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Today's the day when we take a moment to reflect what we have in our lives and be grateful, which is a pretty wonderful idea. Besides being thankful for an abundance of food and football, my greatest blessing is my family. I have a husband and daughter who love me, dogs that adore me, and a cat that tolerates me and occasionally graces me with affection.

I am also very thankful for all of you who read this blog and the Happy Wag newspaper column, and take the time to comment and be part of this little pet-loving community.

I give a big pat on the back to my boss, Carole Tarrant, for letting me have the time to do this, and to my column editor, Kathy Lu, who always makes it better. And a huge hug of gratitude goes to Lindsey Nair, who helps me so much as a friend and a colleague.

Today I would really like to thank the people in this community who give tirelessly and endlessly to make life better for animals, and to those who work with animals to make our community a safer, better place to live. I firmly believe how we treat animals is an expression of how deep our compassion runs for humanity.

This incomplete list of includes:

• Sara Orrick of Star City Greyhound Adoptions and her merry and dedicated band of volunteers
• Lisa O'Neill and all the staff and volunteers at Angels of Assisi, who never say never
• Shirley Fainter, Thelma Marienfeldt and FERAL, who do so much for homeless kitties
• Diane Novak of Barn Cat Buddies, who will not rest until there's at least one cat in every barn
• Dr. Maureen and the staff at Emergency Veterinary Service, who save pets lives in the odd hours, including my dog Coral
• The puppy raisers and trainers as Saint Francis Service Dogs, who create lifelines for people with great dogs
• Lauren Ellerman, Vickie McCormick, Amy Morgan, Seth Marlow, Sherry Wallace and all the other Roanoke Dog Park Committee members for having a vision and making it real
• Christa Hall Stephens and Black Dog Salvage for being a pet-friendly business and overall cool people
• Kathy Perdue, Anne Marie Sweeney, Gael Dixon and everyone at the RVSPCA for being a presence for pet welfare and awareness in Roanoke
• All the foster families that take in wee pups and kitties for the RVSPCA and Angels and allow these babies to have a chance
• The League of Animal Protection in Botetourt, for their dedication and love on behalf of some hard-to-place pets
• Donna Essig, Anita Scott and everyone at the Franklin County Humane Society for moving mountains in that community and beyond
• The volunteers who train their pets for search-and-rescue missions for their dedication and hard work that saves lives
• To all the K9 police officers and their four-legged partners, who put public safety before their own
• Katie Halsted, Kristi Lilly, Sue Grimm and everyone else at Six Wags Dogs Park, for just being awesome
• All the responsible, loving pet parents of pit bulls, because it takes some tough love to break down the stereotypes and make good homes for these great dogs
• Every pet owner who spays and neuters their critters and thus does not contribute to the problem of pet overpopulation