Nisha Gopalan
Nisha Gopalan has been a writer/editor for The New York Times, New York magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and NYLON magazines. She currently resides in Los Angeles.
Recent Kinship articles by Nisha Gopalan
![Penny was rescued after being overlooked for 6 months in the Carson shelter.]()
How LA Residents Can Help the Dogs of Skid Row
This local rescuer shares how he got started saving LA’s animals in need.
![Beloved Pets Ofrenda Construction]()
LA Zoo’s Beloved Pets Ofrenda Allows People to Honor Their Departed Pets
You can visit the altar now through November 3.
![The Pet Groupies]()
Former Smashing Pumpkins Bassist Ditched the Touring Life to Start a Dog-Walking Company
Nicole Fiorentino’s The Pet Groupies also offers pet-sitting services in Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon.
![Woman snuggling a dog in her bed at home.]()
These Organizations Are Helping Domestic Abuse Survivors Stay With Their Pets
Fostering a pet can be one way to help a person in need escape a dangerous situation.
![a woman in a red sweater and green hat hugs a dog outside while reading a book]()
18 Places to Crunch the Leaves With Your Dog This Fall
Gorgeous destinations across the US that’ll inspire you and your bestie to get your autumn on.
![The new coffee table book Cone of Shame will be released on September 10, 2024.]()
These Gorgeous Dog Portraits Aim to Take the Shame Out of *Cone of Shame*
Winnie Au's new photography book puts a positive spin on something that usually bums out dogs—and their parents.
![Women waiting for their flight at the airport with their dog.]()
Why You Should Adopt a Dog From (or Donate to) an International Rescue Organization
Without the advocacy they need, these animals rely on Americans for help.
![Woman sitting outside with her dog in a field.]()
Seasonal Allergies Are Getting Worse for Dogs—Here’s Why
Plus, how to give your pup some relief.
![Paulina Alexis cover story]()
“She Is Me”: Paulina Alexis Sees Her Soulful, Fearless Self in ‘Reservation Dogs’
The rising star on saving stray animals on her reservation, her horse girl side hustle, and how her character connects with her roots in season 2.
![A woman holding a dog and posing for a picture.]()
Bernadette Peters Brings Adoptable Dogs to Broadway This Saturday
Tony winner and Broadway Barks founder Bernadette Peters tells us about her nonprofit’s star-studded adoption event.
![Woman getting ready to travel with her small brown dog at the airport.]()
The CDC Has Relaxed Their Rules for Bringing Dogs Into the US—But Not Entirely
The restrictions create financial and logistical challenges for animal welfare organizations.
![A woman kissing her dog on a couch.]()
Millennials Are Choosing Pets Over Kids, Study Finds
A study found that millennials are choosing pets over kids. Here’s why.
![Briston Maroney holding a guitar and looking at his dog]()
How Briston Maroney’s Dog Helped Him Stay Calm While Recording His Latest Album
She inspired some of the indie-pop musician’s songs, too.
![African American woman with floral arm tattoos and short curly hair laughing with joy while holding her small Chihuahua dog outside]()
Forget Goat Yoga. Jessamyn Stanley Practices With Her Pets
Turn those barks and meows into namastes.
![Jennifer Anniston and her adopted puppy dog.]()
These Major Celebrities Have Rescued Dogs—Now So Many More Pets Are Getting Adopted
From hosting fundraisers to posting about their adopted pets, stars can have a huge impact on animal-rescue efforts.
![Douglas Thron, in his rescue pilot uniform hugging a rescued black cat to his chest outside]()
We Are Now Living in the Age of Drone Animal Rescue
ASSERT is the first on the ground for emergency aid around the world.
Science Says People Pick Dogs That Look (and Act) Like Themselves
Do you have a dog type? Here's why people are drawn to certain pups.
![Kassidi and her Pit Bull dog Ginger.]()
Have Animal Rescue Organizations Stayed True to Their Diversity Commitments?
Four years after many DEI activism pledges, a BIPOC academic-advocate weighs in on where we stand today.
![Older dog in Loyal drug trial to extend the lives of dogs.]()
A New Drug Could Make Your Dog Live Longer
LOY-002 is a drug aimed at improving your pet’s quality of life—and helping them live longer.
![Home cat sitting on a chair with citrus.]()
Everything You Need to Know About Your Cat’s Incredibly Powerful Nose
They have up to 200 million odor receptors that can pick up all the good (and horrible) smells. Learn how to best support their sensitive sniffers.
