Pet of the Month
Lila is a 10-year-old Jack Russell mix that has been at Bideawee since April 2010. Although she is a desirable companion in so many ways, she hasn’t been adopted yet because of her age and her medical needs. Lyme disease that was left untreated has caused her kidneys to go into decline. To aid in renal function, she eats prescription dog food and takes daily medication.
Pet of the Month: June 2010
Like so many out-of-towners, Peek-A-Boo has fallen in love with New York. The Pekingese, who hails from Phoenix, Ariz., is here for the summer with owner Sherry Sklar, staying in an Upper West Side vacation home. Sklar said one of Peek-A-Boo’s favorite activities is visiting Central Park and ripping the grass between his toes—a pastime he can rarely enjoy in the deserts of the southwest.
—Max A. Goldstein
Pet of the Month: March 2010
Murphy, a Boston Terrier, in the Snowpocalypse, Photo by Seth Alexander Lassman
Dog Day Afternoon
Erin Zavalaoff plays a game of fetch with her dog Raegan in Central Park. Photo by Andrew Schwartz
POLS WANT OREO’S LAW
New York was stunned when a pit bull named Oreo was thrown off a roof by her owner and survived the six-story fall. Oreo suffered two broken legs. The ASPCA treated Oreo but, due to untreatable aggressive behavior, she was euthanized on Nov. 13. Animal groups launched a last-minute effort to save the 2-year-old pit bull, offering to bring Oreo to a sanctuary that specializes in such cases. The ASPCA refused.
Oreo’s story has inspired Assembly Member Micah Kellner to introduce Oreo’s Law to give animal welfare groups the right to request animals be given to the groups’ care when a shelter is going to euthanize them. Kellner, a dog owner and foster parent for an animal rescue group, wants shelters to work with groups that specialize in rehabilitating dogs.
These organizations will have the authority to take the animal with the payment of a normal adoption fee, if the animal is not rabid or in physical pain.
“I am hopeful that Oreo’s Law will ensure that no animal is ever put to death if there is a responsible alternative,” Kellner said.
State Sen. Tom Duane, who represents parts of the East Side, is expected to introduce the Senate version of the legislation, which is modeled after a California law adopted in 1998.
Dog on a Roll
Peter Tersteeg pushes Chester, his English bulldog, along Fifth Avenue. Chester has a bad hip and needs to ride in a stroller to get around town. Photo by Andrew Schwartz
Dog-napping Near Central Park
A man reported that his shih tzu dog was stolen on Aug. 24. According to police, the Upper East Side owner took his daughter to the Ancient Playground and tied the brown and white dog to a fence outside the park, on East 85th Street and Fifth Avenue. Police said a witness told the 36-year-old owner that someone took the dog and left.
I Love Animals Every Moment
This is a tale with twists.
I am the sort of person who lurks at the pet store on Lexington Avenue at 63rd and convinces other people to buy the puppy they’re cuddling. Gentle reader, I confess, I also say hello to a cardinal and a raccoon in Central Park.
My first pet wasn’t a pet at all. He was a bushy, feral cat who lived on my aunt’s dairy farm 20 minutes from my house in Philadelphia. I passed intense afternoons trying to pet him. Read more
Neighbor Love
Communities form in the big city and remain rock solid. This is the story of a sad thing that happened in my building. I must add, however, that it was followed by a spontaneous, spiritual event.
First the sad part.
“K,” a lordly 13-year-old Maltese dog, died last week of natural causes. His owner “H,” who’d rescued him, is beloved by her neighbors—including me—one of 50 or so rent-stabilized tenants who’ve lived together for decades. We adored K, who pranced through our lobby like he was the most important resident. Read more
CB8 Steps in to Dog-Run Debate
New Yorkers love their dogs. Perhaps a little too much. A vicious and vocal battle has erupted between Upper East Side dog owners over the safety and quality of the run at East 63rd Street, on the far side of the FDR Drive. Residents involved in the fight have accused each other of lying, falsifying petitions and sabotaging the park.
“I have never seen such a rude and abusive group of people, to each other and to us,” said Barbara Rudder, a Community Board 8 member, during a July 21 meeting that was meant to facilitate dialogue between dog-run users and the Department of Parks and Recreation. Read more
