Pupper West Side: Winnie Volunteers with NY Therapy Animals, Dishes on Dessert

 

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Name: Winnie

Age: 2.5 years old

Breed: Half Havanese, half Shitsu

Profile/history: My mom is a teacher and she got me as a puppy when I was 10 weeks old. She says my enormous dark eyes gazed directly into her soul and she immediately knew that we were both lovestruck.

Daily routine: Each morning Mom and I will take a short walk around the neighborhood and then we dig in to some breakfast and get to work. Later on we might go exploring around Columbia University. On the weekends, we’ll stop by the farmer’s market at West 110th Street. Lately I’ve been finding some delicious root vegetables for roasting and incorporating into comforting, cold-weather dishes. If I’m lucky, I may even get a complimentary morsel from the DiPaola Turkey Farms stand. Yum! I also work as a volunteer for New York Therapy Animals. The organization brings together animal resources and human needs in order to serve community members of all ages and abilities. I’ll come dressed in one of my many stylish outfits, ready to put on a show for patients by doing tricks – jumping through hoops and giving high-fives – or letting them pet me. I find meaning and fulfillment in helping others and I’ve had incredible opportunities to volunteer at places like Ronald McDonald House and Mount Sinai. Petting and talking to animals has been proven to help relieve stress, so it’s an honor to volunteer with the doctors, nurses, and patients at local hospitals to help comfort them during such a difficult time.

Loves: The Pupper Cup! Have you heard of it? It’s delicious dog-friendly ice cream. It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, and no added sugars, so I don’t need to feel guilty. The worst part about it is trying to choose just one flavor. It’s impossible!! The pumpkin flavor is scrumptious, the blueberry is refreshing, and the peanut butter is addictive. I often need to sample all of them before I can make a final choice.

Does not love: Those remote control cars can really give me a fright!

Favorite store/business on the UWS: I like to stop by PetCo when I can, since I completed my canine good citizenship training there and I know lots of the lovely staff members.

Favorite treat: Freeze-dried chicken chips! *Croooonch! Cronch! Cronch!*

Favorite park spot: Anywhere in Central Park or around Columbia University where I can romp around in the fall leaves and then take a seat on a bench and observe people.

You seem like a dessert aficionado. What’s your vote for best dessert on the UWS? First of all, thank you for recognizing and accepting me as my truest self – a dessert devotee. Oh gosh, how do I choose just one?! As previously mentioned, I’m very loyal to the Pupper Cup, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate delicious baked goods as well. In fact, my Mom went in to the new Krispy Kreme at W. 96th and Broadway when it opened recently, and we won a free box of a dozen donuts every month for a year. Great news for my tastebuds, bad news for my body-hugging outfits!

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.