Lost senior dog, Charlie, when he first was dropped off at the shelter

Everyone loved Charlie. So, when the senior, one-eyed, toothless Chihuahua showed up at Abandoned Pet Rescue, dropped off by a concerned couple who found him wandering the streets, a collective sigh of sadness could be felt around the shelter. Who would leave an old guy like this, completely defenseless, alone on the street? Little did we all know, this was the beginning of a great story.

It was a Saturday; I know because stopping off at APR was one of many things to do on “chore day.” When I walked in, Charlie had just arrived. Longtime APR staffer, Karen, was holding him and I could see right away this guy was no spring chicken. His left eye was sewn shut; his right, glazed over in end stage cataracts. His tongue was exposed, in that telltale way when there’s no teeth to hold it in. My heart went out to him, so I did what I do…took pictures and shared.

Sherry, my friend from New York who’d moved down to Fort Lauderdale about a year after we did, popped into my head. A Chi lover and rescue warrior, if Sherry couldn’t take this boy, she might know someone who would. It turned out she was seeing a group of her dog-loving friends that night, so I sent her my pics to pass around. APR’s angel foster dad, Don, had just come by to take this baby home to his brood, to await the process of finding his owner or a new home.

Charlie’s Pawboost posting.

Fast forward. I was awakened Sunday morning to a text from Sherry, one that made my heart skip a beat. One of her friends had found a posting on Pawboost, a national by neighborhood lost and found pet site, of a senior, one-eyed, blind Chihuahua who was lost. His name was Charlie and he looked just like our boy. I called the owner contact number, emailed too, and waited.

It seemed like forever, but it was only a couple of hours when my phone rang. At first it was hard to understand her, because she was so excited. Her name was Val and in her emotionally charged relief, her words came tumbling out. Did I have Charlie, was he alright, when could she come get him? I explained he was safe with Don, but I wanted to know how this little guy got lost. Sometimes, an animal’s owner isn’t the best place for them, you know?

Apparently, Charlie scratched a hole in the screen of his 3rd floor balcony and tumbled out. Luckily, he landed on mulch and bushes and then someone who worked on the property of this community found him. Val relayed that she’d been posting on Facebook about losing Charlie, asking for tips or sitings. One neighbor saw a dreadlocked man pick Charlie up, wrap him in a towel and ask what to do with him. He was advised to go to the leasing office. That was the last he was seen. Later that day, the couple from New York who brought Charlie into the shelter, found him in another town, 10 miles away.

Val went on to tell me Charlie was the family dog that became hers; she’d had him since she was 11 and was now 25. He had had brushes with danger before, being hit by a truck as a puppy, falling down the stairs and earlier the day he disappeared, falling into the pool, only to be saved by two young girls. She had been paralyzed with fear that Charlie was hurt from his fall, or worse.

I learned Charlie, in addition to being one-eyed and blind, was also deaf but, obviously, a tough little fighter with, like, 19 lives. I learned he turned 13 in May, and that Val and her boyfriend, Cooper, had made a big “bar mitzvah” party for him, a tradition in the Jewish religion to celebrate becoming a man. “We wanted to make it special for him,” Val explained.  She sent me photos of her and Charlie together, him snuggling into her, napping together, her kissing him, taking him shopping. And, that party, complete with an entire family bellowing our Happy Birthday to Charlie, as he gobbled up some tasty doggy confection.  And, that’s when it really sunk in how much everyone loved Charlie, especially his mom.

We agreed to meet at the shelter. It’s funny how a love of animals brings strangers together, fostering an intimacy that wouldn’t exist otherwise. When I walked into APR and saw Val, we hugged like old friends. She was so appreciative of our part in reuniting her with Charlie and I felt such joy in being able to be a part of it.

Charlie napping with mom

Waiting for Don to arrive was torture! Val was anxious to see her baby and I wanted to see Charlie’s and Val’s reactions to being reunited, especially after such a traumatic experience. None of us waiting in anticipation were disappointed. It was quite obvious just how much Charlie loved Val and Val loved Charlie.

Val told me Charlie cried from pent up emotion all the way home and through part of the day, finally settling down in the evening, just in time to nuzzle in bed with his mom. “It’s his absolute favorite thing to do,” Val shared. And, from the looks of it, we agree.

These kinds of happy endings are what you hope for, what makes it all worthwhile. So, the sadness felt for this lost senior boy, changed to smiles (and some tears) of happiness. Congratulations, Charlie. You’re home.

Val and Charlie, all smiles.

Have you ever lost a dog? What about a senior dog? Is your dog microchipped and is that chip registered?

Choupette

Karl Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette, earns the equivalent of 692 Chanel 2.55 handbags a year…without lifting a paw; an amazing gig at, on average, $4,900 per bag.

Internet meme, Grumpy Cat, could purchase 15,966 pairs of Louboutin Cataclou 60 espadrilles with his approximate daily salary of $34,776.26. I’m going to sit down now because…

Keyboard Cat, before his death in March of this year,  is reputed to have a net worth of $100m.

And Jiff the Pomeranian earns $5,950,000 a year.

You could do that, too, if you were a famous, furry internet star with a business savvy mom or dad.

Grumpy Cat

A new tool created by UK pet food brand Webbox, Pets of the Net allows you to find out how your salary compares with that of an internet-famous pet, and how your purchasing power compares with theirs.

Jiff the Pomeranian

Just in time for the September 6th kick off of New York Fashion Week, where all things extravagant are celebrated, well-known stylish canines and kitties are bringing home the bacon, and we’re about to see just how much, and how it stacks up against our own salaries.

