Pupper West Side: Gizmo & Mom — A Love Story

By A. Campbell

Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m Gizmo, a two-and-a-half-year-old miniature pinscher mix and rescue. As it happens, the organization that rescued me is called Love of All Dogs. Pretty fitting for today, isn’t it? Very sadly, my mother, littermates, and I were discovered having been discarded in a bag on the side of the road in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Luckily, we were found by Good Samaritans and sent to the Northeast to be adopted by loving families.

The day I met my Mom, I was just a five-pound, little puppy. As soon as I tiptoed into her apartment, I could sense what a warm and comforting home this would be. I promptly tested out each piece of furniture by hopping up onto it before settling in next to Mom and nuzzling my snout against her neck. And at that moment, it was game over. We fell for each other lock, stock, and barrel.

A lot can change in two years. These days, I’m a well-dressed Manhattanite living a luxurious life. Each morning around 6:30am or 7am, I’ll gently but persistently paw at Mom’s shoulder to let her know it’s time to get out of bed. We’ll head outside for some fresh air in Central Park and then return home for breakfast.

Mom works on a hybrid schedule, so when she’s heading to the office, I’ll spend the afternoon with my babysitter, Rob. Rob takes care of a few pups and I happen to have several paramours at daycare. In fact, I’m stuck in the midst of a love triangle, but I won’t get into the messy details. I’m a gentleman after all and I wouldn’t dream of kissing and telling.

If Mom needs to keep me occupied while she works from home, she’ll turn on my favorite show – Paw Patrol. I’m obsessed! A group of rescue dogs undertake heroic adventures together, always protecting their community and each other. What a great concept. My favorite character is Chase. In fact, he’s so beloved, he’s even been honored with a ballon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!

In recognition of Valentine’s Day, I’ll take a moment to list just a few of the many things I LOVE about living on the Upper West Side:

1. Central Park.
2. Chewing on sticks in Central Park.
3. Cheese (Have you stopped into the cheese shop, 67 Gourmet, on Columbus between 68th and 69th? Absolute fromage heaven!)
4. Seeing Chase from Paw Patrol floating down Central Park West in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
5. Meeting friendly neighbors and being part of such a lovely community.

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.