A Dog Pop-Up Museum Called "Human’s Best Friend" Is Opening In New York City

By CALLIE TANSILL-SUDDATH

Human's Best Friend/Instagram

Pop-up attractions are decidedly having a moment. In recent memory, New York City alone has hosted pop-ups devoted to ice cream, candy, and even rosé. When you think about just how offbeat the themes for some pop-ups are, perhaps word of the newest won't come as much of a surprise. Brace yourself, New York: a brand new pop-up museum for dogs is opening soon, and it is sure to be an absolute treat.

The immersive attraction, called Human’s Best Friend, is designed for all fans of the atypical and adventurous. The "shareable experience for dogs and the humans who love them,” will feature eight different rooms open to humans and dogs alike. According to its website, highlights include a room called the Backyard, a suburban-style picket fence facade straight from the dreams of a city dog; the Bone Yard, which is made up of floor-to-ceiling bones (very goth); and the Water Bowl, which is filled with not water, but blue tennis balls optimal for swimming without getting wet. There will also be a big toy pit for your pup to go hog wild and play with more toys than it ever has before.

Each area of the exhibit is guaranteed to be beautifully-designed and executed, with vivid colors for enviable Instagrams and optimum pupper cuddling.

If you're a dog lover but have been on the fence about adopting one of your very own, Human's Best Friend might just give you the nudge you need to take the plunge into pet parenthood. The pop-up will have a number of adorable pups available to adopt through local rescue organizations. Come for the pictures, and maybe leave with a new best friend; what could be more perfect?

Dog-friendly pop-ups aren't so novel across the pond. Last weekend, folks in London had the opportunity to visit the French Bulldog Pop-Up Café, which was organized by the team behind an equally intriguing and wildly popular Pug Café. Frenchie owners and lovers alike had the opportunity to brunch with some smushy-faced four-legged friends at The Happenstance, a modern eatery that overlooks St. Paul's Cathedral. Owners received a complementary pupuccino and a bag of pupcorn to feed their accompanying dogs with the purchase of an entry ticket. Frenchie lovers also received some goodies in the form of a bag of doggy treats to make friends with the Frenchies. Frenchies, food, and a picturesque setting sounds like something out of a fairy tale.

While it may not take place overlooking a cathedral (that would be pretty hard to do in NYC), the Human's Best Friend exhibit is a must-see for city dwellers of all sorts. Plus, 10 percent of the pop-up's profits will directly support the rescue partners providing the exhibit's adoptable puppies, so you can take fab photos and feel good doing so.

Human’s Best Friend opens this Saturday, Sept. 15, and runs through Nov. 12. Tickets are available now, and sell for $29 per human or $39 for a human and a dog.

French Bulldog is NYC’s top dog breed —

JOE DZIEMIANOWICZ - NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Duh, American Kennel Club.

That’s the reaction of New York French Bulldog owners to the AKC report that Frenchies are, like last year, the most popular pooch in NYC.

“Of course they are. I’d be shocked if it were otherwise,” said Adrian Bryan-Brown, a top Broadway press agent and owner of 9-year-old Frenchie, Buttercup.

“Even people who don’t like dogs are attracted to them,” added Bryan-Brown. “They’re so silly looking. They’re so lovable. They’re such total clowns.”

Versatile, too, points out the AKC, which calls the Frenchie “ a very adaptable breed, making it a great companion for city dwellers.”

The Labrador Retriever, Bulldog, German Shepherd and Golden Retriever round out the city’s top five breeds. Nationally, Labrador Retrievers are the top dog.

But Lucas Pergament and Danielle Naftali, who work, respectively, at Vested, a financial-communications company, and the Naftali Group, a real-estate development firm, only have eyes for Frenchies. Their pup, Henry, just hit his three-month mark.

“I love the big ears. I love that they snore. I love their chubby rolls,” said Pergament, whose passion for the pooches is a family affair. His grandparents have two, his uncle has one. “They’re adorable dogs.”

Swisher, Miles and Hootie create "happy chaos" at their owners' workplace.

 (THE POINTS GUY)

Great co-workers, too, said Becca Denenberg, who works at the Points Guy. She shares the travel blog office with “barketing” (the firm’s term) associates Miles and Hootie, Frenchies who belong to colleagues, and her own pooch, a Frenchie-Bulldog mix.