These Insta-famous pet salaries are obviously considerably higher than the US average household income of $59,039 per year (based on the US Census Bureau), which it would take Grumpy Cat just 75 hours and 34 minutes to earn.

Can you relate to this photo?

Fashion aficionados, read it and weep:

In one year, Spotify-verified Doug the Pug could purchase a staggering 239 Burberry Kensington Heritage Trench Coats, with his approximate $476,000 annual earning. To make the annual average wage of us mere mortals would take Doug only 2009 hours, 53 minutes and 58 seconds to make. Instead of trench coats (although I’m sure he does own a few), Doug likes to spend his fortune on beer, junk food and his cute costumes, like Harry Potter, Frozen‘s Elsa and yes, a taco.

Loving Manolo Blahnik’s iconic, dark-blue tweed Hangisi flats? These timeless classics come with a hefty price tag of $985. Gigoo the Chicken can afford over 15,000 pairs.

Gigoo the Chicken

See how your salary compares with these fashion-forward furries, if you dare. https://www.webbox.co.uk/pets-of-the-net/salary-calculator/

Data sources supplied by Webbox, from: the US Census, Time, Vogue, Chanel, Burberry, Manolo and Net-a-Porter.  Where salary data was unavailable, a leading social media expert estimated figures based on modern industry averages.

Tell us what you think of this story in our Comments.

Princes and Princesses, Listen Up! One of the accoutrements of the pampered pup is your own monogrammed placemat. And, I have a great find for beautiful ones that are different, fun and colorful (and, we’re giving one away…yes, we are!). And, if you aren’t the lucky winner, you’re still in luck with 15% off any order with coupon code SWAGGER15 at checkout.

The Monogram Line is your destination for a wide variety of personalized gifts, monograms and accessories. Think mats, pet ID tags, and even more for dog moms, like note pads, key chains, wine stoppers, jar cozies, mouse pads, so so much, I can’t list them all here.

When our old placemats had worn out their welcome, I went looking online. When I want to find unusual or quirky items, I often go onto Etsy.com. That’s where I found Melinda and Erica, co-owners of The Monogram Line. I fell in love with their vibrant placemats and ordered one for each of my four babies.

A bit about the mats

These are well made placemats, with a rubber bottom to keep them in place (nothing worse than your dog pushing it’s mat and bowl around the room) and a fabric upper, which to me, feels like a type of felt. It’s washable and I’ve put dirty spots under the faucet with a bit of dish soap to get out individual stains. I just don’t put it in the dryer, just like I wouldn’t put my rubber backed shower mat into the dryer. I prop the mats up on the kitchen counter or you can lay them flat,  and they dry in no time, retaining their vibrant color.

The mats measure 12.25″ x 17″, a nice size big enough to catch the food my Sophie inevitably drops onto it and not so big that it overpowers the space. It’s 3mm thick.

When ordering…

They need certain information; there are a lot of choices in colors, patterns, fonts for the monogramming. When you order, you’ll give the following:

• Pattern Design & Pattern Color
• Accent Shape & Accent Color
• Font Choice
•  Pet Name
• Would you like a preview of your design?

The placemats aren’t crazy expensive, either, especially for what you’re getting. Each personalized pet placemat costs $19.99.

So, how do you win one of these fabu mats for your own prince or princess?

The Giveaway

Let’s have some fun! To enter the giveaway, yes you have to be a part of the Bark & Swagger family, and that means being a part of our email list. If you’re already on the list, read on.

Answer one question: If you were to describe your dog’s eating habits, what’s the one that would stand out?

There are some other non-mandatory items you could do to enter. I’m sure Melinda and Erica would really appreciate you liking their  Etsy shop, too.

The winner will get to choose whichever color, pattern and font they’d like for one monogrammed pet placemat.

The giveaway will run from Friday, September 1 at 8am EST, through Thursday, September 7th at 11:59pm EST.  One winner will be selected at random via GiveawayTools.com.

I will post the winner on my social media with the comment of what your dog’s most distinctive eating habit is.

Have fun and good luck!

And, if you’re interested in pet ID tags, check out these cute ones!

To shop The Monogram Line and receive 15% off any order, use coupon code SWAGGER15.

Imagine one day to empty U.S. animal shelters of all their animals because they’re adopted into great homes. Imagine. That’s the goal of the annual Clear the Shelters day. In it’s third year, the NBC and Telemundo-owned stations popular nationwide adoption campaign  is back on Saturday, August 19. And, they’re counting on us to help. So, whether you’re looking to add a furry family member or know someone who is; can share on your social media or can talk it up with your network of friends, Clear the Shelters is the time to focus on getting shelter pets a good home.

My fave local shelter is participating again this year. Abandoned Pet Rescue, Fort Lauderdale’s No Kill Shelter, has about 200 cats that need homes. 200! I’m going to be sharing that on my social. They have dogs, too, and anyone locally who is looking to adopt a dog, please come by the shelter, as well. But, kitties are traditionally harder to place and there’s just so many more of them.

Here’s what’s extra special about Clear the Shelters:

• hundreds of animal shelters across the country offer low cost or completely waived adoption fees that day, to help families find and adopt a pet
• while we need to focus on getting homeless animals out of shelters and into good homes everyday, it’s one day where, as a nation, we do focus on this and there’s great power in those numbers
• case in point: since 2015, when it began, Clear the Shelters‘ stations and rescue/shelter partners have resulted in the adoption of over 70,000 homeless pets. Wow!

