The connection between people and their furry besties is played out, in thousands of photos, videos, and posts, each and every day online.
It's clear that humans cherish their tail-rocking, paw-cute, snout-sweet co-earthlings, but few places fully put the spotlight on that special, and especially strong, bridge we've built to our beloved "beasties."
And they, of course, have built with us. But the soon-to-open Animal History Museum will celebrate just those connections and bridges, as it "focuses on the human-animal bond" in myriad ways.
One of those ways will be via the first art reception at the brand-new destination, which is scheduled for Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9. The show will include "animal-themed" artworks by "a dozen LA-based artists." Chuck Wolf of The Wolf Fine Art is serving as curator.
The museum has found a home at the Burbank Town Center, and will celebrate an official grand opening in the weeks ahead. If "Animal History Museum" is ringing a bell for you, perhaps you heard about, or attended, the organization's fundraising fashion show held at the W Hotel in the autumn of 2014.
"Like the way natural history museums explore fossils and science, we'll explore interactions and relationships," reveals Amy Breyer, the museum's founder and Executive Director. "People throughout all civilizations have long understood that humans can and do form deep, meaningful relationships across species."
"For most of recorded history," she continues, "that relationship has been marginalized. But that's changing. More and more, cultural norms are acknowledging — and laws are starting to catch up — what many people have known intuitively."
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The people who, even now, are posting videos of their cats cuddling with their toddlers or how their dog nuzzles their hand when he is seeking affection.
It's a powerful bond, even beyond our pets, and one that the Animal History Museum will look more closely at in the months and years to come.