![Young caucasian cheerful blonde girl sitting and hugging her lovely cocker spaniel dog in cafe.]()
10 Longevity Tips From People Whose Pets Have Lived Incredibly Long Lives
Follow these vet-backed tips to help your best bud live a healthy and full life.
![Young woman and her small white dog with a Whistle GPS.]()
5 Ways AI Will Change the Way You Parent Your Pet—Are You Ready?
Advancements in artificial intelligence are changing everything from the way we detect illnesses to how we keep our pets safe.
![A Young Woman Rests in the Grass With Pet Poodle Dog.]()
Here Are the Biggest Pet Trends For 2024
From sustainability to training, here’s what the new year promises to bring.
![senior dog]()
A New Drug Could Make Your Dog Live Longer—Meet the Woman Who Created It
The founder and CEO of Loyal, Celine Halioua, tells Kinship what the future of pet parenthood could look like, starting with more time with your pup.
![Genesis Rendon holding a pitbull puppy.]()
Project Street Vet Is Helping Unhoused Pets—And Their Parents
Vet tech Genesis Rendon shares the challenges and rewards that come with her selfless work.
![Käifän the Xolito dog with his owner for Dia De Los Muertos.]()
These Dogs Play a Very Special Role on the Day of the Dead
How the spirited Xoloitzcuintli breed shines on Día de los Muertos.
![An angry looking cat hiding under a couch.]()
Why You Should Not Get a Puppy on Craigslist
Puppy mills and animal traffickers are tricking Craigslist users into purchasing dangerously — sometimes terminally — sick dogs.
![Veterinary Ambulance of So Cal, run by Albert Sanchez.]()
This Former Vet Tech Is the Hero Every Pet Parent Needs in an Emergency
Albert Sanchez’s Veterinary Ambulance of Southern California brings pets to accessible emergency vet care when they need it—any time of day or night.
![Sir Darius Brown and Beagle dog on his lap.]()
Sir Darius Brown Makes Rescue Work Look Positively Dapper
This Obama-endorsed teenage animal advocate designs and donates bow ties to shelter dogs to help get them adopted.
![Small white handicapped dog, part of the Arizona hoarding case.]()
55 Abused Dogs Rescued in Arizona After Months of Social Media Activism
This grim case continues to take shape as activists condemn the Arizona Humane Society.
![an illustration of Lukita Maxwell with her cat]()
Allow Lukita Maxwell to Introduce You to Her “Little Gentleman” Cat
The Shrinking actress gets pep talks from Jason Segel, shares scenes with Harrison Ford, and comes home to Roscoe — who she says is more of a “cat-dog.”
![The Kitten Lady, Hannah Shaw, partners with Uber Pet.]()
Hannah Shaw Wants You to Get Your Pet to the Vet
The “Kitten Lady” has partnered with Royal Canin and Uber Pet to help you stay on top of your cat’s health.
![Cat Video Game Stray to Get Animated Film Adaptation From Annapurna Studios.]()
Everyone’s Favorite Feline Video Game Is Being Adapted for the Big Screen
Stray is going to become an animated film, thanks to Annapurna Animation.
![]()
This Study Says You Literally Can’t Hide From Your Cat
Happy spooky season.
![Aparna Brielle poses with her cat, Oscar Wilde]()
Aparna Brielle’s Kitty Is “a Gateway Cat” to Lifelong Pet Parenthood
The FUBAR actress became a first-time pet mom when she adopted Oscar Wilde. Now, he’s turned her formerly pet-averse family into cat people, too.
![Corook wears a black-and-white striped shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes, paired with a green frog hat while they pose with their dog, Cubby outside on the grass.]()
Corook’s Rescue Dog Gives Them Permission to Have Bad Days
The TikTok sensation and singer-songwriter says their German Shepherd mix, Cubby, has taught them it’s OK not to be perfect.
![Illustration by Zoé Coulon, a person holding a dog with two dogs beside them]()
108-Year-Old Woman Says Dogs Are the Secret to a Long Life
She says not having kids — and only dogs — is a huge contributor. Makes you think.
![Singer Bully and her large dog named Mezzi.]()
Bully’s Latest Album Is a Love Letter to Her Dog
How the Nashville-based artist forever captured the spirit of her best friend and “rock.”
