Santa Barbara’s Pets & Animals

A Love Letter to the Animals
Who Make Life Softer, Stranger, and Better

By Tiana Molony & Callie Fausey
June 11, 2026

You can’t always count on humans to show up — the flawed species that we are — but you can count on that loving creature you’ve allowed to take up free space in your bed. No matter what, they tend to greet us with the same steady affection, day after day.

That goes for all pets — bunnies, lizards, even snakes, if that’s your thing — but most of us tend to gravitate toward two in particular: cats and dogs, of course. I have a beautiful chocolate Labrador named Maple who, without fail, can turn any bad day into a great one.

While I consider myself more of a dog person, I have to give the cats a shout-out too: I have two outdoor cats, and though I don’t particularly enjoy the dead mice they leave at my front door, I can appreciate the effort.

All that to say, putting together this year’s Pets & Animals issue was challenging — not for lack of story ideas, but because there were simply too many. There’s so much to say about our domesticated companions and wild neighbors alike. Narrowing it down wasn’t easy, but I think you’ll enjoy what we’ve put together.

Inside this issue, you’ll read about equine coaching and its benefits, a baby bird rescue story, reporter Callie Fausey’s chaotic raccoons, and a personal essay I wrote about making the impossible decision to put down a beloved family pet.

This issue has it all: love, grief, and raccoon-related resentment — all tied up in one neat bow.

—Tiana Molony