Dogs of New York
Giving a voice to some of the best New Yorkers.
Written by: Bredeé Holden
Photography: Jocelyn Bly
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"I'm trying hard to smile more. My owner has been a little down lately cause his girlfriend broke up with him. So I've been trying to do the same things she did, sit on his lap when company is over to really claim my territory, don't let him have the remote, and sometimes if he's lucky I'll lick his face...I guess it's the little things."
–Charles
"I came to New York with one ultimate goal in mind: to be on Broadway. There are people that make it so why not me? I said to myself, You have $150 in your pocket and a world of talent so why not go right now? So I walked out the doggie door and never looked back."
"Have you been able to find work?"
"Yeah, right away! After about a year I started performing at children's birthday parties and I've built quite a fan base."
–Xander
"I'm a basketball man myself. Tennis balls ain't really my thing. Tennis balls are her go to because they're light, easy to carry, see? They bounce real high, too, see? But man I go running after 'em and sometimes I think I'll never get there. Legs like mine only get you so far against a ball like this. My legs just get shorta and shorta and sometimes I think my stomach is gonna scrape on the ground. She's still into me after all this time, though, and if she likes the tennis ball then whatevuh, I like the tennis ball."
–Duke
“Sometimes, it’s really hard for me to see what’s right in front of me.”
“Would you say you’ve been self reflective lately?”
“No, actually I’ve just been running into a lot of poles lately. But I don’t let that stop me from becoming the best dog I can be.”
-Hugo
"[My mom] has been needing lots of snuggles lately. She's been pretty pitiful. Yesterday I pushed her computer off her lap and when she started to protest I licked inside her mouth. I've been doing all kinds of nice things to cheer her up."
–Jennifer
"You know, this is a good one. I like this. You've really captured a side of me many people don't get to see. I've got a pal, Ferdie, in midtown that's got a side photography business (thinks he's a real natgeo contributah) and he never can get my headshots just right. Has trouble with all the dials and such. Paws, y'know. Ask [my owner] for her email so you can send these on to us and she can put them up next to my other ones on the wall. Much obliged, I'm very optimistic about all of these looking good. Did you get my right side? Okay, great, great."
-Bruce
"Scram, we're busy!"
"Well I was hoping--"
"I said get outta heya!"
–unknown
"What's the best advice you can think to give?"
"Um. Well life isn't a cakewalk. For anyone. Although I have been to one.That day, life was a cakewalk. [My owner] gave me a vanilla cupcake and there was so much frosting, I got it--okay okay my advice is to relish every day. Just be grateful that you have it."
–Louie
"I said to myself, 'Mendelssohn, you're a little stressed, pretty intimidated. This is something that will require a lot of effort and time and sometimes you'll think you can do it and sometimes you're gonna think you'll fail. All you can do is hope that you'll have strength when it counts and I think you do,' just to give myself a little pep talk because these bones don't chew themselves down to nothing and this one was yuuugge."
–Mendelssohn
NYC Annual Halloween Parade