![Corook holding a Dalmatian on a leash for her new song called The Dog.]()
You Need to Watch All of These Dogs in Music Videos Right Now
If you’re obsessed with Corook’s Tik-Tok favorite “The Dog,” you’ll be happy to discover the rest of the “Pup Pop” genre.
![Group of young people pet a brown dog with a jacket on outside.]()
How DIY Animal Rescuers Tell The Exhausting, Rewarding Stories of Their Work
In volunteers’ Instagram videos, you’ll see both the joy and the fatigue behind finding these deserving pets homes.
![A black and white large husky dog named Enzo.]()
This Husky’s Death Raised Awareness For Police Violence Against Dogs
Enzo was just one of thousands of dogs killed by cops each year.
![Amrit Tietz poses with her dog, Soy.]()
Amrit Tietz’s Dog, Soy, Is Her “First Child”
She’s DJed for Dua Lipa and Lauryn Hill, but these days, nothing beats nesting with her rescue pup and new baby.
![]()
Olivia Holt and Her Pup Roger Get the Zoomies Together
The multi-hyphenate Cruel Summer star is making big moves. Roger just wants pets.
![Dayna Isom Johnson with her small white and orange dog on a picnic blanket]()
Dayna Isom Johnson Is the Ultimate Cool-Girl Pet Trend Expert
And her pup, Mojo, is her stylish right-hand dude.
![]()
Sami Miró’s “Super-Mutt” Sunnie Helps Her Find Her Center
Especially when the eco-forward fashion designer has red carpet nerves.
![Man holding two cats with clothes on.]()
Lil Nas X Is a Cat Daddy Now, and Nothing Else Matters
“I’m not their stepfather, I’m the father who stepped up.”
![]()
Annie Wu Henry’s Pup Is a Skilled Senate Campaign Member
Sen. John Fetterman’s “TikTok whisperer” works hard, but Bella helps her chill.
![illustration of moises zamora and cats]()
Moisés Zamora Has a League of Superhero Cats at Home
The award-winning writer-producer-filmmaker’s superpower is rescuing cats — and letting them inspire the virtual worlds he creates.
![Kassidi Jones sitting on a green velvet couch with her curly hair in two big pom poms and wearing a coral spaghetti strap jumpsuit while her tan dog Gingers Naps licks her face.]()
Kassidi Jones and Her Pit Bull Ginger Are Shedding Light on Pet Parenthood and Racism
The academic — an exciting, emerging voice in animal advocacy — comes wielding both cute Pit Bull pics and uncomfortable truths.
![A black white and yellow ink drawing of a woman reading in front of a cityscape]()
Cartoonist Tillie Walden’s Cats Try to Destroy Her Life’s Work
But, in the end, they are the necessary force behind her art.
![sudan archives collage]()
Musician Sudan Archives Had a Banner 2022, Thanks to Her Dog Junko
With a special nod to Barack Obama, too.
![]()
Tegan Quin’s Dog Is Behind Some of Her Deepest Feelings in Her New Music
The songwriter has her pup, Georgia, to thank for her new depths of vulnerability on Crybaby, Tegan and Sara’s new album.
![sofia valdes]()
Sofía Valdés Has a Corgi With a Sour Patch Kid Personality
The musician’s pup (and love-song muse), Padmé, dabbles a bit in the art of...revenge.
![Sasha Alex Sloane wearing a bright red sweatshirt and light blue jeans holding her two small tan dogs while standing outside in the woods]()
Sasha Alex Sloan Is on the Hunt For the Perfect Wedding Guest Dresses For Her Dogs
Send Etsy suggestions her way.
![A portrait of a woman smiling with her dog outside.]()
If Tokimonsta Ever Wants a Career Outside of Music, She Could Be a PR Rep For Pets
The Grammy-nominated producer, DJ, and lover of cats and dogs thinks oft-misunderstood felines just need better publicity (she even wrote a song for hers).
![Brunette woman in a white tank top smiling at the camera while sitting and leaning on her tan dog amidst many flowers and plants in a patio outside]()
Don’t Take Designer Devin Brugman’s Dog to a Spirit Halloween
Or a pool. Or the ocean.
![Sophie Gamand photograph of dead dog beach in puerto rico]()
How Sophie Gamand Showcases the Gentle Souls of Misunderstood Dogs
The artist and activist on how her work has helped hundreds of dogs get adopted (and how she copes with the heartache of photographing shelter and street dogs around the world).
