By A. Campbell

Name: Harley

Age: 4 years old

Breed: A mixture of Border Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier, and Beagle

Profile/history: Mom saw my photo while scrolling through Instagram and she fell in love. Paws up for the Instagram dog-rescue community! By the time she found me, I’d been housed in a few different places and had been through a harrowing journey. Originally, I was rescued as a pregnant stray in West Virginia. I’d been picked up there by animal control and taken to a kill shelter. I was very close to being euthanized when a foster group pulled me out of there and bought me a one-way ticket to the great state of New Jersey where I ended up at See Spot Rescued. See Spot Rescued posted my photo on their Instagram page and gave me a celebrity name – Christine Baranski. Don’t you just love her in “The Bird Cage”? The name makes sense too, seeing as Christine and I are both vivacious blondes. That said, when Mom picked me up in Jersey City, I did not look like the coifed pup you see today. My hair hadn’t been done in months! I don’t wake up like this, you see, it takes some regular grooming and self care. But Mom tells me I’m the greatest dog she’s ever had, far and away.

Daily routine: I love my life on the Upper West Side. Mom and I head to Central Park for off-leash hours every morning. I enjoy meeting other pups and roaming freely. I am a very healthy eater – lots of dehydrated chicken and sweet potatoes – thanks to meals from Honest Kitchen. I will go see my friends at Camp Canine most days and I’ll take a couple of more long walks through the park and the neighborhood. I’m very curious, so you might see me around standing up on my hind legs and sniffing an interesting smell at local food trucks or pet stores. Mom says I look like a meerkat when I do that.

Loves: Well, I’m a huge ball player. Love fetching! Sometimes, I’ll even bring a ball into bed so that when Mom rolls over, she discovers a surprise tennis ball under her pillow. I also enjoy lovingly ripping apart my stuffed animals and pulling out their stuffing and squeakers. I honor my toys by destroying them. And I have to say that I love kids too.

Does not love: The car. Ughhhhh. I know lots of pups enjoy car rides, but I just can’t see the appeal. The stop-and-go traffic gets my stomach churning. The aggression from other New York City drivers – it’s unbelievable. Those painted lines on the street are there for a reason, people. I also dislike sidewalk grates – they hurt my paws. Ouch! Well-dressed ladies like Christine don’t like them either, you know. They’re a hazard to fierce high-heel-wearing women everywhere.

Favorite store/business on UWS: I couldn’t say I have a favorite store, but I enjoy perusing the pet products at the Roaming Acres stand in the 79th Street Greenmarket which sets up alongside the American Museum of Natural History. Roaming Acres sells bison and ostrich bones which Mom buys for me as a special treat.

Favorite park spot: The grassy area near Le Pain Quotidien. The kind folks there give out delicious little biscuits for pups.

Favorite treat: Mom’s home cooking! A couple of times a week she cooks me organic chicken breasts. Nom, nom, nom!

Based on your experiences, what would you like other people to know about adopting a dog? First of all, I think it’s one of the most meaningful and beneficial things you can do for a needy pup. There was a time where I used to feel like my pure-bred peers were “a cut above.” And I want to clarify that all pups are special regardless of whether they’ve been brought home from a shelter or a breeder. As our Upper West Side patron saint, Jerry Seinfeld, says, “not that there’s anything wrong with that!” But I suppose I would also say that it’s very important for dog-lovers of all stripes to donate their time, money, and energies toward supporting rescue organizations who are doing good work. An insignificant amount of money to you – say $50 – can go a long way at a rescue organization paying for a vet visit, bags of food, or a winter coat for a pup like me. On behalf of all my rescue pup peers, I just want everyone to know how grateful we are.

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; NYC ASPCA; Humane Society of New York; Bideawee; Social Tees; and Animal Haven.