Here at ProspectBArk, it’s raining puppies!
Our walkers recently took on several young and frisky puppies, hailing from all over Brooklyn. Check ‘em out!

Meet Hank, resident of Williamsburg! Hank’s mom, Muna is so lucky! He’s got a face that can melt hearts.

Here’s Hunter! He lives in Sunset Park with his owner Samantha and is quite the adorable puppy–clearly!

This is Sydney, our newest puppy client! Sydney lives in Greenpoint/Williamsburg with her owner Jenna. Isn’t she absolutely precious?

Ah, sunny days in February. They put a spring in our step, confuse the birds, and give even our reluctant pups a reason to walk (like adorable Muji of Greenpoint, above)! The past few days of unseasonable warmth and sunshine remind us that Old Man Winter is about to exit stage left. We won’t miss him anytime soon!

I had the pleasure of accompanying Frisbee in Windsor Terrace, hot on the trail after Prospect Park’s wildlife. Some of you may recognize Frisbee as our Pet of the Month last May, and here she is again having a blast! oh to be Frisbee.

Here’s Paco lookin’ real sharp in his red harness. As you may have heard, red is the hot new color of Spring ’11, especially in Fort Greene!

…and what’s nice weather if you can’t share it with a friend? Doug sniffs something delicious on the wind. Paco says, “he’s always doing that!” Paco is again sporting his haute couture harness, rivaled now by Doug’s electric blue one! (Doggie fashion duel is ON!)

After the winter we’ve been having, this nice weather is a welcome reprieve. Charlie in Clinton Hill enjoys the sunshine, and on days like this, it is so good to be a dog walker!

This month, we’re launching a new feature on our blog, the TeamBArk MVP! It’s where I’ll give some recognition to the Walker whose dedication and passion go ABOVE and BEYOND the call of duty — and this month, that person is Gina Vasoli of Park Slope.

Here are some things Gina had to say about her job as a pB dog walker:

pB: Gina, what’s your favorite part about walking dogs for a living, and how did you get started in this crazy business?

Gina: Working with dogs is so much easier and more pleasurable than dealing with humans all day long. A dog’s life is so uncomplicated. All they ever want is love and exercise and treats. I too, enjoy love, working out, and near-constant snacking. My favorite part about walking dogs is that I get to help give them the best life they can possibly have AND do all the things I like to do at the same time. True, they don’t have much to say when it comes to our deep philosophical debates (i.e. Pascal, are you aware of yourself as a dog?) or heated political discussions (i.e. Owan, what are your views on the Obamas’ decision to accept a pure breed Portugese Water Dog from the Kennedys instead of adopting from a shelter?), but they are excellent listeners and they don’t talk back.

I got started by approaching Steve Debono, the former owner of Petato, a few years back while he was walking dogs. I had just moved to Brooklyn after graduating from McGill University then spending the summer nature camp counseling in Pennsylvania and traveling around China with my bestie. I told him I wanted to start my own company, so he hired me to let me see how the business worked, and I never left.

pB: Has it been everything you hoped it would be? What is something that has been difficult for you? Ever get bit by a dog or slipped on the ice in a hailstorm?

Gina: Right now I am just so grateful to have a jam packed schedule again, and that my bike is back in one piece and rideable. That’s all I could ask for really. The toughest thing I’ve had to deal with is repeatedly having parts of my bike stolen or vandalized. I have yet to fall down (knock on wood) and believe it or not, hadn’t stepped in dog poop once in over 2 years of dog walking until the day I had both bike wheels stolen. That’s the day I went ahead and stepped in it.

pB: What’s the funniest thing that has happened when you were on the job?

Gina: Putting my aviators on the dogs never gets old.

pB: Got an all-time favorite cat sit or dog walking tale?

Gina: I know it has nothing to do with dogs, but I found a $20 bill on the street one day then a $10 and two $1s wadded up together two days later!

pB: What’s one thing you would say to someone thinking of becoming a dog-walker?

Gina: If you like physical labor, getting licked in the face and ears a lot, and can handle being alone with your thoughts all day, then this is the job for you! And make sure to always stretch before and after your route.

pB: What else do you do, when you’re not walkin’ those dogs? Who IS Gina Vasoli?

Gina:  I am back in school to get my license in Massage Therapy. I want to specialize in prenatal and pediatric massage. I enjoy BRAVO’s reality TV line-up, crocheting and sewing, cooking really healthy vegetable dishes then pairing them with things like frozen pizza or entire bags of stuffing, reading books, and friendship. Yellowstone is my favorite place on earth. I like reptiles, and if I could only eat one type of food for the rest of my life, it would be Mexican, hands down.

Last Wednesday, as we got buried in snow, the Walkers sent photos of their doggies live “from the field”. Most of our pups were dressed in their finest winter outfits. Sam sent this one of Bella, in Prospect Heights, sporting the latest booties!  ——>

<——  Some dogs, like Milo in Park Slope, love the snow! Milo could run and play in the white stuff all day if Natasha let him.

Little Kingston of PLG and Bunky in Greenpoint are not so sure about this “snow” thing.  Are we home yet? says Bunky. Matt just loves Bunky. Look at that face!

It’s a new year, baby! …and we’ve started it out with a BIG HUGE BANG. At the beginning of this month, we merged with Petato Dog Walking and Pet Sitting, a local pet care company that has one of the best, longest-standing reputations in the biz. Started over five years ago by Steve DeBono, Petato’s roster has grown from one happy dog in Fort Greene to over fifty throughout Park Slope, Prospect Heights and Fort Greene. Garnering 5 stars on Brooklyn’s Citysearch, Petato brings us their extremely solid work ethic, expertise, and…most of all…some of the most dedicated dog walkers and cat lovers in Brooklyn!

Now, I’m pretty lucky with TeamBArk… Who else but Amy, Matt, Natasha, Max, Sam and Nancy could take such great care of all our pets? I scour Brooklyn looking for pet professionals, folks who don’t just “love animals”, but are also reliable, ethical, punctual and communicative. Petato’s walkers and sitters are of the same high caliber, and you’ll be hearing more about Gina, Rachel B, Jenna, Rachel L, and David as I add their profiles to our TeamBArk page. And the best part? I’ve been working closely over the past month with Heidi Ryti, Petato’s manager and in-house trainer, who is not only a great gal but one of the hardest workers I know. Who else is fielding emails and calls on Christmas Day? Working on her birthday? (well, besides me

Stay tuned for the wonderful changes and improvements this will bring to ProspectBArk. I envision a community of happy, spoiled dogs, borough-wide. I envision the most capable and conscientious pet care Team hitting the streets every day to pamper your pets. And I envision doggie biscuits…lots of doggie biscuits!

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