How does it work?

The Moore Family

Clear the Shelters is a nationwide pet adoption campaign that is spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal, that includes 30 NBC and Telemundo-owned stations, and hundreds of animal shelters.  For those not familiar, here’s how it works.

On this day, participating NBC and Telemundo stations run special programming encouraging their communities to adopt from their local shelters and to help raise awareness, both leading up to and on the day of Clear the Shelters, about the cause. Crews will be reporting from their local, participating shelters throughout the day, so you get to see families and hear their stories of finding their perfect pets and animals leaving the shelters going to their new homes.

The campaign has its own site, and you can upload an image of yourself with your pet or pets using the hashtags #LoveMyPet and #ClearTheShelters to join in the national fun and spread the word.

You don’t need to have an adopted animal to participate.  You can simply smile, snap a photo with your favorite furry or non-furry friend, list your reasons for loving your pet, and upload your post and photo to your social media channels.

But, if you do choose to adopt, Petco is a national sponsor again this year, and Petco partners will be present at some participating animal welfare organizations to answer questions from potential pet adopters and their families. Petco will also be distributing “Welcome to the Family” packets containing information for new pet parents along with coupons for pet supplies.

“With more than 50 years in the pet specialty business, Petco understands and celebrates the importance of the incredible bond between pets and pet parents,” said Charlie Piscitello, chief people officer at Petco. “Clear the Shelters allows us to extend our year-long animal adoption efforts and offers our immensely passionate store partners the ability to help even more families start out with the tools and knowledge they need to make their relationship with their new pet as rewarding as possible.”

VIP Pet Care is also returning as a national sponsor this year. They have a network of community clinics around the country that provide a range of services to keep pets healthy,  administered by licensed onsite veterinarians.

“VIP Petcare’s continued support of the NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ Clear the Shelterspet adoption campaign will ensure that our stations and partner shelters deliver a memorable event for communities and pet adopters all across the country,” said Bruce Kallner, Senior Vice President of Strategic Sales and Marketing, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations. “We’re excited to work with a partner that values the importance of quality pet care and wellness and look forward to another successful Clear the Shelters day.”

The NBC owned station in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area is NBC 6/WTVJ. APR’s own Larry Wallenstein went on air with adoptable kittens to talk up our “Caturday Saturday!” Clear the Shelters initiative. We’ll be watching NBC 6 for coverage of our local shelters and community members who’ll be adding a new furry member to the family.

How did this all start?

A North Texas pet adoption effort was picked up by NBC’s Dallas affiliate, KXAS and its Telemundo affiliate, KXTX. They did such a good job of creating a buzz, that word spread up the corporate ladder and in 2015, the first Clear the Shelters was born.

We covered it here on Bark & Swagger and you can see how much this has grown by checking out the very first story here.

Personal Stories

We all love happy ending stories about homeless animals that’ve found their furevers. Here are a couple inspired by last year’s Clear the Shelters.

Last summer, “Rose” a husky with a neurological syndrome who traveled from Turkey to a shelter in Briarcliff Manor, New York found a new home while “Tootsie,” a senior Shih-Tzu with one eye was adopted by a family from Chicago, Illinois.

Valari Staab with Jack

This one is from Valari Staab, President of NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, who walks the walk of Clear the Shelters, too!  “I share my home and my life with a shelter dog.  Jack, a two-year old Shih-Tzu and Jack Russell Terrier mix that my husband and I rescued through the Animal Lighthouse Rescue was a street dog in Puerto Rico. Jack is a great dog with a lot of love. We rescued Jack the day after we lost our 17 year-old dog, Zach. He helped heal us from that loss. He is funny, sweet and loves his new life. We couldn’t be happier with him.”

Coach

I saw Coach while researching this story and thought, Oh Lordy, I can’t NOT adopt this dog. What a face! I had to take him home! Was it a good idea for me to add a 5th dog to our family? Nooo. Four is challenging enough and I’ve made my peace with knowing I can’t really take on anymore. But, that didn’t stop me from finding out where his shelter was located (Tampa/St. Pete, not too far from Fort Lauderdale), going onto their website and looking for him. I was actually getting excited, knowing all the while that this was a crazy move! Thank goodness (for both of us), Coach was adopted. ♥

For more information about Clear the Shelters and to access a list of shelters that will participate in Clear the Shelters events on August 19, please visit ClearTheShelters.com. If you’d like to access the information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparLosAlbergues.com.

Now, let’s get the Clear the Shelters message shared across all of your social networks, spread the word about Adopt Don’t Shop and be the difference for thousands of homeless animals this year!

Scroll down for a super cute special Clear the Shelters video!

***  “Save the Date for Clear the Shelters” video 

Sometimes, the coolest ideas come to you out of the blue. A little while back, I got a Linkedin message from a woman named Heather Szasz, who’d created a great product for pet parents with human children. Called My Puppy Box and My Puppy Rescue Box, they aren’t boxes delivered to your door each month for your dog to salivate over. Instead, they are fun, educational boxes to teach children ages 6 – 12 about dogs, how to be around them and how to care for them. And, with 77% of dog bites happening to children between the ages of 5-10 years of age by the family’s own dog or a dog ​they know, the message here is, we need to do a better job of teaching our children how to “read” dogs.

This is a giveaway! I have one My Puppy Box and one My Puppy Rescue Box to give away to two lucky Bark & Swagger followers, so if you have kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews who live with or want a dog, this is a great gift for them and the entire family.

