Hudson’s River Side Life

I talked and thought about getting a dog for at least five years.  I had done my research, talked to other pet owners, read about dog breeds and their characteristics, and gone to Westminster to meet with breeders.

I started making contacts with shelters and rescue groups because I wanted to give an abandoned dog a new life.  However, I quickly found out that small, under–a–year–old dogs are very popular.  I registered with various shelters and waited six months for a puppy but never even received a call.  So I decided to purchase a puppy.  I found an excellent breeder on Long Island, and on a beautiful spring day four years ago… I met Hudson for the first time.  Hudson was a beautiful, curious Maltese boy puppy who seemed to know he was coming home with me.

As soon as Hudson arrived, he immediately made himself at home and quickly showed his stubborn streak.  The first clue I got that he had a mind of his own was when–no matter how hard I tried–he would not stay in a crate.  I spent two sleepless nights listening to him protest the crate before I gave up and gave him free rein of the house.

Hudson and I start the day with coffee for me and two treats for him.  Then we take our morning walk to the Sirius dog run. This dog run in Battery Park City was dedicated to Sirius, a search and rescue dog at Ground Zero.  One of the best things about having a dog is meeting so many people. Before I had Hudson, I didn’t know many people in Battery Park City. When you have a dog, you immediately have something in common with another dog owner. Going to the dog run every morning and night, you see the same people every day and you start making connections. Over the past four years, I’ve seen romances bloom and wilt, seen single women marry and have babies and shared many of life’s ups and downs with others.

In the summer Hudson enjoys the doggy pool at the run. At Halloween, he patiently wears a costume to take part in the annual Halloween dog parade, which is sponsored in part by Le Pet Spa, and dines at PJ Clarkes or Southwest with the rest of the other dogs and owners on warm summer nights. One of our favorite warm-weather moments is watching the sun set while having a drink on the outdoor terrace of Steamers Landing. And of course, there are so many beautiful places to walk.  You can’t beat strolling along the Hudson River esplanade on a spring morning, and stopping to talk with the other dog owners along the way.

Hudson is definitely a New York pooch: He has his food delivered from Petropolis, has a walk every day with his friends, gets groomed every month, and has a sweater for almost every day of the week.

As they say, life is good as a Downtown dog!