So that every mouth can be fed

That's two petsits done and one to go. I miss my home but love all my dogs (not to mention that fish -- gorgeous!).

We have what is potentially New York's first heat wave of the year, starting, oh, right about now. Make sure to keep your animals hydrated, and follow these other safety tips too!

Don't let the TV be your only petsitter!

I'm doing quite a lot of petsitting these days, spending more time in Park Slope then in my own home, most of it with dogs with serious psychological and physical health conditions. As you know I'm spending time with Riko and Ralph, and also in the schedule is Kenny and Joya; and Lucky, Ali and Mooschi, to whom I'll introduce you later.

When dog owners go on vacation we're usually presented with the choice of boarding our pets or having a trusted person stay with them in our homes. For some dogs it may not make a whole lot of difference, but for most of the ones I've been familiar with in my life it's a lot more comfortable to stay in a familiar environment and follow the routine they are used to. For rescued dogs it can even be an imperative, and besides Kenny all of the dogs I'll be staying with have had some sort of traumatizing experience.

It's been really hard with Riko especially, this time around. I've mentioned how she lost her sight and her health deteriorated subsequently, but I think that now advanced senility has come into the picture. Most of the day and night she just sleeps, but she'll struggle to her feet in search of food or the yard from time to time. She doesn't respond to her own name anymore, let alone any commands or other words she used to know, and she doesn't even respond to being pet. She was always very intelligent and affectionate, and for a time after losing her sight became even more so, but now she doesn't seem to even be in her body anymore. There were signs of this when I walked her and Ralph for a week a few months back, but I was in denial of it then. Now, I miss her and I feel like I lost my chance to say goodbye.

Kenny and Joya are up next, and after Joya's recent cancer scare (long story short, there was no cancer - maybe I'll tell the whole story another time), I feel confident that they are both still in the prime of their lives.

By the way, the dog in the first picture is Brixton, a 9 year old boxer who I walk from time to time.

And here is Riko, as she spends most of her time these days, sleeping.

Always on call...

and very glad for it to be so...especially today, since Kenny and Joya's apartment was visited by the exterminator! I got them out of the house pronto and we had a great time going for a stroll through the Slope for a couple hours. I found a flatware tray I've needed for a while along with a few kitschy old horror movies, and the spring weather was invigorating, body and soul. The dogs really enjoyed the beautiful weather too; they took full advantage and did tons of socialization. They were both really happy to be out of the house, and enthusiastic to return to a familiar place no longer in flux.

I won't say going sometimes a month between days off isn't tough, but I should get one tomorrow and, on the whole it balances out. I'm fortunate enough to be supported by doing what I love, even with enough time to maintain a blog on the side. And after all, I can always catch Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me tomorrow!


Here they are afterwords, all pooped out in their moth-free home.

Pit Bulls in Motion

Kenny and Joya

This pair, like Billie, have been with me from the beginning three years ago. They live together in Park Slope, along with a little girl who was an infant when I started walkig them and who is a continuing delight as she grows. Their house is one of the few I go to where I see other people - lots of other kids and everybody's nanny. Often it's the only time I see other people I know til I get home and I always look forward to my visits.

Kenny and Joya have a fantastic dynamic -- she's totally the yin to his yang. Joya, who's a rescue and is in the foreground in the pic, was completely agoraphobic three years ago. She's always been very sweet and gentle, and when she was rescued it was clear that shed had multiple pregnancies. She was about seven at the time, just past puppy-rearing age, and had been abandoned at the pound. She was incredibly fortunate to have been adopted -- most older dogs in her situation (especially pit bulls) are put to death -- and she didn't want to be out of her home for longer than it took to do her business. Through a lot of love and patience she gradually came out of her shell in public and now loves to walk. She's very social, loves to meet other dogs and people, and retains a soft spot in her heart for all puppies.

Kenny, on the other hand, is a clown. While Joya is the consummate mother figure he's a perpetual teenager. You know, the kind who finds fart jokes incredibly funny and barely seems able to control his physical behavior. He's very rambunctious and loves to play and run. He's a ball thief in the dog park and a lap dog at home. (Yep, that big lanky frame settles right into my narrow-ass hips if I let him! But it's only really useful on these frigid, soaking wet days.*)

I often find myself house-sitting with these guys on the weekend, which allows for a lot more cuddle-time and scavenging treasures from the sidewalks of the Slope.**



*-- more on frigid, soaking wet days later
**-- more on pop archaeology later