An edited book is a collective undertaking and labour, even when about leisure!
Both of us (Neil and Janette) have human and animal companions and colleagues to thank.
For Janette, the two small dogs who snoozed their way through the days spent locked in my study have been living breathing companions in the solitariness that comes with solid writing opportunities. Thanks for breaking up my days with greeting the postage, brief garden explorations (greeting the birds, listening to the magpies chortle) and confirmation that the mantra that “dogs should be walked every day” definitely was not your sentient individual position on leisure. Confirmed as I carried two dogs back from the park on several occasions. Leisure for them, like some people, consists more in the pleasures of home and hearth than exploring even the not-so-great unknown (the park being less than 5 minutes’ walk away).
For Neil, the original cause of an interest in animal-related research was his first dog, Snuffie. While she alas, has “crossed the rainbow bridge”, without her this book would never have come to be. Gypsy, her follower, has worked tirelessly to place herself at the centre of life. Ten days before writing this acknowledgements segment, Gypsy left us as well. Ebony, snoozing on my lap as I type this (as a Mastiff cross puppy this is unlikely to continue as she enters adulthood!) will never replace those who have gone before her but she has helped to begin the healing process and to push my work onwards (and often upwards out of reach of her mouth). Yet these acknowledgements cannot centre only on dogs. The Carr household cat (currently dealing with a pup after 8 years of blissful and total dominance of Gypsy and 3 years prior to that of a respectful truce with Snuffie) deserves a mention. While she may have a tendency to write gobbledegook as she stomps across the keyboard, she serves as a reminder that the world of animals is not restricted to dogs, something reinforced by the ducks and chickens that exist on the Carr property as well. They offer the reminder that all animals can be capable of demonstrating sentience and a desire for leisure.
As always, mention must also be made of our human families who keep us on the straight and narrow. For Neil thanks go to Sarah, long suffering wife, Ben, stoic 17- year-old, Tat, absent 15-year-old daughter off chasing her ballet dancing dreams, and Gus, the unstoppable force of nature. Greg, Janette’s human partner in life (and dogs) has brought cups of tea, and even meals as she laboured over a keyboard especially in the final push to get a book ready for the publisher.
Thanks are also due to our work colleagues and friends. Caroline Adams and Richard McGrath have been great to debrief with and have been tolerant of an absent and distracted Programme Director (Janette) for much of 2017. We are both indebted to everyone in our departments and beyond who directly and indirectly have helped to support us, meaning that we have time to get on with research and writing. Particular thanks to Neil’s departmental administrator Trudi, and to Brent for always being willing to take on the role of acting Head.
As co-authors we would like to acknowledge all the authors of the chapters in this book and thank you all for your patience and good humour as you worked with us as editors. Thank you for joining us on this journey exploring the leisure of domestic animals. Thank you to Faye Leerink from Taylor & Francis who originally picked up on the call for papers to the 2015 Australian and New Zealand Association for Leisure Studies Conference and suggested that our session focus could become a book. An exciting opportunity. We look forward to the future in this space as the welfare, wellbeing and leisure of animals continues to deservedly receive attention.
Janette and Neil
June 2017