“The three dogs make work — and everything better,” she said.

Graduate student Andrea Losito, whose Frenchie Moo Shu turned seven in January, calls the breed “funny and loving and goofy and playful. They make little monster noises.”

She acknowledges that appearance-wise, they’re a bit of a monster mash-up.

“They look like some kind of alien combination of pig, bat, and frog. They’re the cutest,” she said.

And people magnets, said Edwin Acosta, who works in the office at City Cakes. Four times a week, he and Bindi Rose, his 2-year-old Frenchie, leave home in the West Village and head to Tomkins Square Park for exercise at a nearby dog run, followed by a break at the dog-friendly cafe, Boris & Horton.

Bindi Rose is a people magnet, which has payoffers for her shy owner.

 (EDWIN ACOSTA)

“I’m a shy person. I’ve met so many people because of her. So many people fall head over heels in love with her. The other day my friend said, ‘She’s like the hot girl at the bar.’”

And, like every Frenchie, the hot dog in NYC.

Meet the most famous pet fox on Instagram

By Mackenzie Dawson - NY Post

@juniperfoxx

Juniper is a 2-year-old fox with more followers than you do on Instagram — 2.2 million of them for her @JuniperFoxx account, where she appears frolicking in photos with a coterie of other animal pals, including a younger male fox named Fig, a dog named Moose and a pair of sugar gliders named Peach and Petunia. She’s one of the Top 10 Pets on the social-media site and the only one on the list that’s not a dog or a cat. And now, as so many social-media stars do, she has her own book.

“Juniper the Happiest Fox,” written by her human owner Jessika Coker (Chronicle Books), celebrates the vixen — the official name for a female fox — who lives in Florida and enjoys painting with her paws.

Juniper came to meet Jessica shortly after her birth as the runt of a litter. Juniper is a tame fox. Tame foxes have over 4,000 genetic differences from wild foxes, making them unsuitable for life in the wild. Juniper is (mostly) litter-trained and gets along famously with Moose. “Every once in a while life will throw you a gift,” writes Coker. “My gifts just happen to have fur and fang-toothed grins.”

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‘Uber for dogs’ app has lost 3 NYC pooches in a month

It’s man’s worst friend.

Wag, the app known as “the Uber of dog-walking,” has lost not one but three New York pooches in the last month alone, disgruntled customers revealed Friday — a day after The Post shared the story of Norman, a Chihuahua who went out with one of the company’s walkers on the Upper East Side last week and hasn’t been seen since.

Nash the Cane Corso (left to right),Norman the Chihuahua, and Freddie the Chihuahua-Dachshund

“I’m in shock — I can’t believe it’s three dogs in one month!” said Norman’s owner, Nicole DiCarlo.

“We need to tell the people that are still using [Wag].”

In addition to Norman, Brooklyn cane corso Nash and Midtown Chihuahua-dachshund Freddie also gave their Wag walkers the slip in recent weeks — but were found alive later on.

Nash’s owner says he booked a walker from the service on Feb. 4 while he was in Philadelphia hosting a Super Bowl party — but he had to hightail it back to East Flatbush when the walker dropped the leash while picking up the 140-pound pooch’s poop and the dog made a run for it.

“My mother went out looking for Nash, and when she found the walker he’s like, ‘Oh I dropped the leash’ — that’s the one thing you shouldn’t do!” said Tim Taylor, 27.

SEE ALSO

Dog lost by Wag walker lured back with hot dogs

Wag says it mounted a big search effort — including posting fliers, coordinating search parties, manning a tip line and offering a $5,000 reward.

Nash was eventually spotted by locals almost two weeks later — and 50 pounds lighter, according to Taylor. But while Wag was helpful in tracking him down, it should never have gotten to that point, Taylor says. “While I was blessed to get Nash back, others won’t have the same fate,” he said.

Ten days later, Freddie slipped out of his collar while out with a Wag walker at East 34th Street and Park Avenue. “The dog walker from the company Wag was walking him, and he got out of his collar,” the owner said in a video for lost-dog listing service FindShadow.

