By Audrey Campbell
Hiya, Puppers! You may not recognize me at first, but I know many of you. And why is that, might you ask? It’s because each day, you can find me hard at work in my official capacity as the creative and editorial director behind Pupper West Side. Friends and neighbors know me as Mr. PWS.
I love cultivating and celebrating this diverse community of canines. Whether I’m interviewing local pups; paying homage to our loving parents; or chronicling local pups’ explorations across the park into the wild unknown of the Upper East Side; I always take my responsibilities as resident Pupper-In-Chief very seriously. However, my typing skills are admittedly subpar so I enlist Mom’s help with drafting and writing the West Side Rag profiles and quippy captions.
And for the purposes of this feature, I would be happy to provide an inside view of my busy days. Each morning kicks off with cappuccino for Mom and a hearty breakfast of Just Food For Dogs’ fish and sweet potato for me. As I’ve gotten older and developed a sensitive stomach, I’ve found that the Omega-3’s support my aging joints and coat, while the healthy ingredients are good for my digestion.
That said, like any good New York City dog, I still like to snarf around for street treasures. Mom always acts like such a killjoy any time I find a piece of bagel or pizza crust or God-only-knows-what. The two of us inevitably wind up making a public spectacle as I gobble down the unidentifiable thing and she exclaims, “Wait!! What was that? NOOOOoooooooOOO!” while attempting to pry open my jaws of steel. It should be noted that she is rarely, if ever, successful. *Smacks lips.* Honestly, I don’t know why she always has to be so dramatic.
But, I digress. Once I’m all perked up from a healthy breakfast, I turn my attention to editorial calendars, answering emails, and reviewing applications for Pupper West Side profiles. After a few hours, Mom and I take our mid-morning walk in Riverside Park. Now that I’m pushing 15 years old (my birthday’s coming up on October 1st – hooray!), I’m pretty ginger and my joints get stiff, so I can’t walk as far as I once did. Mom thoughtfully purchased me one of those doggy strollers and it’s been a life-changer. I love to glide along in the park resting my chin on the side of the stroller and gazing at the flowers, leaves, people, and dogs passing by. When I’m ready to stretch my legs, I’ll stand up and Mom knows that means it’s time to put me on the grass and let me putter around for a while.
Lately, my favorite activity has been wandering alongside the 91st Street Garden and admiring the blooms. The garden is really a testament to the incredible efforts of the local volunteers who tend to it. Personally, I think they should extend those gated gardens all the way down the Riverside Park median. Wouldn’t that be breathtaking?
After our walk, Mom goes back to work while I have a snooze. Eventually I’ll wake up famished and demand an early-bird special around 4:30pm. On the weekends, I’ll roam around the neighborhood in my doggy stroller greeting people and squinting into the sun. We’ll venture down to Epices Bakery to pick up delicious freshly baked treats like ginger bread and key lime tarts. Afterward, we might stop in to The Strand or Shakespeare & Co for some new reading material.
Fall is one of my favorite times of year in the city. The foliage! The crisp night air! I especially love to see locals get in the Halloween spirit in October. I’m so excited to celebrate this year because our block is one of the few that closes off traffic and allows kiddos, pups, and adults to wander around and enjoy trick-or-treating. Keep an eye out for me and Mom during the festivities and be sure to say hello!
Read all of our Pupper West Side interviews here!
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
Truly the life of Riley for Mr. PWS! Long may you putter about.
We must exchange snarfing spot notes. Great write up Mr PWS, about time the people heard from you!
I agree with Mr. PWS regarding the 91st street gardens. They should be expanded further down Riverside Park. There seems ample demand from neighborhood citizens to work on park beautification!
Love this!!!! Audrey, thanks for all that you do!
Glad to meet you Mr. PWS. You’ve been in the shadows far too long. You’re doing a doggone fabulous job alongside your mom, in providing some levity and cause for smiles amidst a lot of, just bad, news in the city! Thank you!!
What a wonderfully busy doggo you are, Mr. PWS. Great fun to read about your busy life, and love the pics! Can’t wait to hear about your ‘Howl’o’ween’ costume.