Violet Lemay - NY DOGS

NY DOGS by Violet Lemay Introduction by Jorge Bendersky For the Gilmores Contents Introduction by Jorge Bendersky Author of DIY Dog Grooming, From Puppy Cuts to Best in Show New York is the result of more than 300 years of mixed races and cultures. People from all over the world and their pets settled in the area, including the three lucky dogs who survived the sinking of the Titanic: a Pekingese (named Sun Yat-Sen) and two Pomeranians (one named Lady and another whose name has been lost to history). Now with more than 600,000 canine residents, New York City offers a never-ending list of pure breeds and mutts of every possible combination. Not all NYC dogs live in the fast lane, parading around town dressed in extravagant outfits and fake eyelashes, but every single one will greet friends with a butt wiggle and a wagging tail. Dogs will make an A-list celebrity feel normal and a regular Joe feel like a superstar. Every part of NYC has a personality that is reflected by its resident dogs and their owners.

Some new developments even set aside precious space specifically for dogs to run and socialize. Despite New Yorks abundant array of dog runs and dog-friendly parks, plenty of pups prefer to stay home and keep a vigilant eye on their neighborhood through their apartment windowsand thats fine, too! NYC welcomes and accommodates every lifestyle. NY DOGS is a love letter to not only NYCs dogs and their best friendsthe New Yorkers who own thembut also to the city itself. Thank you, NYC, for your support of the canine community! Through the pages of NY DOGS and behind the artwork you will find that dogs are not only our best friends, they are New Yorks royal residents. NYC is a city that breathes dogs, admiring and protecting them with a passion and eccentricity that cant be found anyplace else. Outside of a dog, a book is mans best friend.

Inside of a dog its too dark to read. ~ Groucho Marx The Dog Who Stole My Heart: Confessions of a Former Cat Person When I lived in NYC working on scenery and costumes for shows, hopping from one Manhattan sublet to another, I was a cat person. In the beautiful, crowded chaos of New York, cats are the pet lovers obvious choice: they dont bother the neighbors, they use indoor facilities, and with the help of a timed feeding device they can even take care of themselves for a day or two. Cats easily fit into my life, and into every tiny apartment in which I lived. Mine were named Rockwell (for the illustrator) and Chelsea (for my first NYC neighborhood). A chunk of my heart stayed behind when a career change moved me and my cats to a different city.

Eventually, marriage and motherhood relocated our growing family to the suburbs. Thats right: suburbia, the land of happy dogs! But in my black T-shirt, coffee cup perpetually in hand, I was still in a New York frame of mind. So what if we had a huge fenced yard? I was a cat person, through and through. Until my son was five or six, and he and my husband began plotting. Until they started hanging out at the local shelter and coaxing me to join them. Until we finally found a dog who looked as if hed never grow too big to fit through the cat door.

I distinctly remember grumbling, while signing the adoption papers, I dont want a dog. Dogs always become the moms responsibility, and Im Mom. I already have too much to do. And just like that, I entered a clichd relationship with a terrier-esque mutt named Chip: The Dog and the Curmudgeon. We brought him home, all paws and wagging tail. As predicted, he became my responsibility.

Also as predicted, I was often crabby about it. But when I wasnt cursing under my breath in annoyance, I was laughing at him, andof courseloving him. Chip became my studio mate, my walking partner, my confidante, my in-bed foot warmer, my therapist, my constant companion, the subject of my art, the object of my codependence, my very good friend. When business trips brought me back to my beloved NYC, I missed him. There were reminders: New Yorkers walking their dogs on each and every sidewalk, fascinating and beautiful. I sketched both dogs and walkers on napkins and bagel bags, and I called home to check on Chip at least twice a day.

Does he miss me? I still love cats. Apparently now I love dogs, too. New Yorkers do life with amazing style, and their dogs have no less panache. While Big Apple mutts come in all shapes and sizes, with personalities as vibrant and diverse as their silhouettes, they share the uncommon experience of living in NYC. NY DOGS enumerates the facts of the city dogs life and is my tribute to the many and varied dogs of NYCand to the scrappy New Yorkers who, with pockets full of wadded plastic bags, are walking at the other end of a leash. ~ Dean Koontz CITY LIFE: THE BASICS 1 Apartment Dwelling Unlike their suburban brethren, city dogs are apartment dwellers, which gives them a unique worldview. Incidentally, they also happen to be spectacular window dressing. The Brownstone The Urban Chic The Bohemian While some dogs prefer to live alone (aside from their human companions, of course), taking a roommate has its advantages.