Name: Hobie

Age: 3 years old

Breed: Well, I took one of those doggy DNA tests and it said I am 50% Chihuahua, 20% Australian Cattle Dog, and the rest is a mix of small dog genes.

Profile/history: My dads agreed that they both wanted a dog. They took a very responsible approach to dog ownership – saving up and finding a nice home. Once they were in a good place, they worked with Waggytail Rescue. I used to live in Houston, but then Hurricane Harvey came through two years ago and I was rescued and evacuated with other pups. Waggytail Rescue adopted me into their program and they held an adoption event at Madison Square Garden which is where I finally found my dads! What a Dickensian story, right? Rags to riches. Going on a long journey to escape a hard life and finding a new start elsewhere. It’s positively Victorian!

Daily routine: I’m up at 7 a.m. for my morning walk around Central Park. I like to start the day with some reflective “me” time. Afterward it’s a hearty breakfast which provides the fuel I need for an afternoon of lounging, playing with toys, and putting pen to paper for my memoir. My working title is “Hobie: A Life”. I work hard writing and rewriting all week and then, when the weekend arrives, I take literary inspiration from nature. My Dads and I spend lots of time hiking in Westchester and Maine. My favorite hiking spot is Mount Megunticook in Maine. This summer I had the chance to do some scrambling there and to sit in a waterfall, which was lovely.

Loves: Hiking, ice cubes, broccoli and carrots, and attention from strangers. Like most great literary minds – I have a love-hate relationship with my writing.

Does not love: Getting my nails trimmed – arrrggghhh! Also cats with their mercurial dispositions and their tendency to take a swipe at my nose.

Favorite store/business on the UWS: Little Creatures on Columbus and W 88th and Book Culture on Columbus. I like perusing the classics at the bookstore and occasionally picking up new read like “Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee or “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri.

Favorite treat: I’m always asking “please Dad, can I have some more” ice cubes, that is. Love ’em. Cronch, cronch, CRONCH!

Favorite park spot: I enjoy spending time on the grassy knoll near Gothic Bridge in Central Park, watching pigeons and squirrels.

Tell us about some of your favorite authors and books: I would definitely recommend Virginia Woolf’s book “Flush” because it’s very dog-centric. The story is an imaginative biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s cocker spaniel and it’s often considered a modernist take on city life as witnessed through the eyes of a dog. Of course, I’m also a Dickens devotee because I like characters with big personalities and I feel I can relate to those who come from humble origins and arrive to start a new life in the big city. For me, the perfect evening finds me tucked into bed with a good book, lots of soft blankets, a cup of tea and a biscuit.

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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 sheltersand 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; and Animal Haven.