Pupper West Side: Charlie Is Back from the Beach

By Audrey Campbell

Good Tuesday morning, to you! My name’s Charlie and I’m a 12-year-old Goldendoodle and lifetime Pupper West Sider.

Everyone who knows me well knows that I tend to gravitate toward bodies of water. When I’m in the city, that means you can find me basking in the serenity of the Central Park turtle pond alongside Belvedere Castle. (PSA for Pups: Never swim in the Central Park ponds and lakes because the algae is toxic. Just enjoy them from afar.) When I’m away from the neighborhood, I love to spend time on the beach. I guess you could call me a cosmopolitan beach bum.

Perhaps you already guessed that I spend a lot of time in the sun and surf from my hair? These tousled sun-kissed highlights are completely natural – no four-hour hair salon appointments for me, no sir! This blonde mane is the product of long days spent in the sun, either picnicking on the Great Lawn in Central Park or romping around in the surf. This summer, I was lucky to get to spend time sniffing the fresh sea-salt air and taking sunset walks.

Now that I’m back from vacation and school is starting again, I’m enjoying the opportunity to catch up with all of my Upper West Side local friends and hear what they did this summer. On my daily walks, I make a special stop into Alden Cleaners and Little Creatures to say hello and take a look around. I might pick up one of my favorite deep-sea delicacies — the oh-so-crunchy cod skins from Open Farm. They’re a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids which help me maintain joint health as I age.

Fellow Pupper West Siders often notice me carrying my trademark bag on the beach and in the city. It’s not a handbag, per se, it’s more like a coin purse or fanny pack. It holds all my going out essentials – treats, poop bags, etc. – and I like to help Mom out by offering to carry it home every day. People always stop and laugh when they see me high-stepping it down the street with my bag in my mouth.

In fact, I’m looking forward to putting some cash in my bag and trotting over to The Strand Bookstore on Columbus Avenue to pick up some new reading material. This summer I’ve been enjoying some water-centric reads including “The Breath of a Whale” by Leigh Calvez and “How To Read Water” by Tristan Gooley. As we look ahead to the fall, I think I’ll switch gears and pick up a copy of John Banville’s award-winning novel, “The Sea”.

If you happen to see me reading it on a Central Park bench, make sure to stop and say hello!

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 @pupper_west_side_uws