The hardest part of caring for animals, by far, is that they just don’t live long enough.  Our friend Isis passed away a little over a week ago.  What follows are some words of remembrance from Leah and John, her loving owners.  We’ll miss you, Isis.  – Matt

Isis was born in Colorado on Dec. 20th, 1997.  Her name came from a
lyric in a Bob Dylan song.

She was a well-traveled dog.  Besides living in New York and
Colorado, she also visited Nantucket, California, Rhode Island,
upstate New York many times, and Michigan to be the flower dog in our
wedding.  She loved being outside, and could be found at McCarren Park
every Sunday (but at track instead of the dog park as she thought that
she was a person too.)  She loved camping, hiking, and playing with
her cat-brother Sammy.  Isis was sweet and loyal, a great friend who
will be missed deeply by all that knew her.

MOCHI UPDATE: At long last, Mochi has found a nice new home with tons of space to run and play! Who’s the lucky new mom? Marisela has lived with Mochilla for a week now, and reports the following:

We are all very happy. Mochi has adjusted remarkably well. I thought there might be a period of confusion and sadness but she has seemed right at home from the first day. She has used her wee wee pads from day one. She sleeps in our bed, she lays in the sun (which comes through our windows), she plays with her toys. We just love her and feel very lucky that she is so well trained and well adjusted!

Thank you for giving Mochi a new leash on life, Marisela!

Mochi was one of our first clients in Lefferts Gardens and she remains the littlest, most affectionate chihuahua we have ever met. She lived with her mom, Katie, on Winthrop street for a good stretch (she is 5 1/2 years old), but now they have moved into a new place. Katie works over 60 hours a week, leaving Mochi home alone most of the time. With tremendous sadness, Katie is looking for a loving home where Mochi can be held, played with and snuggled.

As her dog walker, I can tell you that this is one easy and affectionate pup. She does not yip (!), does not nip, and she loves to sit in your lap. Mochi is up to date on her shots, healthy, spayed and friendly toward small animals and calm children. Rambunctious kids, hyper puppies and the like make her nervous, so she wouldn’t do well in a house with them. I cannot bear the thought of Mochi sitting home alone, which is why her mom has made this difficult decision, and why ProspectBArk is donating a month of free dog walks to the lucky person who adopts her. Do you – or anyone in your network – have room in your life for a little more love?

Please spread the word about Mochilla on your facebook, twitter-tweets and blogs. You can link to this post! Interested people can call me directly or email Katie: katie2483 [at] hotmail [dot com].

MOCHI COMES WITH A MONTH OF FREE DOG WALKS (donated by ProspectBArk) and a huge supply of dog food, wee wee pads, toys, blankets, doggie couture etc. There’s no adoption fee, and nothing to buy for a long time, just a sweet pup waiting by the door when you come home.

What could be more alluring than our pups and kitties in costume?

Absolutely Nothing.

Behold BatGonzo, in Downtown Brooklyn. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound …. and etc!
I’m sure the kids look adorable today stumbling around in their plastic and velcro duds, but I’ll take a costumed dog or caped kitty any day of the year!

We shall see.

I usually order my pet food, litter, treats and toys in bulk using the wholesale website petfooddirect. Their prices can’t be beat, they stock EVERYTHING you want, and they ship to NYC within the week. However, if you’re like me, there is the lazy Sunday morning *(today) when you realize that you forgot to order cat litter – a month ago. And you need it bad.

TRY THIS COUPON CODE on Wag.com (from the people who brought you soap.com and diapers.com) – WAG20 – for 20% off your first order with them. If you get fifty bucks of stuff, delivery is 1-2 days, and free (they say). I just placed my first order, so we’ll see.

Anyone else use Wag.com?

Little Selma has been a PB all-star for many moons.  She currently holds our record for slowest around-the-block time.  Don’t get me wrong, she likes to walk.  Bust out the harness, and she’s quietly psyched.  She just wants to take her time and smell the roses.  Cuteness and sweetness scores?  Off the charts.

Unfortunately for us, Selma is taking her humans to Austin, as is her right as matriarch of the family.  She grew tired of the fast-paced NYC life, and had heard good things about Austin’s music scene.  She has a yard now.  We’re happy for her.

We’ll miss you Selma!  Send us a post-card!

Austin, you just made our list.

Hello current and former pB’ers! It is heartwrenching to find that there are SO MANY animals who need help! our own Molly, mom of Dempsey in South PLG, found this abandoned and injured pit in Prospect Park today. The dog is so sweet and docile despite whateverd she has experienced before winding up alone, in the park, for hours without being able to walk easily.

Something has to be done about people who abuse dogs then leave them to die in Prospect Park.
Remember Walter? The people who rescued him tapped into a network of support and raised thousands of dollars for him – and he’s doing really well now!

It would be amazing if this poor pit girl could find a foster or forever home – you can contact Sean Casey, me, or Molly if you, or anyone you know, can help.

This girl is about as sweet a dog as you’ll ever meet — she has an utterly charming personality.

If you’re interested in meeting the lovely lady, you can call Sean Casey Animal Rescue (718) 436-5163. You can also donate money for her care and for the care of all the wonderful animals taken in by the shelter.

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?

I am guilty of considering some ‘therapy’ dogs as a bogus way for the privileged to bring their tea-cup purse dogs into restaurants, movie theaters, and stores. But seeing this changed my mind. There is validity to the case that these animals offer comfort, companionship, and courage when needed. Instead of a stressed-out lawyer coaxing the child into cooperating, it only took a gentle nudge from a cold wet nose to instill the courage needed to face her attacker.

A survey conducted by Kal Kan pet foods showed that

“57% of psychiatrists, 48% of psychologists, and 40% of family practice physicians reported recommending animals, to provide unconditional affection and companionship, to provide a focus or perspective on a daily basis, surmounted by amusement and a feeling of being needed.”

Therapy animals are even being used to comfort patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and Dementia;  A study performed by the Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions concluded that the presence of therapy dogs reduced the need for psychoactive medications in a study of 50 patients. Amazing what these honest, loving animals are capable of inspiring in us complex humans.

And there are new ways emerging every year for our canine friends to work alongside us. Guide dogs remain a mainstay of service animals, search-and-rescue dogs have saved countless lives during disasters, FBI dogs are finding weapons and drugs being smuggled into the country; there are dogs trained to smell the chemicals emitted when a diabetic is slipping into hypoglycemia. There are even dogs who are trained to find bed bugs. If my Bichon could sniff out NYC’s most dreaded house pest, I could make a fortune in the real estate business.

But the greatest contribution our dogs offer us is truly unconditional love. And all they ask in return is clean water, plenty of food, a few walks every day, and the occasional tummy rub.