By A. Campbell

Name: Bean

Age: 5 years old.

Breed: Shitzu and Poodle mix.

Profile/History: Mom found me when she was going through a hard time and getting out of a long-term relationship. She says I was exactly what she needed – an incredibly affectionate, cuddly pup. “A little mush that was ready to be hugged into oblivion,” as she puts it. Sometimes other pups mistake me for a stuffed animal. Once, Mom and I were walking along West Broadway and suddenly this ENORMOUS dog just picked me up in his mouth. Scooped me up just like that! Like I was a toy! He didn’t hurt me, but I had to explain to him that I am, in fact, not a toy, and requested that he kindly put. me. down. Thankyouverymuch.

Daily routine: Each morning we go for a walk in Teddy Roosevelt Park next to the American Museum of Natural History. My parents joke that West 79th Street is like my own personal Facebook feed – I sniff everything down the street in order to catch up on all the local news. At the park I’ll have some time to run around off-leash. I love to chew on sticks even though they tend to make me quite ill. I just can’t help myself! Dad works from home, so we’ll take another walk in the afternoons, followed by a family evening walk. I absolutely love Central Park, but I’m not a fan of Amsterdam Avenue. Something about it is overwhelming to me and too loud. Also, it’s in the opposite direction of Central Park and I never understand why anyone would want to walk away from the park.

Loves: WOMEN! Love ladies. On the flip side, I’m not crazy about men. Especially tall men. Gah! I think I spent so much time around women during the first few years of my life, that I now just gravitate toward them. My dream would be to live on Themyscira, that island of women from “Wonder Woman”. Just me and all the gorgeous Amazons being fabulous! I also love fruit. Mom calls me her little fruit bat because my favorites are blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and clementines.

Does not love: Plastic bags. They’re terrible for the environment and terrible for me. Errm, I should also note that I greatly dislike wearing doggy clothes. So, FYI – this sweater and kerchief that I’m wearing right now? Yeah, I’m wearing them under protest….Harrumph.

Favorite store/business on the UWS: I like visiting a lot of retail stores because the ladies working there are always so kind. I also love Book Culture on Columbus Avenue because it’s just a lovely store with lots of interesting things where pups can go to pick up gifts and chat literature.

Favorite treat: Fruit!

Favorite park spot: Teddy Roosevelt Park.

How is the construction of Teddy Roosevelt Park affecting you? Well, sadly I think it’s an eyesore right now. My usual play spot – and that of other pups – has been completely cut off. New York construction projects have such a tendency to make things worse before they get better. I’m sure the new building will be lovely, but in the meantime, it’s been making West 79th street and surrounding streets quite crowded and less pretty due to all the scaffolding. It’s so important for both dogs and humans to have access to nice, quiet green spaces around the city. I think New Yorkers take great pride in the parks system, and of course, Upper West Siders are lucky to have two major, beautiful parks available to us. I’m just looking forward to the day when I can – hopefully – get back to my dog run!

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.