Here at Pets and Pals, we recognize one fundamental truth: pets are our pals. Not only do we recognize this motto—we live by it! There’s just no getting around the fact that pets (and animals of all stripes) are an integral part of our lives and complex ecosystems. Nothing compares to the joy and wonder that our furry (and not-so-furry) friends provide us with each and every day. So join us as we explore everything there is to know about the animals living in our world.
Emilie has been a content writer for Rough Maps since 2024. She holds a BA in journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University and has been published in various magazines including Toronto Life and Exclaim. Her favourite topics to write about include food, traveling, health & wellness, and music. Emilie's favourite pet was her extremely special childhood cat, Chester.
Christy Chan is a Vancouver-based writer, editor, and designer. Though her travels are few and far between, she has no shortage of stories to share—trekking the Canadian wilderness, sampling poke along the Honolulu coastline, getting lost in night markets in Taiwan—and her wanderlust will eventually pin her somewhere foreign. Travels aside, if she isn't busy trying to bake the perfect cookie or relearning how to watercolour, she's scouring the nearest library, searching for the next spark of inspiration. While she doesn’t yet have a pet, a corgi would (always) be her dream pick.
With a fine arts degree from OCAD University under her belt, Megan dips her brush in many creative fields. She’s currently exploring the world of writing, working in niches from fiction to copywriting. Meg is either traveling or dreaming of traveling when she’s not writing. Her home base is in Canada until the lakes freeze over. Megan's dream is to adopt miniature dwarf ponies that will be friends with her two future dogs, Derek and Linda Mcarthy.
Chase joined Rough Maps as our inaugural employee in 2018, bringing with him a BA in Administrative Marketing from Fanshawe College and a fervent aspiration to become an advertising expert. His love for travel and his writing prowess seamlessly blend, enabling him to share captivating experiences about the wonders of our planet. Chase's favourite pet is his miniature cockapoo named Jersey.
Farva has been immersed in the world of writing since earning her B.A. in English. In the past, she has written as a freelancer and has even worked on some novels. She enjoys exploring a variety of topics, including relationships, comic books, and global culture. Superheroes—ranging from iconic figures like Batman to niche characters like Morpheus—are some of her favorite subjects. Fava has two cats, Tibbers who functions on a single braincell, and Circe who acts like he runs the place.
Having dealt first-hand in the realm of digital content and media since 2019, David has committed himself to making full use of his BA in History and Political Science (that being an extremely loose definition of the term "full use"). Despite this complete 180, David's passion for writing and observing the world around him has lent itself to a steadfast commitment to producing content about the topics he cares about most: travel and pop culture. David's favourite pet is his cat of over twelve years, Maca.
Since the dawn of time, Maria has subjected people to her writing. From silly stories about baseball in her youth to silly stories about cowboys in adulthood, people have been unsafe for years. She brought that love of writing to UTM (U of T’s homely sister in Mississauga) where she spent five years on the campus newspaper, eventually becoming editor-in-chief. Her work has also been published in UTM’s annual journal and one of her short stories placed second in Scribbler’s Dialogue Contest. She believes she’s funnier than she is and would have made her entire blurb Smash Mouth’s lyrics to “All Star,” if only her boss had let her. Her favourite pet she ever had was her soul dog, Logan. He was the very best boy and lived to be 14.5 before departing for Margaritaville.
Cathy has been a content writer at Rough Maps since 2023. She has a BA in English Literature from the University of British Columbia and has always dreamed of becoming a writer. Her love for reading fueled her passion for writing, and she enjoys writing about topics like pop culture, film, travel, and personal experiences. Though Cathy's only ever owned a hamster in her childhood, her dream is to get an adorable Golden Dachshund to join her family.
Robbie has been with Rough Maps since 2019, first as a content writer and latterly as Director of Creative and Media. His essays and reports have been published in Maclean’s, Salon, The West End Phoenix and elsewhere. Robbie is a recipient of the Eugene Levy Writing Award, a three-time winner of the York University President’s Prize, and was the Humber Yuk Yuks Standup Champ in 2016. Robbie has always dreamed of befriending an octopus and becoming its roommate.
Every one of us has a pet that lives in our heart. That's why we started Pets and Pals. From dogs to cats to iguanas and rabbits, nothing warms our homes more than our animal companions. We are excited to share our favorite animal stories and advice with this community. If we could own any dream pet it would definitely be a tiger or a giraffe. We thank everyone for their continued support!
We are always looking to add new members to our wonderful team and hear feedback from our readers. Please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]