Learn how to enter below, but first, what is My Puppy Box and what comes inside? Read on!

Teaching children how to read a dog’s behavior and body language and how to care for a dog is where My Puppy Box comes in. This is a great video I found on Heather’s site called The Dog Listener. I’m telling you, upfront, it’s a bit long, but so worth viewing, especially with your children. These kids give wonderful tips and information on a dog’s behavior, body language and what to do about it…hence, learning to be a dog listener.

I got tired of seeing dogs euthanized at the shelter…

“It was my 2nd year of volunteering and being a professional dog trainer, when I realized something had to change regarding the intake of dogs in shelters,” shared Heather Szasz, about her reason for creating My Puppy Box. “Each time after volunteering, I would cry in the car driving home, knowing most of those dogs would be euthanized before I volunteered again the following week. It still makes me sad, and as I write this, I am tearful.  At the same time, I would go to first time dog owners, who were so frustrated with their dogs, that they were close to giving them up. That’s when I realized making this world a safer place for dogs to live in was through educating children. I didn’t know how I would achieve this. I created my mission statement: Educating the children of today to be responsible and safe with dogs, creates a safer world for dogs to live in. Six  years later, My Puppy Box was born.”

Heather Szasz has been a professional dog trainer for nine years and, as you read above, has volunteered at a local shelter.  As a trainer, she’d witnessed children coming so close to being bitten. “The reason is that children do not realize how to respect a dog or read their different body language,” Szasz explained. It was this observation and her visceral experience with the shelter dogs that were the catalysts for creating My Puppy Box.

Heather has chosen the best informational children books she could find, that will have the whole family involved in raising their dogs. And, she says this education is with that child, forever. The family pup will be furever grateful, too.

What comes in My Puppy Box?

Lots of fun, educational and creative stuff for learning and play come in this box. In the sample My Puppy Box box Heather sent to me, there was:

• a box of colored pencils
• a Scholastic book called Goldie by Ellen Miles, one in The Puppy Palace series, “Where every puppy finds a home.”
• My Dog! A Kid’s Guide to Keeping a Happy & Healthy Pet. This is an awesome guide by Michael J. Rosen, that tackles everything from how to choose and plan for your first dog, a reward-based training system, grooming, feeding, DIY treats, toys and costumes, understanding a dog’s body language and barks…and more. A veterinarian consulted, as well, which I liked. This is a great resource!
• a safety guide for kids called Be a Dog’s Best Friend, by Renee Payne, CPDT and Jennifer Gladysz. There’s great info here on learning and reading body language and barks and the illustrations by Keith Gladysz really help drive the messages home.
• a wonderful I ♥ Dogs! activity book, containing more than 100 stickers. It’s billed as “Pup-tacular stickers, trivia, step-by-step drawing projects, and more for the dog lover in you!” Even I (not exactly a kid) could see the hours of fun to be had here.
• The final item is, perhaps, one of the most significant, based on the reactions and testimonials of parents of My Puppy Box kids. It’s a plush stuffed dog toy, intended to become a kid’s best bud. Children are encouraged to name their puppy and to keep it nearby as they interact with the items in the box.

One mom, Lauren, had this to say: “Omg, Heather!! It was like Christmas, we got them about two hours ago, the boys were crazy, they both named the dogs, read and read and read. I’ll get some pics as soon as they come back, HUGE HIT!!”

Another option, My Puppy Rescue Box, educates kids about dog rescues, shelters and the adoption of dogs. And, a percentage of sales of each My Puppy Rescue Box will go to a dog shelter or rescue of your choice.

In my My Puppy Rescue Box, I received:

• a different plush puppy
• a box of crayons
• the book, Bear, another in The Puppy Palace series, where every puppy finds a home.
• the book Pablo Puppy’s Search for the Perfect Person, about adoption
• The Too Cute Coloring Book of Puppies – big, small, all breeds doing all sorts of things. Very adorable.
• the book Radar’s Dream, which is about a shelter dog named Radar and the dream he keeps having that he’s flying. But, on this day, everything changes.
• the book, Let’s Get a Pup! Said Kate. A great story about adopting the perfect dog(s) for you.

The stories are charming with great lessons. They’re perfect to stimulate conversation between parents and their kids.

 Summary

My Puppy Box and My Puppy Rescue Box are great educational tools to help kids learn how to be around dogs and to read dogs’ behavior and body language. When you know that, you’re already a much better dog owner and the chances of getting bitten by a dog you know, because you weren’t listening to the signals they sent, decrease dramatically. And, that’s a win/win.

You can find out more about My Puppy Box and purchase here.

The Giveaway!

The giveaway will run from Saturday, July 29 at 8am EST until Friday, August 4th at 11:59pm EST.

It’s easy to enter. If you’re not a Bark & Swagger follower yet, you have to join our email list to enter.

Then, just follow @BarkandSwagger on Instagram, Like us on Facebook and Like My Puppy Box on Facebook and you’re in!

Good luck!

We were packed, ready to go and excited. At least my mom was. I don’t like flying, so the thought of airports and planes give me the shakes. But, this isn’t about airports; it’s about destinations. And mom was taking me back to my hometown of New York City for the first time in two and a half years. Seeing my BFF, Holly (who you might know as @HollyHappyHavanese on Instagram), walking the streets of my ‘hood, playing in my favorite park and staying in my new favorite hotel…this is my New York.  In my own words. And, it’s an adventure, so come along for the ride!

