By A. Campbell
Hello! I’m Ollie, a Goldendoodle who will be turning six years old in less than two weeks. As a loyal Philadelphia Eagles fan, I had hoped I’d be ringing in my sixth birthday with a Super Bowl victory, but alas….it was a great game even if my team didn’t win.
After experiencing nothing but heartbreak from the TV, I’ve decided to shift my focus to another passion — reading. My parents are both avid readers and my Mom even has a Ph.D. in English, which I suppose means I should call her Doctor Mom. We love to cuddle up in a chair and read together. Our apartment is chock full of books — biographies, history, poetry and the classics. Depending on my mood, I might pick up “Persuasion” by Jane Austen or dive into “John Adams” by David McCullough.
Most mornings you’ll find Mom and me taking our run through Riverside Park. It’s great exercise for us both and I take my role as coach very seriously. I’ll keep encouraging Mom to go the distance by running alongside her with a big grin on my face. “You can do it!” I would definitely categorize myself as more of a distance runner than a sprinter though. Often in games of fetch, I’ll snatch a couple of frisbees or balls out of the air, and then get tired and sort of just flame out, run halfway toward the ball and decide it’s time to lay down on the grass. Oooffff.
Morning exercise calls for a hearty breakfast and my favorite breakfasts occur on the weekend when the three of us stop by Broadway Bagels. One of my parents will go in to order while I wait patiently outside with the other. My ideal Saturday is a morning run, followed by a mouthwatering order — a bagel bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich (of which I might receive a small bite) — followed by a walk in Central Park, some light reading, and a nap.
In addition to the parks and the mouthwatering selection of bagels on the Upper West Side, one of my favorite things about the neighborhood is how many Golden Retrievers live here. I am absolutely obsessed with them. There’s something so enchanting about their long, silky blonde hair and big smiles. I can never pass up an opportunity for a friendly introduction.
Read all of our Pupper West Side interviews here!
If you think your pup deserves a shot at neighborhood fame, we encourage you to reach out to Audrey at pupperwestsideuws@gmail.com to be considered for a future profile on West Side Rag and follow your fellow Pupper West Sider’s adventures on Instagram at @pupper_west_side_uws
If 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.
“Indulging in a weekend post-run and post-breakfast sandwich snooze.”
I see you have an eye for the true finer things in life, Ollie.
PAWS is another great non-profit serving many homebound and lower mobility New Yorkers who need help to keep their beloved pets with them. Link here: pawsny.org As well as training volunteer walking teams (for dog households) and litter maintenance volunteers (for cat households), PAWS keeps a great list of foster homes where pets can safely stay when owners may need healthcare out of home. Foster homes need not be pet free – many PAWS client animals get along with other pets. Do sign up via the website above if you want to foster – it could be for a night, or a couple of weeks – or it might even lead to adoption. It will help humans through helping animals either way – the mission of PAWS. (The name stands for “Pets Are Wonderful Support” (PAWS) which is corny, but so true. ) Both for pet-deprived volunteers who love their time with dogs and cats, and the clients who so appreciate the help (which can include discounted vet services and pet food deliveries) PAWS brings joy and assistance to many two and four-legged New Yorkers.
What a great story about a great pupper!!!
Ollie, we feel your Eagles pain. See you out there and we’ll commiserate. – Frances, Ridgeback, 4 years old