This holiday season, the dog days are most definitely not over.

According to a new AP-Petside.com poll, more than half of all pet owners will buy a gift for their pet this holiday season. And some pets may get more than one.

Naresh Jessani, co-owner of New York Dog Spa & Hotel on the Upper East Side, said he often sees an increase in business around the holidays.

“Pets are part of the family,” said Jessani. “Pretty much everyone buys a Christmas gift for their pet and puts it under the tree.”

Jessani said many of his clients bring their pets in for holiday grooming.

“They want to deck their dogs out in Christmas gear,” said Jessani. “Reindeer antlers, jingly collars and Santa coats are popular.”

Sandy Robins, a pet lifestyle expert based in California, said the economic recession shouldn’t put a stop to a pet’s holiday bliss.

“If people do have a little bit of extra money, they’re going to splurge on their kids,” she said. “Whether their kids have two legs or four legs.”

Robins said the market for holiday-themed pet gifts has exploded in the past five years.

“If you’re someone who goes for walks at night a lot,” she said, “maybe you’ll buy your pet a collar with a reflector or one that lights up. Your pet gets something new that is also functional.”

The trendiest pet gifts this year are puzzles, Robins added. She likened the puzzles to board games for adults, except that the pet doesn’t play against anyone and she gets a treat when she wins.

“Puzzles will keep the pet very, very busy,” she said. “They also offer great mental and physical stimulation.”

Holiday Pet Events

“Rosie’s Toy Drive.” Not every dog or cat has such a fruitful holiday season—donate your pet’s gently used toys or purchase something new. All donations will go to Bideawee. The New York Dog Shop, 46 W. 73rd St., thenewyorkdogshop.com, 212-595-0800.

PetCo Santa. Sitting on a mall Santa’s lap before Christmas isn’t just for children anymore. Pups get some lap time and owners get a chance to shoot away! PetCo Union Square, 860 Broadway, 212-358-0692, Nov. 25-27.

Holiday Adoption Extravaganza. Not all pets have a home in which to celebrate the holidays. Two rescue organizations will host the two-day weekend event, where families can also take photos with one of the organization’s mascots: Santa Maddie, a six-foot-tall miniature schnauzer. The Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St., 212-463-0200, Dec. 18-19.

Thanksgiving Dinner in a Can. Instead of passing your pet a few leftover turkey scraps under the table on Thanksgiving, treat your pet to dinner made from all the classic Thanksgiving fixings: turkey, sweet potatoes, green beans and Granny Smith apples. www.MerrickPetCare.com.

Keeping Pets Safe this Season

The winter holiday season is a time of food, festivities and fun, but there are important things to keep in mind to ensure that pets remain healthy and safe.

“Pet parents should remember that holly, evergreens and mistletoe are toxic,” said Dr. Mark Verdino, vice president and chief of veterinary staff at North Shore Animal League America. “Poinsettia, though not poisonous, can cause gastric upset if ingested, pine needles can damage intestines and holiday trees can be knocked over by curious pets.”

Verdino said, “‘People’ food can sicken pets and cause severe illness. Pets should not eat chocolate or anything containing xylitol.”

Other safety tips include keeping tinsel and ribbons away from pets. If swallowed, these can cause stomach upset or stick to pets’ intestines, which may require surgery. Also, anything with a flame should be kept far from pets’ reach and never be left unattended.

by West Side Spirit

The ASPCA says Gepetto, a 4-year-old shepherd-lab mix, is an absolute sweetheart of a dog. He’s incredibly friendly to every person he meets and he loves to be stroked and cuddled. Despite some rough times in his past—the ASPCA rescued him from a hoarder—Gepetto is an energetic, happy guy (and that boundless energy makes him a great running buddy).
Gepetto knows basic manners and he’s ready to work hard to learn more with a dedicated and patient pet parent. He can get antsy when left alone, so he’ll need lots of stuff to keep him busy while his people are away. He shouldn’t get the run of the house until he learns the rules. This affectionate canine would be happy to live with children ages 10 and up.

Patty, a 5-year-old domestic shorthair mix, is patiently waiting for someone to take her home and give her a place of her own. This pretty kitty was rescued by the ASPCA and had a rough start in life, but she hasn’t let it get her down. She tests positive for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) antibodies, but this shouldn’t prevent her from living a long and happy life. She can be a bit shy but isn’t lacking in love to give. Patty has a great heart and can’t wait for an adopter to open up their own and take her home.

