pet connection

A few months ago, I opened an e-mail from an editor at Consumers Digest. He asked if I had any suggestions for a writer to do a story on how to pick a pet, to fairly and accurately offer the pros and cons of all sources, from reputable breeders to pet stores/online pet sites to shelters/rescue groups, as well as the good and the not-so of purebreds, cross-breds and mixes.

I think I snarked something back about “puppy-mill retail outlets” (a/k/a pet stores), offered brief pro/cons on the shelter/rescue and reputable breeder options, gave him a couple of writers to contact and wished him good luck on the article, because he was going to need it to cover such a controversial topic.

Undaunted by my flippancy, he asked me to take the assignment. Oh what the heck, I said. Could be fun.

Fun it wasn’t. What it was: The hardest writing assignment ever, harder than any book I’ve written except my three “… For Dummies” ones.

The 2,600-word article went through about 10 major revisions, tons of fact-checking (I had to submit transcripts of my interviews and interview e-mails) and lots of challenges and requests for clarifications. I’ve heard The New Yorker has the toughest fact-checkers and editors in the biz, but it’s difficult to imagine any more thorough than the staff of Consumers Digest.

I joked afterward that the payment for the article — which was really pretty generous — was on the low side when considered on an hourly basis, dividing the hours I spent on this article into the final payment.

Not that I’m complaining, because I’m really not. The editor and I got along well, and he said he’d be happy to work with me again. I felt the same, but I kidded him. “Working with you is too much work,” I said.

I just got an advance copy of the issue with the article, the February one that will be on the newsstands in a couple of weeks. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I was so happy with any article I’ve worked on. It’s complete, honest, fair and no-holds-barred: A compact guide to choosing a pet, on leading with your head and listening to your heart. (But I’m sure they’ll still get complaints, anyway.) I’m not blowing my own horn on this one: The article was a team effort, and Consumers Digest has a great editing team.

I hope someone slips a copy to the Obamas, to help with their puppy search.