Day One.

Take off is basically what we did, as soon as we touched down. I don’t think my paws touched the ground for four days. Mom told me we were staying in a very dog-friendly hotel; one she’d stayed in last February when she’d gone up for the New York Pet Fashion Show. She loved it and assured me I would, too. They knew we were coming and had prepared some special goodies for me. How could I not be excited?

The Kimpton Hotel Eventi is what it’s called, and it’s in a perfect location for us, because it’s so close to our favorite spots. They’re located in the heart of Chelsea, on Sixth Avenue and 29th Street, only three blocks from Madison Square Park and four blocks from my old apartment.

Me and Gina

Front Office Manager, Gina, checked us in. She was really nice, so I agreed to let mom take a pic of us. Our room was beautiful; like a small apartment with a sitting room and two big tv’s! And, like mom said, they had goodies waiting for me: dog bowls, a comfy dog bed, treats, poop bags; they’d even found a picture of mom and me on the red carpet of the Hero Dog Awards and framed it for us. We were very impressed.

Mom let me rest for a bit. After shaking the whole flight, I was exhausted! So, I claimed that dog bed right away and it was my sleep place of choice for my trip. I wish we could’ve taken it home, but mom said other dogs coming to stay would want a comfy bed, too.

The hotel made me some chicken, but I was too tired to eat. The hotel staff were so nice about it; they talked with mom and she said she could tell they were dog lovers, too.

After some rest, mom had a big surprise for me. Because I’m a dog (ok, my secret is revealed!) and, while I know my best friend Holly’s name, I didn’t really understand I would be seeing her, mom arranged with Aunt Nina, Holly’s mom, for us to run into each other on the street. Aunt Nina video’d it and I guess it was pretty cute (mom: it was adorable!).

But, we were truly so excited to see each other, I didn’t notice what the humans were doing! We went up to our room and Holly gave me that look she has when she likes something. Then, we wrestled on the bed, posed for our moms (don’t you hate that they make you do that?!) and then headed out to visit my old haunts.

Hanging with Rob Keen but it looks like I had other things on my mind…

Our first stop was the Chelsea Mercantile, my apartment building. I trotted right in, like I’d done so many times before and one of my favorite doormen, Rob Keen, was at the desk. We got a big hello, but I’m kind of short, so mom lifted me onto the counter so I could say a proper hi to Rob. I wanted to march over to our elevators and up to 3R, but mom told me we don’t live there anymore. That made me a little sad.

Getting my treats at our dry cleaners

We visited our old dry cleaners, where the seamstress used to give me treats each time I came in. And, guess what?! She was there, even though it was afternoon when she’s usually already gone. We heard a big “Sophie!” and there she was. And, she remembered my name! She got lots of props for that –  big wags and tushy wiggles – and I got my treats, which tasted as good as I remembered.

Us by the Madison Square Park fountain.

Our next stop was Madison Square Park, my favorite park in New York, even more than Central Park! It’s my park and we used to go there almost every day. It was pretty exciting to see it again, and to trot the paths. Holly and I stopped for a drink by the Shake Shack, we took pics by the fountain and hung out on one of the benches for a break. Our paws were tired!

Sheri helping me try on some jewelry

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at mom’s favorite costume jewelry shop, her friend Sheri’s vintage booth at the Showplace Antiques market on 25th Street. Sheri was happy to see mom and me, and she let me model this really pretty multi-colored necklace.

Me and Aunt Nina at Catch

Our day ended with dinner at Catch in the West Village. We dined on the roof, and me and Holly got to sit at the table with our humans. We met two pretty ladies from Singapore, who sat next to us. We charmed them so much, they wanted to take us home!

Day Two.

This was our biggest day, so mom got me up early (and don’t think I didn’t want to lay in my new favorite bed), the hotel made me a scrambled egg and out we went. Mom still likes to see some of her doctors in New York, so she toted me along. I’d never been to this one, so at first, I thought he was a vet and I started shaking like a leaf! But, when I realized we were there for mom, I calmed down.

Then, we headed over to mom’s childhood friend, Roni’s apartment, where I met her Tibetan Terrier, Maxwell. He’s kind of young, so he wanted to jump around me a lot. I had to put him in his place once, but he got the message and we got along just fine.

My new furiend, Maxwell.

It was an icky, rainy day, so Maxwell stayed home while mom and I went with Roni to lunch at Le Pain Quotidien. I love that place. The crumbs I’ve caught are delish!

Next, we met up with Holly and Aunt Nina, who brought me some tasty chicken and turkey, and we all headed downtown to Soho to my friends’ James and Margarite’s Westwood Gallery. It’s their new space on Bond Street and it’s big and beautiful with really pretty art. James and Margarite were so happy to see me. Holly and I sat on the green, velvet couch in James’ office, we drank from crystal bowls and had the run of the place. It definitely pays to be cute, right, Holly?

James in front of the gallery

The beautiful gallery

When I was much younger, the first time I met James and Margarite they brought me two toys. One I named Binky and I still have him. We brought him to New York to show them, but mom forgot him at the hotel.  Mommmm…..!

Yup, that’s me with Binky!

