A letter from the editor: Welcome to 9Honey Pets

The first time I saw my mother cry, I was six.

Unbridled grief, those guttural uncontrollable sobs that catch on your words as you try and get them out.

My dog had been hit by a car and my mother had the unenviable task of telling a six-year-old her sweet, rolly-polly golden Labrador puppy Porter had died on impact.

He was my first experience of love beyond just my family, and my first experience of grief.

My next dog was a springer spaniel, a floppy-eared, curly-coated bundle of energy who became a part of our family in an instant, running lap after lap at the local oval with my father, terrorising our cat around the garden, living until 17-year-old me had to take him to the vet one final time.

Then came Guinness, a black Labrador, who I bought on a whim while my parents were overseas, sending them a fax to their hotel in Paris.

I'm not sure they quite believed me til they arrived home a week later and there was a puppy piddling on their lounge. Sacré bleu.

Guinness transformed into a barrel-bodied Lab for whom I would have done anything. He followed me moving out of home, across the ocean to another country, and lived to a ripe old age that only came to an ending when a snake bit him in a horse paddock.

Next came Murphy the spoodle and Maggie the Maltese, who learned to compete for my affections with three small children. They gave my own kids that same experience of love I had as a child.

Now my children are a bit older and there are two different dogs in our lives: Luna, a border collie cross as sweet as can be, and the devil-in-disguise Dougie, a beagle cross who has made me realise just how much we will put up with when it comes to our furry friends.

Disclaimer: I love him, I really do, but beagles should come with a warning: 'Will eat anything in their path.'

When I think back over the dogs who have been part of my life, it makes me realise what an important role they've played in shaping who I am.

Anyone who has loved a pet will understand they become more than just a creature to give your love to and for you to love in return; a puppy for your small children to dote on, a dog for your teenager to cuddle, when he won't hug you anymore; a way for strangers to talk to you in a park, a reason to stop in the street and pet a good old boy.

A part of your family.

You can probably tell I grew up loving animals.

My dog was always at my side or on the end of my bed. My swap cards were always the dog ones, I was obsessed with dogs and cats and ponies, and I wanted beyond anything to be Dr Katrina Warren and have Toby by my side.

So it's with a little bit of awe from teenage me that today we bring that love of pets to you and welcome you to our brand new site, 9Honey Pets.

Here we share our love (and frustrations) of our beloved pets, get tips and tricks and advice on training and feeding and everything you need to know about all our furry – and not so furry – friends.

Teenage me would be even more blown away by the fact that joining us on site as our resident pet expert is the very same Katrina Warren.

Drop me a line at 9honey@nine.com.au and show us your pet and let us know what you think of the newest addition to the 9Honey family.