I admit: Putting a sloth on our cover was never on my bucket list, but now that we’ve done it, I’m over the moon. The sloth – her name’s Sophia – heralds in this year’s Pet Issue, breaking an all-dog cover streak. The original idea for the cover was to put Chrondog Hank, our three-legged office mascot, in a Washingtonian tricorn hat and powdered wig in honor of Presidents Day. While Hank would have certainly brought great dignity to the part, I think Sophia was the right way to go.

Sophia, turns out, has a pet of her own, an iguana. Keep reading for their story, and more stories about what we’ve learned from the animals we share space with. – Kimberley Jones

This article appears in February 7 • 2020.

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