Then, mom had another surprise for me! We went to this bar in Tribeca (don’t worry, I’m like 49 – tho’ I don’t feel older than 7 –  so it’s all good). We met up with a producer friend of mom’s she’d just seen in Florida. His name is Rob Sayegh of R World Media, and he’d just filmed the doggy Cotillion mom covered for her blog. He was there with one of the music artists he manages, this really pretty girl named Isabel. They were nice and all, but when I smelled an old, very familiar scent, I couldn’t resist wagging my tail like crazy and getting super excited. It was my human sister, Morgan, and I think if mom had a tail, she’d have been wagging it like crazy, too. Since she lives in LA, mom hadn’t seen her human daughter since last August! So, it was one big love fest, as poor Rob and Isabel looked on.

My big sis, Morgan.

It gets even better. Morgan, mom and me got to go out to dinner at one of their favorite places – Bond Street Sushi in Soho. If mom let me eat sushi, I think I’d love that place as much as they do because it smells so good! We ate in the lounge downstairs, which is the cool part, and I got mischievous, although I thought I was just being social. Mom was wondering why the lady at the bar was oo’ing and ahh’ing at me when she couldn’t really see me. Then, Morgan realized I’d escaped my bag and caught me sidling up to a bar full of strangers!

See what I mean? My bed was irresistible.

By the time we got back to the hotel, we were exhausted and I, for one, slept like a baby.

Day Three.

Saturday was beautiful! The sun was shining and we decided to take a trek to the Upper West Side. Mom and I were having lunch with our friend, April, who’s an amazing photographer. She took pictures of me and mom a couple of years ago in our apartment and mom really loved them. We were meeting at mom and April’s regular lunch place, Nanoosh.

I could see April was sad today and I overheard her tell mom that her senior cat was sick and how worried she was that she would decline further.

After lunch, I went shopping with mom. I just have to say here, that shopping with mom isn’t necessarily my favorite thing to do. While I love a good carpet to roll around and she’s quick about going through the racks, she’s got this method where she loads everything she thinks she might like into the cart and then spends an eternity trying them all on. And, me? I wait in that dressing room. I so want to escape; to wander around, sniff everything in every corner of the store (I’m a hound, after all). But, noooo! Mom says Stay, so I stay.

Barb and Lexi

After that ordeal, we went to meet our friend Barbara. I was meeting Barb’s dog, Lexi, for the first time since she got her after I moved away. I heard Barb tell mom that Lexi was sometimes protective of her space. And, she’s big! I have to say, I was nervous, so when Lexi showed me she didn’t really want me in her apartment, we left and met Barb downstairs. Mom bought me some yummy deli turkey and cheese and I ate alongside the humans, like the princess I am, dahling!

Day Four.

My fashion roots can’t be denied!

This was our last day, and we still had people to see and things to do. No grass grows under my mom’s feet! We started our day with a walk past FIT (that’s Fashion Institute of Technology for those who don’t know). West 27th Street was an at least twice daily walk for me when I lived here, and I used to love running down the walkways of the school. I got chased off a couple of times and, since then, they’ve implemented a strict no dogs on the plaza policy. Boo hoo…). But, mom did get permission to take this picture for posterity, and both I and the security guard didn’t mind one bit.

Me & Teddy, checking out the cute boys (me) and girls (Teddy) at the park.

Then, we went to the Upper East Side to meet mom’s new friend, Christine, for breakfast. Mom met Christine on Instagram, when Chris reached out to her to rescue a dog from the Miami Dade city shelter. This dog’s name is Sophie, too, but she and I don’t look anything alike. Sophie is a larger, brown dog who had lived on the streets, probably for a long time. I was going to meet her, along with Christine’s other two dogs, Lily and Teddy.

Isn’t the other Sophie pretty, too?

Mom was so happy to see the other Sophie again! She’d spent a lot of time with her in Florida, visiting her at the rescue she found for her to live in until mom could get her transported up to New York. She always smelled like Sophie for awhile.  She seemed like a really sweet dog with big, brown eyes that looked sad. We took a walk together, then Teddy and I had breakfast at Carl Schurz Park on a bench by the East River, while watching the dogs go by. Such a New York moment!

Breakfast kind of flowed into lunch, so we ate our way through Sunday. We met up with mom’s friend, Pam, who used to work for mom in her PR business in New York. They became good friends and, all I can tell you is, while I snoozed in my bag, they talked and talked and talked.

Every once in a while, mom used to take me to her favorite consignment shop on the Upper East Side. It was called Designer Resale, but they renamed it Designer Revival and she says it has some of the most wonderful clothes, if you hit it right. Although she tried really hard to find something, she miraculously didn’t. I say miraculously, because my mom can find something to buy just about anywhere! (shush…don’t tell dad!)

The Insta-Lineup; behind the scenes.

One final trip to Madison Square Park to meet up with some of Holly’s Instagram dog friends, where I hung out with @Edgarthemighty, @leo.havanese, @teddy_thehavanese and @chewie.bear. I even met the cutest little Chihuahua named Milo, who reminded me of my Chi brother and sister.

Saying goodbye is hard!

We ended our stay on a low key note, which was perfect after so much running around. Mom and I went to Aunt Nina’s apartment for dinner. It was chilly and I can be a bit delicate, so Holly lent me her Gold Paw baby pink fleece. Not only was it cozy and kept me warm, but it was so cute, I wanted to steal it!

Me, feeling moody at the bar on our last night.

As the sun went down and all our bellies were full, mom and I got a little sad that our trip was over. But, as we flew over New York City headed for Florida skies, I knew I would see Holly again, probably sooner than I thought and probably in my new hometown.

(Mom: Our stay was amazing and if you’re planning a trip to NYC with your dog, the Hotel Eventi is my top recommend. The staff were wonderful, they love dogs and are very accommodating, dogs can go everywhere except into the restaurants. And, you’re centrally located.  A big thumbs up!)

