It's time to bark in the New Year! What better way to do so than with the winter issue of Animal Fair? This issue features the most controversial pet of the year on the cover, Iggy (the former adopted and later wrongfully kidnapped dog of Ellen DeGeneres), who is our VERY FIRST sole cover star. All other Animal Fair covers have featured a celebrity and their pet(s) (including Beyonce, Charlize Theron, Renee Zellweger, Regis Philbin and Hayden Panettiere), but Iggy stands alone for a very good reason ( Lucky pretended like she didn't mind). The cover story features nine other animals who, alongside Iggy, make up our 10 Biggest Animal Headlines of the year. Other pet headliners include Leona Helmsley's "rich bitch," Trouble, and the rats in Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille . The winter issue also features our annual list of Most Eligible Pets. This year's list boasts a diverse group of pets hailing from owners who are at the top of their fields in design, law, comedy, medicine and music. We've all heard about the sexiest men alive, the best and worst dressed celebrities, or the most beautiful people. Now it's time to hear about the Most Eligible pets! This year we have put together an outstanding list of eligible pets. While they may be eligible, let's also hope they're also spade and neutered! Topping off the list this year are teen pop sensation, Miley Cyrus's two pups Roadie and Loco who won't leave any fans disappointed because they are just too irresistible! Cyrus has been raised around animals, but when she moved to California she had to leave her farm of animals behind. Also making this year's list is salacious gossip ganger, Perez Hilton's adorable Mini Goldendoodle, Teddy. No dog in Hollywood would want to argue with Teddy or they know they'll be yesterday's news. Forget Cruella De Vil, Glenn Close's pets of the past and present also make our list not only because they have a huge star as their mom, but also a mom dedicated to helping different animal organizations. She's actually anti-De Villian! Daisy and Jambo are two Rhodesian Ridgebacks who can boast the pets with the best diets. Their owner, Dr. Andrew Weil, is a medical innovator and always keeps the two eligible pets around. Maggie Youngstein may just be a dog, but she serves as an inspiration to her father, TV's Judge David Young, when ruling on important animal related cases. Other pets to make our list include Rosco and Mabel, comedienne Rachel Harris's two dogs. Harris may even get them into television and film, telling Animal Fair "You put a bowler hat on Rosco, and a cigar, and I think he would do really well in some Martin Scorsese films." Rounding off the list is Banks, Extra host A.J. Calloway's dog; Gibear, the sophisticated Schipperke of New York socialite Emma Snowdon-Jones; Oscar, the 20 year old Cocker-Spaniel of design pioneer Colin Cowie; and Schmaltzy, the piano playing cat (who's owner believes that Schmaltzy is the "world's most famous cat"). But as a proud pet owner myself, I say let your pet be your most eligible pet, like Lucky is mine! Inside the issue you'll also find our 2nd Annual Anniversary Calendar, celebrating our eighth year in print. Celebrities such as Adrian Grenier, Fred Willard, Matt Leinart and Maria Menounos are featured each month alongside the local pet charities they support. Last year's calendar, with the help of Pedigree's Help Us Help Dogs, rose over $1.8 million and this year we hope to top $2 million!

 

Happy New Year! See you in 2008,