Kim Campbell Thornton has been writing about dogs and cats for 25 years. She's the award-winning author of more than two dozen books, including Careers With Dogs: The Comprehensive Guide to Finding Your Dream Job. She has also penned hundreds of articles related to pet care, health and behavior, including a Creature Comforts column that she writes for MSNBC.com. Kim is a past president of the Cat Writers Association, as well as a longtime member of the Dog Writers Association of America. She shares her home with two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, an African ringneck parakeet and her husband, who helped her found the Darcy Fund after the couple lost their 6-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Darcy, to congestive heart failure due to mitral valve disease. Since 2006, the Darcy Fund has raised more than $20,000 for research on the disease.