To adopt Patty, Gepetto or any of the many other dogs and cats at the ASPCA, visit their shelter at 424 E. 92nd St. (between York and First avenues) 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, go to www.adoptaspca.org or call 212-876-7700 ext. 4120. If you do adopt Patty or Gepetto, email jrogers@manhattanmedia.com to let us know how it’s going.

By Ally Hickson

There’s a cat in the window. She’s curled up into a ball with a paw over her face, half asleep behind the glass. Her furry tummy subtly rises and falls as she breathes a restful sleep. But as comfortable as this kitty may be, the cozy nook she’s found to lie in is only temporary. In fact, she’s here to find a permanent home.

This kitten is one of thousands of cats and dogs given refuge over the years at Bideawee, an animal welfare organization that provides temporary homes to cats and dogs before matching the animals to loving owners and families.

Nancy Taylor, president and chief executive officer at Bideawee, with a puppy for adoption. Photo by Andrew Schwartz.

“It’s about finding a match that will be forever,” said Nancy Taylor, president and chief executive officer at Bideawee, stroking a black cat named Opie on her desk. “Our goal is to get them adopted and keep them adopted.”

This notion of finding “forever homes” and saving animals from cruelty is the same principle on which Flora Kibbe founded Bideawee in 1903, when she was saving dogs and keeping them in her Manhattan apartment. It was 1915 when she moved Bideawee—which means “stay awhile” in Scottish—to its current home in Murray Hill, where she could save unwanted animals from being drowned in the East River.

Today, Bideawee has grown to three locations, including centers in Westhampton and Wantagh on Long Island. The organization adopts about 1,000 pets each year and saves animals from municipal shelters and from families that can no longer care for their pets. While based in New York City, Bideawee rescues cats and dogs from across the country and even Puerto Rico.

The Manhattan offices are warm and friendly, which may have something to do with all the happy animals roaming the space. Pickles the cat is snuggled up in the corner of an office. Asha, a puppy who has been on TV, is affectionate when you come out of the elevator. Wonka, the cat downstairs, is eager to meet new visitors.

In this five-story building, Bideawee is doing much more than just providing accommodations to unwanted pets. “The thing that sets us apart is that we’re able to stay with the pet and the owner. We love them through their entire life,” said Taylor.

She’s referring to the plethora of services that Bideawee provides: adoption, training, veterinary care, dog runs, accreditation for therapy dogs, pet memorials and even doga (that’s yoga for dogs!). These practices allow pets and owners to remain a part of the Bideawee family long after they’ve been paired up and settled in at home.

Take Candice Alustiza and her three-legged dog, Joey, who have been with Bideawee every step of the way—from adoption to vet services.

“For anyone who is looking for a vet practice or a place to adopt a dog, I always say come to Bideawee,” said Alustiza, who found Joey after searching for pets online. Despite missing Joey’s television debut on LX New York with Ashley Judd, Alustiza found the puppy in need and fell in love soon after. Since then, she’s taken Joey back to Bideawee for a number of X-rays and tests to find that he’s perfectly healthy, despite his three-legged status.

Alustiza and Joey went through the organization’s typical adoption process, which includes playing with the animals in interaction rooms and having all members of the family meet the cat or dog before adopting.

“It’s all about finding the right pet for the right family,” said Taylor, who refers to Bideawee’s adoption associates as matchmakers. “For instance, if we know that a person is a couch potato, we’re not going to adopt a border collie who wants to run all day to that person. Conversely, if somebody is a triathlete, we’re probably not going to match him with an overweight dachshund.”

The result of this matchmaking process is an extremely low return rate—only 4.5 percent, compared to the national shelter rate, which can vary from 15-20 percent of adopted pets. Usually, owners return pets because they have an unforeseen health or behavioral problem. That’s why Bideawee guarantees that every pet is spayed, neutered, microchipped and immunized. They also receive dentistry attention and are treated for every medical condition that their veterinary offices can identify, in a fully functional operating room and a cozy waiting area. Not to mention that Bideawee never euthanizes a pet unless it’s an incurable situation. And when an animal is put down or passes away, Bideawee is still there to support the mourning family.

“We want the whole end of life encounter to be dignified, to be respectful, to enable family members ample opportunity to grieve the loss of their family member,” said Taylor, who notes that Bideawee employees are given bereavement days for loss of pets. They also provide plots, cremation, viewings and grief counseling.

And the guidance doesn’t end there. Many Bideawee volunteers receive training for various tasks, like infection control while working with animals in isolation that have been picked up from municipal shelters and are often sick. The organization has nearly 400 such volunteers who walk dogs, socialize cats, help at fundraising events or work as pet therapy assistants at schools, nursing homes and hospitals.

“This is such a cohesive community. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a shelter environment with such a strong human-animal bond,” said Suzi Soloway-Andres, a third-year volunteer who cleans kennels and socializes cats. In fact, Soloway-Andres experienced the loss of her own cats and volunteered to help her through the mourning process. Since she started with Bideawee, she’s adopted a new cat and found a home at the facility.

After all, owning a pet is a commitment—a “lifetime commitment,” according to Taylor, who noted that cats often live 20-plus years. Before adopting a cat or dog, a potential owner needs to be ready for a decades-long commitment to animal care. And it’s more than just walking and feeding your pet. According to Taylor, a healthy cat or dog can cost between $1,000 and $1,400 annually.

But it’s clear at Bideawee that the benefits of loving and being loved by an animal are priceless. “It brings so much warmth,” said Solloway-Andres, who feels like she can make a difference through her volunteer work in a very pet-friendly town.

“We see people every day who meet new people because of their animals,” said Taylor about New York City pet owners. “There’s a wonderful subculture that grows up around [owning a pet] that makes people resources to each other about where to find a great vet, a great groomer, a great place to board your animals.”

As Taylor pointed out, owning a pet and going to pet hot spots around the city allows one to encounter all sorts of people they wouldn’t normally meet. But there’s more than just people and pets socializing. According to three-legged Joey’s adopter, we may have found the best part of owning a pet in New York City.

“Everyone in New York is so busy, but it’s so nice to come home at the end of the day, open the door and see this little guy’s face,” says Alustiza as Joey wags his tail and licks her fingers. “That’s my favorite part of the day—coming home to him.”

For more information, visit bideawee.org.

When Marie Moody first started her pet food company, Stella and Chewy’s, she rarely hailed a cab, unless she had to make a delivery.

“We’re selling millions of dollars’ worth of pet food and I can actually afford to take a cab now,” Moody said, punctuating the end of her sentence with a boisterous chuckle.

Moody, 43, worked in fashion until 2003, when she launched her all-natural frozen and freeze-dried pet food business out of her Upper West Side apartment. (To ensure food safety, Stella and Chewy’s uses a pasteurization process called Hydrostatic High Pressure.) She made the move to Wisconsin in 2007 when the business outgrew her apartment, opening a manufacturing plant in her hometown of Muskego. She finally returned to New York as her primary residence this summer.

Upper West Sider Marie Moody last year with the inspirations for her pet food business, Stella and Chewy.

“Before I left the city, it was really a struggle with the new business, and I had a new baby,” Moody said as she sat at a table outside Pippa on East 19th Street. Sipping a cocktail, dressed in a gray reptile-print dress with her brown hair piled on top of her head, she said, “I knew I’d need to open my own plant in order to control the quality.”

Moody has since hired a plant manager and a chief operating officer. “As we speak, we are moving into a new plant [in Wisconsin] that is approximately five times the size,” she said. Now her focus is on sales, marketing and public relations. “I can do that more effectively from a place like New York,” Moody explained. For the short term, Moody has been subletting a fourth-floor walk-up in her old neighborhood. However, she and her 6-year-old son will move into their new apartment on West 79th Street this month.

Moody named the business after her two rescue dogs. When she worked in fashion, she lived in Los Angeles for three years. There she adopted Stella, a terrier mix. When left alone, Stella wreaked havoc on her apartment. “She ripped up holes in the carpet. She destroyed all the plants,” Moody said. “I decided that what she probably needed was a boyfriend.” So she adopted Chewy, a Shar-Pei-Airedale mix, as a companion. But Chewy turned out to be very sick. “He had distemper and a host of other things—when dogs have that it’s usually fatal,” Moody said.

Moody’s veterinarian recommended a raw meat diet to improve Chewy’s health, so she started preparing her pets’ meals from scratch. “Every Sunday, I would go to Whole Foods and get all this raw meat and some fruits and vegetables,” said Moody, a vegetarian. She’d make meals for the week on Sundays and freeze it.

Chewy’s health improved significantly, but preparing the meals every week proved time consuming. “At the time, I didn’t have a freeze dryer at my house and pet stores didn’t have freezers, so this kind of diet was just really not widely available,” she said.

After returning to New York from Los Angeles, Moody borrowed $50,000 from her father to launch her business. (She has since paid it off—with interest.) A large part of the money went toward freezer purchases. “Some of the stores were sort of interested in it, but they certainly didn’t want to invest in a freezer,” she explained. So Moody bought the freezers for them.

Now distributed across the United States, Stella and Chewy’s manufactures food and treats for dogs as well as felines. So far, the freeze-dried food sells more than the frozen, Moody noted. “It’s still raw but it’s shelf stable, and it’s just a much more convenient way to feed.”

Sadly, Chewy recently passed away at the age of 16. “He lived a long life,” Moody said when reached by phone earlier this week. “He’s touched a lot of other dogs’ lives, since he’s the inspiration behind the food.”

Stella, who is 14 years old, lives with Moody’s ex-husband in Wisconsin. It’s unclear when Stella will make the move east. But keeping dogs in mind, Moody selected an apartment that’s very close to a dog run as well as to Central and Riverside parks. Moody is not worried about Stella’s adjustment to the Upper West Side. In her youth, Stella spent plenty of time in New York. Stella’s “citified and everything,” she said.

By Robin Breenen

The dog days of summer can be hazardous for your pet. Be a cool owner and help your canine companion beat the heat this summer.

It is important to realize that people and animals differ greatly in their ability to regulate internal body temperature. Humans have hundreds of sweat glands, all over the body, that help us stay cool by releasing moisture which evaporates on the skin’s surface. Dogs have very few sweat glands, all of which are located in the pads of their feet. Dogs cool themselves primarily by the process of panting and breathing, with the moist lining of their lungs, tongue, mucous membranes and windpipe serving as the evaporative surfaces. Dogs also release heat by dilating blood vessels in the face, ears and hairless areas of the body like the armpits and groin. This allows blood to flow closer to the skin’s surface, where it has a chance to cool down.

Minimizing your dog’s exposure to extreme temperatures can prevent a life-threatening condition called hyperthermia, which can lead to heat stroke. A dog’s normal body temperature is 101–103 degrees Farenheit. Hyperthermia is a sustained core body temperature over 105, due to the dog’s inability to cool itself efficiently. Certain dogs are at higher risk because of their body conformations or medical conditions. At-risk dogs are those that have thick hair coats, flat faces (like bulldogs), lung/breathing or heart problems, or that are older or overweight. Symptoms include hard and harsh panting, deep red gums, drooling, sluggishness, disorientation, vomiting and diarrhea. Internal body temperatures over 105–106 degrees can quickly lead to organ failure and death. These temperatures can be reached even with moderate heat and exercise. I have seen this happen to a dog who sat under a hair dryer too long while at the groomer!

Never leave your dog unattended in a parked car, even for a minute. Temperatures inside that vehicle can easily reach 160 degrees in a matter of minutes. Five minutes inside can lead to death. Consider leaving your dog at home when you run errands on a hot day.

I see many dogs being walked with canvas muzzles in place, presumably because they don’t get along well with people or other dogs. While you may be trying to prevent a bite, you are also preventing your dog from panting and cooling off. Basket muzzles are a much better alternative, as they allow your dog to pant freely, but also add the layer of protection you are looking for.

If you enjoy exercising with your dog, do so at the coolest part of the day. Noontime jogs are not a good idea.

If you think your pet may be experiencing heat stroke, take immediate steps to cool him/her down, then seek veterinary attention at the Animal Hospitals at Bideawee or from your veterinarian. This usually entails hosing your dog off with cool water or submerging him/her in a tepid bath; it may not be enough to just bring your pet into an air-conditioned room. Ice packs applied to the armpit and groin can also help cool your dog. Once at the vet, further cooling procedures can be administered. However, some of the consequences of prolonged, extreme elevations in body temperature can cause an irreversible process of multi-organ system failure leading to death.

On hot days, the coolest thing to do may be to leave Fido at home.
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Robin Brennen is chief of veterinary services & VP Program Operations at Bideawee.

By Annie Lubin

When Amy Davids’ cat Frisco died after a heartbreaking battle with cancer in 2008, the feline lover wanted to commemorate her playful companion. So she uploaded a video of him to YouTube. What was a mundane, daily activity for Frisco turned out to be hilarious and bizarre enough to attract 3 million hits and 3,700 comments.

The video shows Frisco perched on the side of his owner’s toilet. He sniffs the bowl, walks across the rim and, finding a comfortable spot, with his rear facing the bowl, he relieves himself.

A cat who no longer needs a litter box.

To those outside of the pet world, the scene might look like one big hoax, but feline toilet training kits are becoming a booming business and making themselves known in the mass consumer market.

“Creating an indoor solution to an indoor problem was our key objective,” said Terry Lapidge, inventor of the Litter Kwitter toilet training kit, which retails for $69.95.

For Rebecca Rescate, inventor of the CitiKitty kit, the idea emerged when “the litter box became unbearable in 500 square feet,” she said. “Living in New York City really prompted me to live with less.” Her kit retails for $29.99.

Both of these kits debuted on the market around 2005, yet Davids, who first used a kit to train her cat, Thunder, in 1997 (she has trained four cats and is in the process of training a fifth, Milah), said that while the product has gotten more sturdy and marketable, the basic idea—the “disappearing litter box”—has stayed the same.

A plastic, disc-like contraption with a hole in the center is placed under the toilet’s rim and filled with kitty litter, mimicking the cat’s own litter box. As the cat gets used to the toilet, the litter is applied less liberally and the hole is made bigger, until eventually the cat views his old litter box and the human toilet as one and the same.

The difference between Litter Kwitter and the CitiKitty, the main two products on the market, is that the former allows for lapses in training. Litter Kwitter provides separate discs for its three training stages, so if a cat slips up—which is what happened to Davids’ cat Milah when Davids went away on vacation—it is possible to go back and repeat a stage. With the CitiKitty, a larger hole is cut upon each new stage of training, so while it allows for more varied stages, once you move on to the next phase, there’s no going back and there’s no reuse.

But toilet training a cat can’t be as simple as plopping your pet on the seat and telling it to go. Davids, who is considered a toilet training guru by her friends, said that potty training a cat is the same as potty training a toddler—it requires lots of patience and praise.

“You’ve got to be nice to the cat and praise them when they do the right thing,” said Davids. “It’s much easier when you’re very patient.”

And the upsides to toilet training an indoor cat are obvious. You save money, eliminate odor and reduce the spread of bacteria.

“The benefits are serious if you think about how cats use the litter box,” Lapidge said.

And for those with limited space, the prospect of living without a litter box is worth the effort.

Lapidge and Rescate agreed that most of their customers either live in small apartments or have pets that are confined indoors due to weather, lack of a backyard or the nature of their breed.

But some critics argue that training cats to use the toilet is too far removed from the creatures’ animalistic nature.

Back to the Youtube video—after Frisco relieves himself, he claws at the four corners of the toilet rim, attempting to bury his waste. It is in this moment that the true nature of the feline comes out—you can bring a cat indoors, you can teach him to use a toilet, but you can’t take the animal instincts out of the cat.

“Their natural instincts are to leave no scent behind,” said Rescate. However, she continued, “I don’t believe that [using the toilet is] against a cat’s natural instincts any more then a cats current option of a litter box.”

For Davids’ cats, using the toilet has become a part of their nature. Davids likes to tell the story of what happened when Frisco returned home after getting lost one night. “As soon as we opened the door,” she said, “he tore to the toilet, got up and peed.”

By Robin Brennen

June is national adopt a shelter cat month, so this month, my focus is on the feline.

A recent report was published called the Bayer Veterinary Care Usage study, which highlighted what most practicing veterinarians are experiencing—pet owners are making fewer trips to the vet, a trending decline for the past 10 years. The report cites six major factors:

*The economic impact of the recession

*Cost of care

*Consumers substituting Internet research for office visits

Pet owners are making fewer trips to the vet with their cats.

*Perception among pet owners that regular check-ups are unnecessary

*Fragmentation of veterinary services (going to a pet store for vaccinations and an emergency clinic when the pet gets sick)

*Feline resistance

Among the most surprising findings was that one-third of cats owned by study respondents have not seen a veterinarian in the last year. This in part is attributed to “feline resistance,” a catch-all term defining the hiding, aggression, vocalization and stressed/fearful behavior cats exhibit when crated and transported to unfamiliar surroundings. Unwilling to do battle with their pets, cat owners become more comfortable with a longer time between exams. Combined with the elevated cost of care and the economic downturn, decisions are being made to keep Fluffy at home unless she becomes sick. Unfortunately, this behavior could throw away three or four of the nine lives your cat is supposed to have.

Cats are master disguisers, and it is sometimes hard to notice early warning signs or symptoms until a problem becomes an emergency. Routine vet visits are an integral part of your cat’s health, and early detection of any disease offers you more treatment options. Early intervention can also be cheaper.

On average, if your kitty is less than 6 or 7 years old, she/he should visit the vet once a year for a routine examination. This examination should include a full physical, dental evaluation, parasite check and any vaccinations that are due. Most vaccines are on a three-year cycle. Cats over 7 years will benefit from twice-yearly visits. One of these visits should include routine blood work and a urinalysis. If they are over 10 years, I would add a blood pressure evaluation and maybe screening X-rays.

The key here is to detect early disease prior to the onset of symptoms. Cats don’t like to let you know they are sick, plus cats sleep all day, so it is hard to tell lethargy from catnapping. Your veterinarian can utilize diagnostic testing and his or her powers of observation to identify subtle changes that are clues to an underlying disease.

Cats are specifically prone to certain diseases as they age. Kidney failure and hyperthyroidism are quite common and, if left undetected, can have a negative impact on other organ systems.

Both cause high blood pressure, which can lead to retinal detachment and blindness. Early detection easily mitigates this side effect. In both diseases, even an astute owner may miss subtle changes in the cat’s appetite and water consumption. Heart disease and cancer also plague our kitties. Dental and periodontal disease is another common occurrence at any age. Again, your veterinarian is a trained observer and is your cat’s best chance at getting the most out of his/her nine lives.

Big red flags should go off if you notice a change in appetite or water consumption, changes in habit, behavior or disposition, excessive vocalization, weight fluctuations, urination frequency, breathing patterns or excessive vomiting or diarrhea.

Most of us don’t go four years without a routine physical exam, so when you look at it from this viewpoint, yearly visits should make “purrfect” sense!

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Robin Brennen is chief of veterinary services at Bideawee.

By Marley Gibbons

Most Manhattan dogs spend the majority of their time cooped up in apartments, often bored and alone. They frequently rely on the kindness of neighbors or professional dog walkers for their daytime outings. But walking slowly on a leash only goes so far toward keeping them fit and happy: To maintain their physical and psychological wellbeing, they rely heavily on the dog runs that dot the city’s parks.

Gary Rosenberger, a financial journalist who is a long-time owner of rescue dogs and a strong canine advocate, believes running is essential for city pooches.

“Dogs need exercise to stay sane,” Rosenberger said. “When it’s time to leave the dog run, the owner has to chase the dog around with the leash… the dog doesn’t want to leave.”

The dog run at 72nd Street and Riverside Drive. Photo by Andrew Schwartz.

Uptown Manhattan has plenty of places for dogs to run and play. (For a list of dog runs throughout NYC, visit nycgovparks.org/facilities/dogruns.) But dogs and their caretakers have many well-founded opinions about which is the best. An informal survey revealed several of the area’s most popular runs.

For Christina Vernado and her peppy Bichon Frise, it’s all about attitude. Vernado prefers the dog run in Riverside Park at West 105th Street because people are not as protective of their dogs.

“This is where they learn how to be around other dogs,” she said.

At the 105th Street run, the energy is high and the views are great: Dogs of all sizes chase each other in circles and owners play along or sit at sunny picnic tables, with the Hudson River as a backdrop.

Robert Druck is the owner and founder of Dog Run Fun, a canine “play group” and walking business. He said Upper West Side dog runs—and particularly 105th Street, which is the biggest in the area—are the best because people are less “uppity” about the rules.

According to Druck, a three-dog-per-person rule is enforced in some runs because owners complain, concerned that large groups with walkers can quickly turn into unsafe packs, potentially starting fights and preying on other lone runners. But holding dogs outside to wait their turn doesn’t exactly inspire calm, says Druck. Other owners wait until they know a large group will be there so their dogs can be more social. Luckily, most dog runs have an enclosed area for smaller.

The dog run in Morningside Park is “a bit of a secret,” according to dog walker Marina Gorey. The shady, wood-chipped spot is a short walk down the stairs and the path from the 114th Street entrance to Morningside Park. Finding it the first time is a bit tricky, but the hilly trek is perfect for energetic dogs and walkers.

Further downtown, the Riverside Park dog run at West 87th Street has a much calmer vibe. In addition to the dog bowls, water access and plastic bags offered at most dog runs, West 87th has a tub for cold hose-water baths on hot summer days.

Owners can also use the raking tools provided there to clean up dog waste, a refreshing alternative to the hand-in-grocery-bag technique. Dog walker Max Boingeanu prefers the 87th Street one for its tranquility. Near the 72nd Street spot is the dog-friendly Boat Basin Café, where dogs and their humans can enjoy the sunset and a cool beverage together.

For East Side residents, the Carl Schurz Park on East End Avenue at 86th Street is a favorite. Dog lovers will enjoy this park’s annual “Halloween Howl” dog costume competition.

Owners should be familiar with dog run rules and etiquette before venturing into any dog run. A list of rules can be found centralparknyc.org/visit/general-info/dogs-in-the-park/. Vernado also suggested that owners “understand that this is a place for dogs to be dogs.” She discourages bringing expensive toys, as they can easily be taken or ruined by other dogs. It appears to be a dog-eat-toy world out there.

By Alan Krawitz

For years now, city dog owners have used their pooches to help sniff out potential dates and even mates. Must Love Dogs, a 2005 movie starring John Cusack, even centered on two people who borrowed dogs just so they could meet in a dog park.

But a new social network for pet lovers has turned this concept on its head by enabling pet owners to find suitable dates and playmates—not for themselves, but for their pets.

“We’re not a dating site to help pet owners find dates,” said Robert Feynblut, who launched Petsdating.com in November of last year. Feynblut said that while the free social network helps to connect pets and pet owners in different neighborhoods, the focus is really on finding pets suitable playmates. The site can also be used to find adoptable pets as well as help locate missing and lost pets by neighborhood and region.

Feynblut says he got the idea for the social network after doing extensive research on the pet industry.

In fact, Feynblut, 34, a dog lover who cares for his Bichon Frise, is so passionate about pets socializing that he is hosting an upcoming “Doggie Date Night” event in NYC for pets and their owners (but mainly pets) to “mix, mutt and mingle,” according to press materials for the event.

“The event is really so pets can find other pets in their neighborhood, connect and possibly even arrange for some future pet ‘dates’ of their own,” Feynblut said. However, he added that pet owners have also been known to make some connections at these events. “The owners can connect too,” he said, “as long as it’s OK with the pet.”

Stephanie Matteras, spokesperson for the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, a coalition of more than 150 animal rescue groups and shelters seeking to make the city a no-kill community by 2015, said that promoting responsible pet ownership doesn’t mean you can’t have fun.

“Doggie Date Night is an opportunity for guests to learn more about the Alliance, help us raise funds, and a chance for animal loving New Yorkers to share the love,” she said.

Roberto Negrin, 23, of Riverdale and the proud owner of four rescue dogs, has been sharing his love of animals for the past three years by designing all types of custom-made costumes and outfits for pets through his online store at Hec-lin.com.

Negrin, who has designed pet clothing used at the Westminster Dog Show, said of the dating event: “It’s all about having fun with your pet and giving love and care to our babies.”

Grace Forster of Gramercy Park stars, along with her two Yorkies Portia and Rosie, on the reality TV show Doggie Moms on NYC Life Television. The show centers on NYC women whose lives revolve—almost entirely—around their dogs, says Forster.

As no stranger to dog-related social events, Forster is also looking forward to the Doggie Date event. “It sounds like it will be a great, fun event where people can post their pet’s profiles to the Petsdating site, grab a drink and meet some local pets for play dates,” she said.

Petsdating.com’s Doggie Date Night Event will be held Friday, May 20, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, 107 Suffolk St. For more information, call 212-260-4080 or visit petsdating.com.

By Patrick Wall

On a recent Friday, Mitch Marrow walked into the Canine Club, a dog daycare on Columbus Avenue at 82nd Street, and showed off his swollen lip. Reggie, Marrow’s 220-pound Saint Bernard, had head-butted him the night before.

“I’ve taken my share of hits,” said Marrow, a 6-foot-5-inch former NFL recruit, “but this one had me seeing stars.”

After a brief stint in the NFL, Marrow spent the last decade helping manage multi-billion-dollar hedge funds. Earlier this year he made an unusual investment of his own: He purchased the Canine Club, a dog grooming and daycare business with locations on West 72nd and West 82nd streets.

Mitch Marrow, owner of Canine Club, with Hank.

“I felt like it had real, real potential,” said Marrow, 35, “even in a scary economy.” The stores, which Marrow says he’s spent several hundred thousand dollars renovating, will celebrate their grand re-openings April 29 and 30.

Marrow played baseball and football at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1997. That year the Carolina Panthers drafted him in the third round as a defensive end. Marrow was the first Ivy League NFL recruit in years; he was also the only Jew on his team. At a rookie training camp, Marrow broke a record when he bench-pressed 585 pounds for two repetitions.

At a later training camp, Marrow suffered a back injury, which required spinal surgery. Marrow and his coaches agreed that he couldn’t risk another injury. So, after a matter of months, Marrow’s professional sports career ended before it began.

After his injury, Marrow looked for a job on Wall Street, where he interned during college. He soon found work at a hedge fund. After several years in the business, Marrow became head of global trading at Brahman Capital, a $3.5 billion hedge fund.

Last year Marrow’s parents, who recently sold the family’s dairy distribution company, asked him to find another business they could invest in. After some research, Marrow decided on the pet industry, which had grown even during the recession. In 2010, Americans spent $3.51 billion on pet grooming and boarding alone—a number that has doubled over the last decade, according to the American Pet Products Association.

Marrow looked at dog grooming and boarding centers on the Upper West Side, which he found had an incredible number of dog owners, but relatively few dog daycares. The owner of one dog daycare, the Canine Country Club, was looking for a buyer. Marrow was so impressed that he bought the business this January. After renaming it Canine Club, he now runs the company with help from his parents.

Marrow uses two words to explain what sets his places apart from other dog daycares: Brewster Smith.

Smith, a former East Village bartender with seven tattoos, is the head dog handler at Canine Club, where customers and coworkers alike refer to him as a “dog whisperer.” During his 13 years working with dogs—seven of those years at Canine Club—Smith developed a theory that helps him manage dozens of dogs each day.

Smith believes that dogs look for a leader—an “alpha dog”—to take control. Humans can fill that role, Smith says, allowing the dogs to relax and let down their guard. In a crowded environment like a dog daycare, if no human takes charge, the animals will fight for authority.

“If you’re not the alpha in the room,” said Smith, 42, “you might as well throw a steak in the middle of the room and see what happens.”

Smith institutes a strict no barking policy, which he’s taught the other dog handlers to enforce as well.

In the daycare and boarding center, dogs roam cage-free in size-segregated rooms: one for heavy hounds and one for petite pooches. Trained handlers monitor each room, and walk and feed every dog separately. One employee spends the night at the store, so that the canines are always supervised.

While Smith manages the dog daycare, Marrow has focused on updating the rest of the business. He redecorated both locations, overhauled the computer system and bought two delivery vans to transport pets and products directly to customers—a service Marrow named the “Canine Concierge.”

Marrow’s most remarkable addition to the stores may be the cameras he had installed in each dog room. Now customers can check in on their pets anytime they want from their computers or mobile phones.

One happy customer is Carla Curtsinger, who’s trusted Canine Club to groom her 12-year-old Cockapoo, Rory, since she moved to the city five years ago.

Curtsinger, a marketing consultant who works from home, lives around the corner from the Columbus Avenue Canine Club. She stops in the store to chat as she walks Rory around the block.

“Old men have a barbershop where they can sit and gossip,” says Curtsinger. “Canine Club is where I go.”