5 Questions: Jen Reeder, Award-Winning Freelance Dog Journalist

For more than a decade, Jen Reeder has built a career out of telling stories about pets and the people who love them. What began with the adoption of a yellow Labrador mix named Rio turned into a beat all its own, covering everything from the science of cloning cats to the quirky rituals of dog-friendly baseball games. Along the way, she’s published more than a thousand articles in outlets ranging from CNN and The Christian Science Monitor to Forbes and Modern Dog Magazine.

Reeder’s voice is both compassionate and curious. One week, she might be writing about veterinarians helping Ukrainian refugees care for their pets; the next, she’s profiling a Colorado volunteer feeding dogs and cats whose owners are experiencing homelessness. For her, pets are never just animals—they’re family, and the stories she tells reflect that bond.

Living in Denver has only expanded her canvas. Surrounded by a community that embraces everything from therapy-dog programs to Bark at the Park nights at Coors Field, Reeder has found endless inspiration. 

This year, Reeder’s dedication was honored with her induction into the Dog Writers Association of America Hall of Fame. It’s a milestone that recognizes not just her prolific output, but also the empathy and rigor she brings to every story. In this week’s 5 Questions, she reflects on her journey, the lessons pets have taught her and why she believes there are still infinite stories left to tell.

You’ve written over a thousand articles about pets. What first sparked your passion for telling animal stories? 

My husband and I adopted our first dog in 2010, and it changed the course of my career and life. Rio was a yellow Labrador retriever mix in a litter of unwanted puppies at Farmington Regional Animal Shelter in New Mexico, about an hour from our home at the time in Durango. 

I like to say I took “crazy dog lady” to the next level by narrowing my focus as a journalist to pets. I wrote an essay titled (in the print version) “My Dog Taught Me The Meaning of Life” for Modern Dog Magazine that went viral and led to people around the world sharing photos of their dogs, and I knew I’d found my niche. (For the record, the meaning of life is to bring as much happiness as possible to others and to yourself.)  

Denver has a huge pet-loving community. How has living here influenced what kind of stories you tell? 

I love Denver for so many reasons, including the pet-loving community! There are so many passionate people working in shelters and nonprofits, plus fun activities. Last week, we took our Yorkshire terrier mix, Tux, to Coors Field for Bark at the Park, and it was a blast to see so many dog nuts and their canine companions parading around the field before the Rockies game (yes, now I’m working on a story about it).

I’m also a kidney donor in Colorado’s “One Kidney Club” that heads out for hikes and happy hours, so I meet interesting dog people that way. One of them volunteers at Craig Hospital’s animal-assisted therapy program with his Labrador retriever mix, Hercules, helping rehabilitate people emerging from medically induced comas after serious injury, which was perfect for my column “In Their Debt” for Just Labs Magazine. Another kidney donor adopted a beagle rescued from lab testing, which I covered for Forbes.com.

I’ve also interviewed local rescuers taking in pets whose owners have recently been deported, veterinarians on all kinds of health topics for service articles and volunteers with Colorado Pet Pantry helping feed pets of people experiencing homelessness. There are so many inspiring Denverites!

You’ve covered pets during tough times: hurricanes, wildfires, and even the war in Ukraine. How has this shaped the way you think about the bond between people and their animals? 

The bond between people and pets is so strong that many people won’t leave their pets behind in a crisis. We also see this with people trying to escape domestic violence, which is why we need more safe houses to allow pets.

When something tragic happens, it’s always good for my mental health to cover the people who step up to help, like the American veterinarians who flew to border areas with Ukraine to offer free veterinary care to pets of Ukrainian refugees, like Colorado’s Jon Geller, DVM and founder of the nonprofit The Street Dog Coalition, or the shelter staff and volunteers working to care for pets displaced by natural disasters to reunite them with their families. So many people understand that for most of us, pets are family.  

Out of all the stories you’ve covered, is there one pet or animal story that has stuck with you the most? 

I recently drove through Buena Vista, and I can’t be in that town without thinking of a story I wrote early in my dog-writing career about incarcerated men training shelter dogs at Buena Vista Minimum Center. It was so intense going through security to enter the prison, and honestly, I felt nervous about meeting men who had committed crimes.

But the dogs were total icebreakers, and some of the guys were down on the ground petting the dogs and talking baby talk. One proudly fanned out all the dog-training certificates he’d earned while incarcerated and told me how excited he was to get out and become a professional dog trainer. It was incredibly moving to see how powerful and transformational the human-canine bond can be.  

Being inducted into the Dog Writers Association of America Hall of Fame is a huge accomplishment. How does it feel to look back on your journey, and what’s next for you? 

Being inducted into the Hall of Fame in February in New York in front of my husband, parents, brother, niece, nephew, colleagues and Tux was one of the best nights of my life. I wore a necklace with an imprint of Rio’s nose since none of this would have happened if Bryan and I hadn’t adopted him. I hope other people will consider welcoming a pet into their home because it can be so life-changing, not to mention fun!

Next month I’m heading to Indianapolis for the conference and awards banquet of the Cat Writers’ Association, so I’m looking forward to hugging friends, learning from the community and, of course, meeting some cool cats. I feel like there are infinite story possibilities involving pets, and I’m grateful to everyone who shares their insights and experiences with me.