Name: Laina

Age: 5 years old

Breed: Rat terrier, Jack Russell Terrier, Chihuahua mix.

Profile/history: My parents moved here from Chicago and were excited to finally be living in an apartment that allowed for dogs. Dad found me on Petfinder through Bideawee. Bideawee had helped rescue me from Puerto Rico and took very good care of me while I was waiting for my forever home. One of my legs had been broken before my rescue and it never fully healed. The vet at Bideawee consulted with my parents and they agreed it would be best to amputate the leg, which the very kind staff at Bideawee offered to do. Nowadays, I’m a three legged pupper, but I can run and jump and play with other dogs as well as any quadruped!

Daily routine: Dad is an early bird and I usually get up with him around 6 or 6:30am. We’ll take a 30-minute walk in the morning, entering Central Park at W. 85th Street and then walking to a wooded area in the park, and then looping around to exit at W. 81st Street. After my morning exercise, I’ll jump back into bed and cuddle with Mom for a couple of hours as Dad heads to work. You’d never guess, based on my sweet face, but I’m a big fan of horror movies. Dad and I love to pop popcorn, grab some Milk Duds and Twizzlers, and settle in for a scare. Occasionally Dad might yelp, but I never make a sound. In fact, I’ve never barked at all! I’m more of the strong, silent type.

Loves: Plain boiled chicken. It’s healthy and delicious. I also love receiving my monthly BarkBox. Each one comes with new toys and treats. Some of my personal favorites are a stuffed frying pan, a stuffed mosquito, and an ice cream cone. In the spirit of always thinking of pups who are less fortunate, I have gathered a bag of some gently-used BarkBox toys to donate back to Bideawee.

Does not love: Hardwood floors are lava. Shan’t walk them! My parents were compelled to put down rugs all over the apartment so that I could walk around. (Pssst! Don’t let my parents know, but actually, when they leave the house, I’m fine walking on the hardwood and tile floors. It’s sort of just an eccentricity that I cultivated to have…you know…mystique.)

Favorite store/business on the UWS: I like accompanying my parents to the gyro cart on W. 86th and Broadway as well as the fruit stand nearby.

Favorite treat: Fresh chicken and Trader Joe’s chicken breast wrap sticks.

Favorite park spot: The wooded areas in Central Park and the dog run in Riverside Park.

Do you have any big Halloween plans? I’m waiting to see what neighborhood groups decide for this Halloween regarding how to celebrate but still maintain social distancing. That said, I absolutely love Halloween on the Upper West Side. Last year, we had lots of fun at the Howl-O-Ween costume party hosted by the Riverside Park Dog Run. I hope they can hold it again! In recent years, one of my favorite blocks to walk down on Halloween night was W. 69th Street, all the way between Broadway and Central Park West. There is one family who live in a brownstone on the north side of the street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West and they go all out with decorations.

Read all our Pupper West Side interviews here!

If West Side Rag readers are interested in becoming pet owners, we encourage you to consider adopting or volunteering to be a foster parent with one of the many shelters and nonprofits based in and around New York City. These include but aren’t limited to: Muddy Paws Rescue; Animal Lighthouse Rescue; Animal Care Centers of NYC; NYC ASPCA; Humane Society of New York; Bideawee; Social Tees; Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue and Animal Haven.