Dr. Jessica Vogelsang’s Pawcurious won Best Pet Blog at this year’s Petties. With wry wit and steady wisdom, Dr. V’s site covers everything from health issues to product reviews to rescue stories. Below is DogTime’s exclusive interview with the winner.
DogTime: Who or what is the inspiration for your blog?
Jessica Vogelsang: My work as a vet was the original inspiration for the blog, but as time evolved it became much more general. Now it focuses on my life as an animal lover and a celebration of the human/animal bond, and my work is just a backdrop.
DT: How did you get started?
JV: I’ve been keeping an online journal since 2001, but I didn’t start a public blog until 2009. My husband and friends are the ones who really encouraged me to start a blog, and I just did it to humor them. Two years later I’m still going strong!
DT: Do you consider yourself an animal lover who happens to blog–or a writer who loves animals?
JV: It’s really hard for me to say one has precedence over the other. I love animals, I love to write; the blog is a manifestation of both. Animals and writing are both a big part of who I am.
DT: What do you do when you’re not blogging?
JV: Enjoying my 6 and 4 year old kids, goofing off with the pets, dragging myself to the gym, or playing on my iPad. Cooking complicated recipes no one will touch except me and Brody.
DT: What’s the best thing that’s happened to you personally or for the larger community, thanks to your blog?
The absolute best thing that happened to me was getting to know Caroline (the staff at Romeo the Cat and BlogPaws co-founder) after my first Blogathon last November. Through that, I was invited to be a part of the Be the Change for Pets panel at the very first BlogPaws, which ended up being the trigger point for the whole Be the Change for Pets movement. It has been the most fulfilling moment of my blog experience to date.
DT: What direction do you see your blog–or the blogosphere in general–going?
JV: I hope to make 2011 a year of growth for the blog, and add more of the elements that people really respond to. We’re working on a BrodyCam we hope to get up and running pretty soon.
In general I hope the public and advertisers really come to acknowledge the depth and commitment of the pet blogging community. It feels a little insular at the moment, but I think if the world at large had any idea how much we have collectively managed to accomplish to make the world a better place for pets, they would be pretty impressed.
DT: How have the Petties impacted your blog?
JV: It’s brought new faces to the blog and allowed me to make some great new connections. DogTime has been wonderful in utilizing their press releases and media contacts to bring attention not only to my blog and the other nominees, but to pet bloggers as a whole. Anything to increase the profile of this group is a wonderful thing!
DT: What are you favorite blogs (or who do you read regularly)?
How much space do you have? There are a ton. Just to name a few: About.com’s Veterinary Medicine blog, Life with Dogs, Fully Vetted, Pet Connection, Romeo the Cat, Phetched, the 7MSN Ranch, Petfinder’s blog, Your Daily Cute…and since life can’t be all about pets, a good dose of Regretsy and Bakerella.
Check out the red carpet interview with Dr. V–and the rest of the Petties’ winners–after the show:
