I have always been a cat person, so I was as surprised as anyone when my reaction to becoming an empty nester was to adopt a dog. I said I was working long hours and needed a reminder to get some exercise, but I was thinking the house was too quiet once the kids went away.
My dad always said that a pet picks its person, but when my husband and I visited animal shelters, the dogs that fit our criteria — medium sized, mostly grown, cat friendly — ignored me. Finally, though, a white pup with a jaunty eye patch climbed into my lap, licked my chin and cuddled close. I named her after Anne Bonny, the 18th-century pirate.
Meeting Bonny, 2017 (Photo courtesy Mindy Kinsey)
Sweet and eager to please, Bonny adores people, treats and chasing toys. But she’s the first dog I’ve owned as an adult and, it turns out, what I didn’t know about canines could fill a book. Chewed shoes and a well-gnawed newel post taught me that year-old dogs are still puppies. Months of arm wrenching led me to hire a personal trainer for leash lessons. And rude reactions at the dog park made it clear some people don’t like pit bulls.
As Claire Fortier reports in this issue, pit bulls are one of the most popular — and most reviled — dogs in America. You see them everywhere in Richmond, despite apartment breed bans and some admittedly scary stories. Fortier explains the history and explores the contradictory opinions about bully breeds on Page 72.
We hit on history in our other features, as well. In “That’s Amore” (Page 78), Lauren Vincelli takes a deep dive into Richmond’s pizza past and finds enough of a common denominator among today’s local pizzerias to declare a regional style.
Meanwhile, Harry Kollatz Jr. examines two annual events turning 20 this year: the All the Saints Halloween Parade in Union Hill and the Carytown Zombie Walk (Page 84). We also highlight our favorite RVA tricks and treats, including giant skeletons, pumpkin patches, fright farms, local candy and more.
We take a slightly different look at a Halloween tradition in our new editorial column, Staff Insights (Page 18). We plan to take turns sharing an opinion, experience or stance related to a topic in each issue. First up: debating the merits of trunk-or-treating. Let us know if you think parking lot candy pickups are a fun alternative or seem a bit silly.
Also in this issue, we examine ghost signs, goth shops, pen pals, leaf peeping, libraries, light shows and much more. Enjoy!
