Whether he’s checking out what’s going on at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or just hanging out and people watching, he always get a lot of attention.  It’s not hard to see why, wearing his little hat and striped shirt while relaxing in a doggy-sized BMW is not something one see every day.

“I gave it to him for his fifth birthday,” said Lakhani.  She’s a former teacher, and the author of the novel “Schooled.”  “My little Luigi has always been an Upper East Side high-roller, and nothing could be more fitting for him than a Beemer.”

We agree.  He looks downright adorable, and there’s no doubt about that.  Would you ever buy your dog a BMW?  Or is your pooch more of a Harley Davidson Dog?  Share your dog photos and stories with us on our Facebook page, or in the comment section below!

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With the new rules, restaurant owners will not have to ask someone with their dog for paperwork.  This was a major sticking point that required anyone who does bring a dog with them, must also paperwork on the dog’s health status (updated shots for example) and license status on paper with them.  Now, that’s no longer an issue.

Now, restaurant owners will simply have to post visible signs that inform people wishing to dine with their dogs, that this information is something that they are required to have with them.  However, there won’t be a checkpoint set up to check everyone’s dog out individually.

“I’m so pleased that the city Department of Health threw dog lovers a bone,” said Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan).  She sponsored the law to allow dining with dogs.  “These proposed regulations are common sense measures designed to protect the public health while allowing New Yorkers to dine with their dogs.”

The health department is also satisfied with the new rules as well.  Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said, “[The new rules] ensure that restaurant patrons can bring their dogs to outdoor areas, while also keeping other diners protected.”

The other rules will not be changing.  Dogs are still to be kept in outdoor dining areas, and kept away from people walking by the restaurant with or without other pets, dogs are still not to come into contact with eating or table surface, and dogs still not become an obstruction for people moving in the dining area.  However, there won’t have to be specially build barriers and checkpoints to go from one place to another once inside.

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In New York City, laws were recently passed that allowed people to dine at restaurants in the area with their dogs, as long as they followed a specific set of rules.  Now, supporters of the legislation are accusing local health officials of scrambling to do anything they can to make the practice very difficult.

“Just because the city opposes this law does not mean they are allowed to neuter it through onerous regulation,” said state Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan).  Rosenthal was a big sponsor of the laws before they were signed in.

The local health department seems to be making an attempt at coming up with stiffer and stiffer regulations to deter people bringing their dogs to eat with them.  Almost as if they want to make it so difficult to actually do, that people will simply give up.

The new regulations could see restaurant owners being forced to check for proper licensing of the dog.  If the license can’t be validated, then the dog and their human will be denied service.  There will also be new stipulations stating that new barriers must be built at the restaurant, further confining the dogs to a smaller and smaller space.  The dogs would not be able to touch any of the tables or chairs in any way, and must not be in a required 36-inch buffer zone surrounding the tables.  Finally, there will be new required signage that will need to be posted, advising that dogs are on the property and that they must remain outdoors at all times.

Edita Birnkrant with the Friends of Animals said, “It is killing the spirit of the bill in that it is making it virtually impossible for restaurants to allow people to bring their dogs.”

The Health Department for NYC has issued a statement highlighting the health and safety of both diners and passersby.  The public has a say in whether or not the new regulations will be taking effect.  A hearing is scheduled for January 26^th at the Long Island offices of the Health Department.

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Olaf was surrendered to an NYC shelter just before Christmas, and little Mariah was abandoned in a parking lot.  Both needed emergency treatment, but what they got was so much more!

A venomous snakebite left Olaf’s family unable to care for him, so they sadly had to surrender him to a shelter.  But he needed intensive care, and was sent to Second Chance Rescue.  They brought him to an animal hospital for surgery, and that’s where he met Mariah.

On Christmas Eve, Second Chance found six-week-old Mariah, not even ready to leave her mother, dumped in a parking lot.  She was covered in her own feces and slowly freezing to death.  Even after a couple days in the hospital, her tiny body was struggling to maintain a steady temperature.  It seemed that what she needed even more than medical care was a friend.

Like all Mastiffs, Olaf is a big guy, but he is also just a big baby.  The one-year-old boy was in a scary and unfamiliar place, and needed some TLC.  They are being well taken care of, but even better, they’re taking care of each other.

Hopefully they will soon be healthy enough for adoption – perhaps to a home together!  If you’re interested in either or both, please contact Second Chance Rescue.

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The streets of New York City have a unique cast of recurring characters.

Taxi drivers hollering at one another, the skateboarders scraping the pavement. Homeless people who’ve set up encampments. Nannies pushing babies in high-end strollers. And dog walkers.

We’ve all seen these intrepid souls negotiating a tangle of leashes and tails and whipping out plastic bags to retrieve poop off the footpath. It is not the most glamorous occupation, but for me dog walking is more than just a job. It’s a love story.

I’ve been a dog walker for over two years, ever since graduating from college. For most of that time, I’ve had the same four regular “clients.”

They range from a tiny Yorkie-Poodle, to a rather large German Shepherd-Wolfhound mix. I’ve been with one since he was only 12 weeks old, and another since he was already 8 years old. From walking these dogs nearly every day of the week, for months on end, the situation is no longer a means to an end in terms of paying rent and covering my bills. I’ve invested my heart in these animals as if they were my own.

Having worked in restaurants for several years through high school and college, you could say I’ve gone from taking crap to picking it up, and I couldn’t be happier. Even if it does get on my hand sometimes.

When originally entering the dog walking world, I had no inkling of the effect it would have on my life. Each owner of each dog has become a personal friend, for whom I would do anything and everything. I’ve also begun to relate to the dogs themselves.

Fred hates skateboarders, barking and growling ferociously at them when they get too close. I scream at taxis that cut me off when I ride my bicycle, but like Fred, my bark is worse than my bite.

Spike enjoys chasing little birds, running at them until they fly away out of reach. Don’t you remember running at some pigeons to scare them away when you were a kid? Puka likes to lounge on a couch in the shade with some air conditioning, without a care in the world. She makes me want to grab a beer, put the game on, and relax all afternoon.

Then there’s Norman and Z, who love nothing more than to wrestle, rolling around the rug all day long.

I frequently channel these disparate personalities throughout my day, all the time.

Short of sniffing someone’s butt when I meet them, I’ve basically become a dog. There’s no shortage of fur on my clothing, and if you see me, I very likely have a poop bag in my back pocket. Even if I’m “off-duty.” I sit on the floor frequently, and my friends make fun of me for sniffing everything before I eat it.

The thing is, we can all learn something from our four-legged friends.

We all have a way of making our lives complicated, but sometimes it’s better to appreciate the simple things the way dogs do. They take such joy from life and its little pleasures. Take a cue from my canine friends, and try sniffing the New York City air sometimes. Warmly greet the person you live with. Stare at somebody with great, big eyes when they eat your favourite food.

When life gets you down, give yourself a treat. Then find someone to scratch your back, go for a walk, and really take everything in.

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