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Arf! Meow! …Ribbit? Let’s Talk About Your Pets on This Week’s Open Thread.

As we do every Friday, we're turning Racket over to you, the readers.

From left to right: Koda, Jay, Apollo.

|Lucy Hawthorne

In a week that overfloweth with grim news—Elon's kleptocratic gutting of the federal government, the utterly feckless opposition party response, Kanye West declaring "I AM A NAZI"—we're choosing to keep things light for this Open Thread. Light 'n' fluffy, as it were.

That's right, we're plucking the lowest-hanging of all prompt fodder and asking: Tell us about your wonderful pets?

No arm twisting required of me! (I'm writing this Open Thread intro because Keith, the usual author, is "hopelessly incurious about animals"—hmm.) In the photo above, you'll see my and my wife's rescued Siberian huskies, Koda and Apollo.

We got Apollo six years ago from the Golden Valley Humane Society; he was just three at the time, but had already experienced two previous owners. It became quickly apparent that the sweet boy had some... issues. Namely, horrible separation anxiety that caused him to dismantle crates, dig through hardwood floors, and pee everywhere. (It must be noted he's also tender, adorable, and loving!)

In an attempt to cure Apollo, we obtained Koda from Adopt a Husky MN weeks before the pandemic. Reportedly, he had been discovered wandering the northwestern suburbs without a collar or microchip, yet the one-year-old goofball was already housebroken and equipped with basic commands. (Although husky owners already know those commands often fall on disinterested ears.) He's a hyper-social hit with friends and visitors.

Koda's company more or less cured Apollo! The boys love play-fighting, going on walks by Minnehaha Creek, and cuddling on all of our furniture with no boundaries whatsoever. We love them.

But enough about our wonderful boys! Tell us about your critters. How'd you get 'em? What are they like? Any zany pet-related stories you've got in the hopper for small-talk at parties? Let's hear it all.

Or, of course, you can ignore this prompt and talk about whatever you want. This is your Open Thread, after all.

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