National Pet Week Spotlight: Star Anna and Forest

While every day with a pet is a celebration, the first full week of May is officially National Pet Week, established in 1981 by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) "to honor the many important roles pets have in our lives and to promote responsible pet ownership." To commemorate the week, we chatted with local musicians about their relationships with their own pets -- today, we profile Star Anna and her beagle-fox hound, Forest!

What are Forest's nicknames?Dance Feet, Puppy, Bubba, Princess and BrendaHow long have you and Forest been together?A little over 3 years now. He's a rescue pup.Does Forest influence your music, or musical choices, in any way?Sometimes I like to make playlists based on what I think he'd be into. He has a really good '90s jams mix and a smooth Motown/R&B mix, too.How do you manage being on the road with Forest? Any tips for people who travel with their dog?He's a very lazy boy who loves to sleep, so car rides are kind of his thing. He also loves hotel rooms with two beds so he can jump back and forth between them. He's a service dog, so that really helps a lot, but there are so many great hotels that take dogs (usually for a deposit). It always helps to call ahead of time and let the hotel know you have a dog. A good website for info on traveling with pets is tripswithpets.com.

Star Anna is playing Monday, May 12th at the Tractor Tavern in A Benefit for the Oso Mudslide Victims with Mary Lambert and La Luz. Her most recent album, The Sky Is Falling, is available here as a digital download only.