotaged that puppy while I was raising her …

Pictured at top: McKenzie, the tennis-ball maniac. Bonus picture below: Welcome to my life. Clara on the dog bed, and McKenzie sound asleep with a tennis ball in her mouth.