![Brit Hensel standing behind her dog on a leash on a rock path outside in front of a house]()
How the “Reservation Dogs” Set Became a Makeshift Oklahoma Dog Rescue
Filmmakers Brit and Taylor Hensel on their side hustle to save real life “rez dogs.”
![Still image from a stray cat video game showing a stray cat on the ground in a clustered and dimly lit city street filled with wires and neon lights]()
“Stray” Is Cool Enough to Turn Anti-Screen Cat People Into Devoted Gamers
Take the cat off your lap and get into it.
![Two young boys hugging a comfort dog on the pavement outside]()
Uvalde Students Have Some New Pals Going Back to School With Them: Dogs
How Golden Retrievers are helping Uvalde, TX, students return to class after the May 2022 tragedy.
![sona movsesian]()
Conan O’Brien Sidekick Sona Movsesian’s Dog Has Pandemic-Haircut Trauma
Dogs — they’re just like us.
![Dani Miller with two dogs]()
Dani Miller’s Dogs Helped Her Realize Life Is Not About Following the Rules
How the Surfbort frontwoman and Gucci model’s rescue pups, Foxy and Pony, get her out of the house and out of her “feels.”
![Backview of Tess Roby playing at her keyboard with her cat sitting on her desk next to a vase of flowers in the living room]()
Tess Roby’s Cat Has Mastered the Keyboard, But Don’t Ask Him to Tell You What He’s Playing
Montreal-based musician Tess Roby shared the process of making her latest album, Ideas of Space — of which her cat, Lou, seems to approve.
![A man and his dog sitting on a couch posing for a picture.]()
Hunx and Stix: Seth Bogart Is Recording New Music and Raising a Punk Princess
The artist, front man, and queer icon on his terrier, Stix: “She’s like a little stuffed animal that’s come to life and is oblivious to all the hate in the world and just wants to give you love.”
![Pet parent and musician Zola Jesus and with her black dog Nadja standing in a dim forest wearing a long black dress]()
Into the Wild with Nika Roza Danilova, Nadja & Kosha
How the musician’s pets — present during the making of her new album — counterbalance the weightiness of her work.
![dr kwane street vet]()
Dr. Kwane Hits the Streets to Treat Unhoused People’s Pets
“The Street Vet” on his heroic work and how you can help.
![Tree Thomas and his dog white and gray Pitbull dog, Chef, sitting on a blue couch in a living room]()
R&B Artist Tree Thomas’ Entourage Includes His Rescue Dog, Chef
“He’s my support system when I’m making a beat. He’s kind of like my A&R — he listens to all my music and tells me if it’s good or not.”
![Shea Coulee in makeup and a white robe and hair towel wrap holding her Pomeranian dog Baby]()
The Only Star More Fierce Than Shea Couleé? Her Pomeranian, Baby
The Drag Race All Star on astrology, mental health, and the importance of pets to people in the LGBTQ+ community:
“Baby has no idea about my public persona. She literally just loves me exactly for who I am.”![A man sitting at a table with his laptop and cat.]()
For Abdul Hawramani, Playing with Kittens Is All in a Day’s Work
The Insta-famous cat dad on fostering 40 kittens, changing stereotypes, and everything you need to know about adopting.
![a cat rests in a girl's jacket]()
Meet the Photographer Documenting Pets at the Ukraine Border
Christopher Furlong is helping fleeing pets and people tell their stories.
![Jess Tran laying in a bed looking lovingly at her dog.]()
Jess Tran and Her Rescue Dog Are Healing Together
The creative guru on taking her dog to therapy, finding community at the dog park, and the “spiritual journey” of pet parenthood.
![Gemma Correll smiling and holding up her one-eyed Pug dog against a red backdrop]()
Gemma Correll Talks Pug Life and Mental Health
How the illustrator’s rescue dogs improve her psychological well-being. (Spoiler: Pugs make pretty great weighted blankets.)
![Olivia Sui sitting down with her dog]()
Adopting A Dog Transformed Olivia Sui’s Life
The actress, comedian, podcaster, and professional foodie on how a rescue puppy taught her how to be a doting dog mom.
![Lady Gaga sitting with her dogs on a couch.]()
Animal Collective: Musicians & Their Muses
From Swifty to Billie to Lil Nas X, these artists are loud and proud about their pet groupies.
![Sydnee Washington holding cat]()
Comedian-actress Sydnee Washington on Being a “Hot Cat Dad” to Jam & Jelly
The comedian-actress talks about her twinning cats, taking cat naps, and...a new puppy?!
