Pupper West Side: Penny Is An Entrepreneur Who Loves Listening to NPR

Name: Penny

Age: Almost 3 years old

Breed: Havanese

Profile/history: My parents found me in Northern Virginia while they were living in Washington, DC. We recently relocated to New York now that Dad is studying at NYU Law School.

Daily routine: Each morning I get up early and say hello to the doormen on our block. In the afternoons my friend Marilyn comes by to take me for a longer walk in Central Park or Riverside Park. Usually I’ll spend my downtime at home listening to National Public Radio. I just love NPR! For a while I was listening to French poetry while my parents were away, but now it’s nothing but NPR. Of course, I’ll get my daily news updates with Morning Edition and All Things Considered, but I also  enjoy listening to Terry Gross interview actors, authors, writers, and politicians on Fresh Air. She recently had a fascinating conversation with James Jacoby, the director and correspondent for PBS’s new “Frontline” documentary, “Amazon Empire” about the rise of Jeff Bezos and the company’s business transformation over the years. Great listening!

Loves: Snacks, meeting people, and dancing.

Does not love: Balloons. Their movements are quite sinister and unsettling. Also, they’re atrocious for the environment. No more single-use plastics!

Favorite store/business on the UWS: Seeing as my mom and I are entrepreneurs and Upper West Siders, I will have to cast my vote for Buena Vida Pet Supply. I keep the trains running on time in my role as Chief Executive Pupper. We work with artisans in Peru who create eco-friendly dog leashes and collars from beautiful, vivid recycled textiles. The leash I’m using today is one of our pieces. My responsibilities include serving as brand ambassador, muse, creative director – I wear a lot of hats. Those looking for a nice gift for their pup can find us at the Grand Bazaar on the weekends.

Favorite treat: Brioche from Recolte Bakery on the corner of W. 74th and Amsterdam.

Favorite park spot: The large hill near Le Pain Quotidien in Central Park where all the other pups gather on the weekends.

Tell us about what inspired you to create Buena Vida Pet Supply: My mom’s side of the family is Peruvian and during a recent visit to Peru for a wedding, she was inspired by all of the gorgeous traditional textile fabrics that she saw. She brought home some pieces and began experimenting with ideas, eventually marrying her love of pups and design to establish a company that supports Peruvian artisans and promotes fair trade. Our work has allowed me to connect to my Peruvian family heritage and I even came up with the idea for a llama dog toy!

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.