Disclaimer: While we paid for our entire trip, the Hotel Eventi did upgrade our room at no extra charge. 

Laura Souza and the G in G Girl…Gianna.

Glamour, glitz, good times and doing good; these were the themes this weekend at the 4th annual Fabulous Cotillion for furbabies at the Abacoa Country Club in Jupiter, Florida. G Girl Productions’ fearless leader and event coordinator extraordinaire, Laura Souza, and Gianna, the inspiration for the G in G Girl, presided over a very well run 3-day event showcasing designer dog fashions for rescue, two of which this blogger attended. It was my first time and I didn’t really know what to expect. I walked away understanding why fashion-loving dog moms from all over the country mark their calendars to attend and I hope to be there again, next year.

So, what actually happens at a doggy Cotillion? Well, there are debutantes and seasoned cat walkers, too…of the furry kind. There are stage moms of sorts, but you can see how much they love their little charges. And, there’s fashion, and plenty of it, the centerpiece of the runway shows, judging and awards given out over the course of the two nights.

Sir Charles Barkley with mom, Neely Waring…er, I mean, Marie Antoinette!

The weekend kicked off with a birthday party. My friend, Amy Cox, flew in from Texas with her five dogs a day early to throw a birthday bash for Penelope, her 14 year old Yorkie and Pearl, her 10 year old white Chihuahua, shown here with Pearl on her actual birthday in a photo taken when they came to visit in Fort Lauderdale.

The official program for 150 (a sold out house) kicked off on Friday with International Night, a cocktail party and runway show, celebrating fashion from around the world. Rob Sayegh, founder and head of R World Productions, was on hand all weekend to capture the festivities on film.

Each entrant chose a country to represent and showcased their designer’s creation. American stars and stripes; Scottish kilts; Irish dresses; Spanish traje de luces or suit of lights, were represented, as was an Indian princess and an African lion, among many more. French Bulldog, Sir Charles Barkley, dressed in Marie Antoinette period French lace and brocade and mom, Neely Waring, rocked it as Marie Antoinette.

Below, Kismet, wore a gorgeously vibrant Mongolian prince jacket designed by Nanette DeRonda of ShihNanigans – Embellishments for Pets.  And, Amy Cox sparkled in a matching cape with Paco Dos’ ensemble as Uncle Sam, designed by Danielle Pursel of Sew Doggone Creative.

Kismet being examined by the judges.

Amy Cox presents Paco Dos to the judges on International Night

The big winners of the evening were Gigi as Miss International, wearing a voluminous, sparkly kelly green confection by Julie Lancaster of Off the Cuff Stuff for Pets. Mr. International was captured by Tucker, a 15 year-old shepherd mix and 2-time cancer survivor,  who wore that suit of lights, in this case, sparkly sequins, including a removable cape, created by  ShihNanigans. Gigi’s mom, Wendy Carlson DePinto, was beaming. “We were waiting for a big one,” she exclaimed. “Boy, did we get it!”

Tucker and Gigi; Mr. & Miss International

And, that’s the thing. These dog moms and the designers they collaborate with work so hard to get here. It may sound silly to some, but the world of competitive fashion events is growing, and rapidly. What started seven years ago with designer, Linda Higgins, a former interior designer who, as an avid animal lover, chose a change in careers that sparked a tidal wave of followers, is now a bona fide movement.

Designer Linda Higgins rocking a pop culture-inspired dress for International Night with her Chi, Lucy. Love this!

I see it at the New York Pet Fashion Show and other, smaller events I cover. Each year, they grow bigger and bigger. So, when Wendy was overcome with emotion about Gigi’s big win, it’s not that much different than the beaming mom at a child beauty pageant, a tradition begun back in 1921. There’s a lot of time, energy, love of fashion and a passion for their pets that go into it. And, a dash of exhibitionism.

There is a community here; you go not only for friendly competition, but to see your pageant friends, get your fill of fashion and, usually, to raise money for rescue. Every one of the events I’ve attended has a charitable component. With the Fabulous Cotillion, it is a central catalyst, and this year, Canine Rescue out of Augusta, South Carolina, was the recipient.

Barbie Yonce of Canine Rescue with Stuart, a puppy mill rescue.

Canine Rescue gets the dogs no one else wanted; the throwaways. Oftentimes, there is a lot of rehabilitation required, but the end game is to find these animals a loving forever home. Barbie Yonce, of the organization, brought along Stuart (named after Stuart Little), a gorgeous puppy mill rescue who arrived very sick, as many puppy mill puppies do. He’s come a long way but was still tentative and shy.

Yes, I did have my picture taken in the bathroom!

Saturday night was the big event. I even donned a full length gown…really! LOL Pre-judging of the contestants, a great idea implemented by Laura, began early, where the judges could see the pieces created for each dog on the dog, up close and personal.

Gigi’s dress being inspected by the judges during pre-judging.

Pearl, Penelope and Paco Dos wait patiently for their pre-judging turn.

Polly standing pretty for the judges.

Contestants are judged on a variety of things, including the fashion itself, its construction, style, fit, their personality, pizzazz. Dogs are judged on how comfortable they are wearing the garments and strutting their stuff down the runway. For the first time this year, Souza included an animal behaviorist as a judge in Jamie Diaz of Dynamite Dog Training, who observed each dog’s body language and demeanor. Diaz is trained by and under the license of Victoria Stilwell and her team.

