The Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) is proud to announce its 2025 Hall of Fame inductee is freelance journalist Jen Reeder.
Reeder began narrowing her focus as a journalist to pets after she and her husband adopted a Labrador retriever mix, Rio, in 2010. Since then, she’s written over 1,000 articles about pets for national publications, including Reader’s Digest, BBC News, Woman’s World, HuffPost, PBS’s Next Avenue, The Daily Beast, Wine Enthusiast, The Christian Science Monitor, Discover Magazine, Best Friends Magazine, Wine Enthusiast, Family Circle, Tufts University’s Your Dog, the American Animal Hospital Association’s Trends Magazine, Inside Your Dog’s Mind and AKC Family Dog Magazine.
She covered breaking news about pets for the TODAY show’s website after hurricanes, wildfires, the invasion of Ukraine and the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. She’s also known for writing inspirational features about rescue and working dogs. Her column “In Their Debt” for Just Labs Magazine profiles Labrador retrievers helping make the world a better place.
Her articles and essays about dogs have garnered numerous awards from writing organizations, including the American Society for Journalists and Authors, Society for Features Journalism, Colorado Authors’ League, American Society of Business Publication Editors, Society of Professional Journalists and DWAA. (Fun fact: She’s also won numerous awards from the Cat Writers’ Association.)
Reeder served on the DWAA leadership team from 2017-2021, including two years as President. Each year, she and her husband, Bryan Fryklund, sponsor The Rio Award in DWAA’s writing competition to celebrate work about a dog who made a profoundly positive impact on someone’s life.
Other volunteer work in the pet space includes five years as a therapy dog handler for Rio at a hospital in Durango, Colorado. Since 2015, she’s written bios of adoptable dogs and cats for the Denver-based nonprofit PawsCo.
“I am elated and incredibly grateful to receive this honor,” Reeder said.
The Dog Writers Association of America started back in 1935, and to join the ranks of the luminaries in the Hall of Fame means the world to me. None of this would have happened if we hadn’t decided to adopt our first dog – what a lifechanging and career-changing experience!”
The Dog Writers Association of America Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at the Hotel New Yorker during the DWAA Awards Banquet. Reeder plans to attend with her husband, brother, parents and Yorkshire terrier mix, Tux.