Pupper West Side: Jada Is a Yogi Who Often Gets Mistaken for Fantastic Mr. Fox

By A. Campbell

Hello, I’m Jada! People often mistake me for a city-dwelling fox given my size and orange-y coat, but I’m actually a two-year-old Chihuahua mix rescue from 4 Little Paws Rescue in Connecticut. When my parents relocated from the East Village to the Upper West Side a couple of years ago, their first order of business was to adopt a dog. We love to take long walks together — meeting other dogs and neighbors, exploring Central Park, and snarfing up bits of pizza, bagel, muffin, and croissant from the sidewalk. (That last one is mostly just me.)

People describe me as sweet, calm, and cuddly. I credit my daily yoga practice with helping me maintain balance and serenity in such a bustling big city. One of my favorite poses is bhujangasana or “cobra pose”. When the weather is sunny and warm, I like to take my practice to the park and reconnect with nature.

Each morning we head out to Central Park for exercise and play time with my friends. Both of my parents adhere to a hybrid work schedule, so I’m pleased to always have one of them working from home and keeping me company throughout the day. In the afternoon, I might work on a puzzle for brain stimulation or sniff out hidden treats around the apartment. Or I might pick up my favorite book – “Fantastic Mr. Fox” by Roald Dahl. I think I share an uncanny resemblance to Quentin Blake’s illustrations, don’t you?

January, February, and March are the months where I really lean into my homebody tendencies. Looking outside on a cold, dark, rainy evening, there’s nothing I love more than snuggling up on the couch with my parents for relaxation and a good movie.

On the weekends, I like to grab a bagel at Broad Nosh Bagels on 86th and Broadway. My go-to order is blueberry. Then we’ll head toward the park and pick up a coffee at Joe Coffee on our way. This weekend, I’m excited to celebrate Lunar New Year. It’s the Year of the Rabbit! In addition to heading down to Chinatown to see the parade, enjoy lion dance performances, and taste some delicious food, I’m excited to share that there will be performances taking place in our neck of the woods, too. The Ye Huang Quintet will perform at Dizzy’s Club in Columbus Circle on January 30th and the New York Philharmonic will play at Lincoln Center on January 31st. I hope to see you there!

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 at @pupper_west_side_uws

If 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.