The other judges were Chandra Hoover of chandra.todd, an evening gown and jewelry designer, and fashion designer, Elizabeth Fletcher.  At one point, French Bulldog, Sir Charles Barkley, an obvious flirt, got cheeky with Chandra, trying to win favoritism with kisses. I mean, he actually walked up and casually kissed her on the mouth! And, Chandra was naughty…she kissed him back! Well, he is pretty irresistibly cute, so we all agreed to cut her some slack.

Chandra and Sir Charles getting a bit too cozy…

Roxy posing pretty in the pre-judging area, in a Linda Higgins gown.

Once pre-judging ended, we were served a 3-course dinner and I had the good fortune to sit next to two adorable fur babies – Baby and Oliver. Doggies were served Dog Pawrignon champagne…seriously, folks, how cute is that…and organic treats and veggie plates.

Baby

Dog Pawrignon

Oliver in his KO Couture vest. Nice!

Then, the Lifetime Achievement Awards ceremony commenced. Two were given. Nava Feinstein, one of G Girls’ first models and winner of Miss Haute Couture, a Homecoming Queen of 2016, a licensed Therapy Dog and all around sweetheart senior, was honored. Mom, Debbie Feinstein, was brought to tears as Laura read off all of Nava’s accomplishments and what she’s meant to Laura, Gianna and the community.

Nava Feinstein, a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient

Snuggles, a big influence in getting Laura and Gianna  involved in the doggy world, passed away suddenly from brain inflammation at 9 years old this past May. Mom Brygida Tr was heartbroken. Snuggles was a 2 lb Blue Teacup Chihuahua who was much loved and had received many awards and accolades over the years. Brygida presented Laura with a collage she created of key memories of Snuggles, and it was a very emotional moment for everyone in the room.

Brygida presents Laura and G Girl with a collage of Snuggles memories.

The fashion show followed and every dog was dressed to impress. Like the beauty pageants Miss USA, Miss Universe or Miss World, when you win Miss or Mr. Cotillion, you go on to a year of travel, events, photo shoots, interviews and all things befitting a Cotillion winner. Hopes were high and the excitement in the room was palpable.

Amy Cox, holding Penelope and Paco Dos high, struts the runway during Cotillion.

Ilene Zeins with ZZ

Each dog and mom worked that runway, and at the end, when the judges returned from their deliberations, these were the winners of the evening’s awards:

It began with recognizing the 2016 Mr. and Miss Cotillion and the passing of the crown, as it were.

Lynn Consovoy and Baxter

Mr. Cotillion 2016, Baxter, an adorable Yorkie who’s won just about every award a dog can win in this space (you’ve seen him covered on Bark & Swagger around the Tompkins Square Halloween Parade and the New York Pet Fashion Show), made his last appearance as a contestant at this event. At 12 years old, Baxter is retiring, but mom, Lynn Consovoy, told me they will be very visible at future events as spectators, enjoying the festivities.

Gertie, 2016’s Miss Cotillion recipient.

Miss Cotillion 2016 was Gertie and mom, Melanie Johnson and Gertie were with her designer, Darlene Hachey .

The 2017 awards went to:

Roxy & Oliver, Miss and Mr. Photogenic

Mr. Photogenic: Oliver, wearing an adorable pink tuxedo vest by Kelly of KO Couture. I sat next to mom, Celeste Marie, during dinner and she was absolutely certain Oliver wouldn’t win. But, I saw up close how precious and cute this boy was, so I wasn’t surprised when his name was called.

Miss Photogenic: Roxy, in a creation by seminal designer, Linda Higgins.

Gigi, recipient of the Best Evening Gown Award, with mom, Wendy and Laura.

Best Evening Gown: Gigi scooped up another award in a gorgeous bright blue gown that was a collaboration between her mom, Wendy DePinto of Glitzy Couture and Yssa De Asis.

Kismet, recipient of the Best Tux Award, with mom, Vicki Anders, designer Nanette DeRonda and Laura.

Best Tux: Kismet, created by Nanette DeRonda of ShihNanigans-Embellishments for Pets.

Magnum P.I. & Delilah, recipients of the Gentle Furboy and the Miss Congeniality awards, respectively.

Gentle Furboy (how cute a title for an award is that?!): Magnum P.I., also created by ShihNanigans.

Miss Congeniality: Delilah, with a gown by Danielle Pursel.

Sir Charles Barkley and Dutchess, recipients of the Mr. and Miss Ambassador Award, respectively.

Mr. Ambassador: Sir Charles Barkley (I guess those kisses made an impression!), with a vest by Designs by Diane.

Miss Ambassador: Dutchess, Gigi’s sister, with a design by Sophia Lauren Kennedy.

Drum roll, please! And the recipients of Mr. and Miss Cotillion were……

Autumn Grace and Cooper, recipients of the Miss and Mr. Cotillion awards, respectively.

Mr. Cotillion 2017: Cooper, with mom, Angy Gardner, with an outfit by ShihNanigans.

Miss Cotillion 2017: Autumn Grace, with mom Kathleen Jennings, in a gown by Lola Teigland, who incidentally, began as a designer for Dior.

When it was all done, dogs, moms and designers were exhausted as they filed out for the night. But, they had a Polo Brunch to look forward to the next day, where they would get to debut another outfit and socialize with their friends, once more. And, the rescue? G Girl Productions and the Fabulous Cotillion 2017 raised $6,100.00. That will help this small rescue a lot. Congratulations, all!