Happy Birthday, PetConnection.com!
By Gina Spadafori
December 31, 2008
Four years ago today, I was visiting Christie at her old place, on a few fully fenced creekside acres in the redwoods a couple hours north of San Francisco. It was — and still is — my birthday, but because it was also the last day of 2004, I was trying to close a business deal.
I was trying to buy back PetConnection.com.
“Buy back” because I’d once owned the domain name, back in the day. But after I got hired at the nice day job in 2001, I thought, well, maybe I’ll just become an ordinary pet-owner, not a person who writes about pets. So I let the domain name go and was thinking rather seriously about doing the same to the writing career.
Then, of course, I realized I could no more stop writing about pets than stop sharing my life with them, so I tried to get the domain name back. (Pet Connection was — still is — the name of the syndicated column I write (now with a team, but then alone) for Universal Press.)
The man who owned the PetConnection.com domain wasn’t using it, but had picked it up hoping to make some money selling it, and nothing wrong with that. We went back and forth for a couple of years, but I finally sensed I wasn’t getting it back for anything less than $3,ooo — less than half of the initial asking price, as I recall — and I think he was getting tired of me beggingasking him to sell it to me.
We closed the deal that New Year’s Eve, in time for me to deduct the cost of the domain name purchase off my Schedule C income tax form for 2004 (I think it wiped out every dime I made writing that year!). I was very excited to finally get the name back, but it honestly wouldn’t have happened without Christie encouraging me to “just go for it!” and her well-equipped home office that made all the e-mailing and faxing possible.
Within a few months, I’d put up a simple Web site of my own design, pictured above (click for larger image). Not that bad for an amateur, I’d say, but it certainly isn’t anything like we’ve done since, with Jay Gavron’s design and Black Dog Studio’s swift and sure-footed handling of everything else.
The site grew like crazy once I decided I really wanted to get going again, and even more once Dr. Becker and I became business partners. I never would have imagined that night in Christie’s fog-shrouded home that I’d today be looking at a PetConnection.com with a searchable archive of thousands of articles, a monthly giveaway worth at least $1,000 and a lively blog that attracts the comments of some of the brightest and best-informed pet-owners around. Not to mention the eight books Dr. B and I have co-authored once we realized (after writing the first book together) that we worked very well together, indeed.
The site is still my best birthday present ever, and that’s thanks to the contributors and the readers.
And as it turns out, I think it’s rather cool that PetConnection.com and I have the same birthday. Although at four, it’s a mere toddler, and I … oh, never mind.
Happy Birthday to you!
Comment by Saint Lover — December 31, 2008 @ 5:55 am
Happy Birthday, Gina.
By helping so many people and pets, you deserve any enrichment you have received!
You and Dr. B write such good stuff for the rest of us—may you both keep on writing for a long, long time. (:>) (:^}
Comment by Colorado Transplant — December 31, 2008 @ 6:31 am
I am extending my comments by saying:
May Christie and Kim keeping writing for a long, long time also because I so much enjoy the medical insightfulness from Christie and the storytelling from Kim.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — December 31, 2008 @ 6:35 am
Happy Birthday! And thank you for this wonderful site. My S.O. is getting very tired of hearing “but Gina/Christie says…” in our dog-related conversations, I think. :O)
Comment by Lori — December 31, 2008 @ 6:43 am
Borrowing a phrase from Frosty the Snowman: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Comment by slt — December 31, 2008 @ 6:51 am
Happy Birthday, Gina, and thanks not only for this fabulous but also the offshoots (e.g. Bark Obama!)
Comment by Susan — December 31, 2008 @ 7:32 am
Congrats to you!!!! I know how hard you work to make the site as fantastic as it is. Keep it up!! Jen
Comment by Jennifer Windrum — December 31, 2008 @ 7:37 am
OK, this is OT (or maybe it’s on topic re: “a lively blog that attracts the comments of some of the brightest and best-informed pet-owners around”), but someone please tell me what breed of dogs these are:
http://ihasahotdog.com/2008/12.....-it-right/
Comment by Lori — December 31, 2008 @ 8:16 am
Flatcoated retrievers!
Yes, they come in brown (called “liver”). Also, yellow, although yellows cannot compete in shows. (I’d like to see them there, frankly.)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 31, 2008 @ 8:19 am
Happy birthday! And remember, you’re only as old as you feel. Now if only my body would feel as young as my mind thinks I am…
Comment by Kim Thornton — December 31, 2008 @ 8:31 am
I suspected that(as I’ve started glancing at retrieverman’s blog on genetics), but wasn’t positive. They’re pretty!
Comment by Lori — December 31, 2008 @ 8:36 am
Happy Birthday to both of you! And happy new year too.
Comment by Therese — December 31, 2008 @ 9:09 am
As we say on the other side of the pond “Many Happy Returns”. Thank goodness for Christie :)
Comment by Laura — December 31, 2008 @ 9:14 am
Happy Birthday, PetConnection.com and of course, Gina! I’m glad I was able to midwife this baby into the world. ;)
Comment by Christie Keith — December 31, 2008 @ 9:23 am
Happy, Happy Birthday! Here’s to a wonderful 2009!
Comment by Patti S. — December 31, 2008 @ 9:43 am
Happy Birthday Gina and Pet Connection! My day is never complete without visiting your blog!
Comment by CLynch — December 31, 2008 @ 10:57 am
Happy birthday to you, Gina, and Pet Connection. I’d say that three grand was a bargain for the rest of us ;-) . And Happy New Year, too!
Comment by Susan Fox — December 31, 2008 @ 11:15 am
Happy birthday and bless you! I don’t remember how I came across Pet Connection, but I’m sure glad I did! It’s awesome! Pet Connection rocks!
Comment by Sara Jo — December 31, 2008 @ 11:26 am
Happy Birthday! You are the best! Without you, I shudder to think how more cats and dogs would have been poisoned by additives.
Enjoy your day - I have a feeling 2009 is going an interesting ride.
Comment by 2CatMom — December 31, 2008 @ 11:30 am
Congratulations, Gina. I write for part of my living, too, and I know how much effort you put into this site. I can also vouch for what a good job you do. PatConnection is always my first stop on the Internet, and it’s always worthwhile. Please carry on carrying on . . . and happy birthday—that needs to continue, too!
Comment by Lisa — December 31, 2008 @ 1:57 pm
As Christopher Robin said to Pooh, “Hippy Pappy Bithuthday” to you Gina, and to PetConnection!
Comment by Anne T — December 31, 2008 @ 6:47 pm
My birthday present to myself: Frogg Toggs!
Thanks, Deanna, for suggesting them.
And now … I HAVE RAIN GEAR!!!!
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 31, 2008 @ 7:03 pm
Gina, Happy Birthday to you and Pet Connection! Wishing you continued success, happiness, and all good things in 2009 that you so deserve! Thank you for all that you do for so many. You are a most special person.
Comment by Nadine L. — December 31, 2008 @ 7:39 pm
Happy Birthday! Happy New Year!! Your life already leaves a great legacy for pet lovers and professionals alike. And yet, I believe the best is yet to come…
Comment by Susan Tripp — January 1, 2009 @ 11:08 am