By Bobby Panza

The Riverside Park Conservancy (RPC) has unleashed its inaugural Riverside Park Dog Calendar of 2024 to bolster support for the park’s upkeep. Over 300 submissions poured in from enthusiastic dog owners across the friendly confines of Riverside Park, Fort Washington Park, Sakura Park, Riverside Park South, and West Harlem Piers Park, with the victors emerging by whisker-thin margins. This paws-itively engaging initiative doesn’t just celebrate the beloved furry companions frequenting the park, but also aims to raise crucial funds for its maintenance and enhancement.

“We’re barking with joy that we get to launch the very first Riverside Park dog calendar,” said Merritt Birnbaum, President & CEO of the Riverside Park Conservancy. “Over 1,200 votes were cast in our final round, and most of our dogs won only by a couple percentage points! If your dog wasn’t chosen, we encourage you to go enjoy the Park and start snapping photos for 2025’s calendar (to be announced next fall). In the meantime, make sure to pre-order your calendar today!”

Here are the winners:

Standing in front of the industrial heritage once well known to these parts, Archie graces the front cover of the Riverside Park calendar for 2024. A stoic pooch if we’ve ever seen one, the cool breeze coming up over his coat is probably still being felt now, marking this historic cover-story victory.

Hooper in the snow showcases January. We’re hoping this older picture is an omen for the winter season ahead, as the snowfall has been sparse on the Upper West Side for the last couple of years.

Rory framed nicely for February in the Riverside Park runway. In March, Little Edie is appropriately holding court with The Little Red Lighthouse in the Fort Washington Park.

Eli’s smiling under a cherry blossom in April as Peanut Butter poses in Zoom during a full bloom in May. Button holds up above a meadow for June before Arnie sets up to celebrate July by the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument on Riverside Drive at West 89th Street.

In August, Schatzi looks sharp on the lower 60s boardwalk, before Gobi welcomes autumn in September in front of the George Washington Bridge, with a look on his face that asks, “When are you going to throw that ball?”

Biggie looks dapper in his skull-and-bones bowtie for October, while Maddie stands on some storied steps in November.

Ringing in the new year will be Roxie through December, as Kuti forces you to play your next move in a game of dog chess on the Conservancy’s sponsorship page.

To accompany this special publication, the Conservancy is launching a brand-new Riverside Park Pup Membership program. When you join as a Pup Member at any level, you’ll not only receive the cutest calendar this side of the Hudson River, but you’ll also be connected to a community of dog lovers parkwide. Support from the Riverside Park Pups membership program will go directly towards funding the maintenance of the Conservancy’s dog runs.

You can pre-order your calendar and become a Riverside Park Pup here.

To ensure you receive your calendar before January 1, the Conservancy recommends pre-ordering by December 10 and selecting the option to pick up your calendar at a convenient location within the park.

Sounds like the paw-fect way to get a head start on taking pictures of your pooch for next year’s calendar competition.

Till then, Bone Voyage.

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