Freddie was found the following day, and Wag says it also mounted a search effort for the wee pup.

Quizzed on how the company trains and vets its walkers, a spokeswoman said it does an in-person orientation, background check and an online safety and “dog knowledge” test. “These tests are difficult, and the majority of applicants do not pass them,” said Dini von Mueffling.

Like Norman’s walker, the company says Freddie’s and Nash’s leash wranglers have been suspended pending reviews.

NYC Re-tails & Sales Pet Expo Set for May

Mark your calendar and save the date because the 6th annual NYC Re-tails & Sales Pet Expo is back for more pet industry fun! This one-of-a-kind boutique B2B tradeshow will be held on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 from 1 p.m.-6 p.m. at Home Studio Inc. near Union Square Park. Hosted once again by Nancy Hassel of American Pet Professionals and Dana Humphrey of Whitegate PR, the upcoming NYC Re-tails & Sales Pet Expo will feature new products for 2018.

Media, pet retailers, groomers, veterinarians, social media and pet influencers will join together to learn about the latest and greatest pet products available on the market. Press and pet celebrities will be in attendance as well as retailers traveling from distances including Boston, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York City, Pennsylvania and Long Island to see and shop for products for their pet stores. In addition, Pet Age Magazine will be this year’s Presenting Media Sponsor. Pet Age Magazine has been a supporter and sponsor since the first expo back in 2014.

Over the years, the pet industry has experienced continuous, unprecedented growth. Early this March, the American Pet Products Association (APPA) announced that the overall spending in the pet industry has surpassed previous spending by more than $6 billion. With over 84.6 million pet-owning households in the US (about 68 percent of total households), it’s safe to say that people love caring for and living with four-legged companions.

“Pet owners today have a parenting attitude towards their pets. In fact, the humanization of pets has become a global trend,” Humphrey said. “Because more people feel that their animals are part of their human family, they provide for them as they would other members of their household. This trend has most certainly influenced pet buying preferences, which is why higher quality products are in demand.”

In previous years, NYC Re-tails & Sales vendors have showcased everything from luxurious beds, nutritious food and treats, top-of-the-line grooming supplies, beautiful jewelry, stylish collars, durable leashes, innovative pet technology, and more.

Vendors for the upcoming May 1 show include: Exam Room Treats, BooDog Lifestyles, Charlie Bear Dog Treats, Ethical Products Inc., Longevity – Dr. B’s Raw Pet Food, Pawies, Paws Gourmet Bakery, SteelDog USA, Diggs Pet and SnugPups.

May is declared National Pet Month, a time to celebrate the importance of pets and pet ownership, and the first full week in May is National Pet Week, which is dedicated to celebrating the four-legged friends that enrich our lives each and every day. The NYC Re-tails & Sales Pet Expo event kicks-off this special week and month-long occasion.

“Each year, the NYC Re-tails & Sales Pet Expo has a bigger and better turnout than the year before,” Hassel said. “We love to watch participants network and establish connections in a fun, laid-back but business focused atmosphere. We hope to see you there!”

Please Don’t Make Me Go Out There

Pet City

By JOHN SURICO FEB. 1, 2018 - New York Times

They are the cold-weather bane of city dog owners, dog walkers and the dogs themselves: the salt and chemical de-icers that are regularly sprinkled on the streets, sidewalks and crossways of New York when it snows.

When Kena Gabrielle, the owner of Ditmas Paws, a dog-walking service in Brooklyn, took her client’s dog out for a stroll, a bootie accidentally fell off his foot. “Even for a split second, he started screaming, literally,” said Ms. Gabrielle, who walks 10 dogs daily and has three of her own. “It’s a heartbreaking sound.”

The use of these materials can vary from street to street. Larger commercial buildings and high-rises are more likely to use chemical de-icers, which are often cheaper than pet-friendly brands. But many dog owners and experts said they follow a proceed-with-caution approach, because it is usually difficult to discern the difference between the good and bad salts in time, or at all.

Rock salt, in particular, can be tough and jagged to a dog’s soft paw, said Dr. Erin Wilson, a veterinarian and the former medical director of the ASPCA Adoption Center on East 92nd Street in Manhattan. The crystals are comparable, in a human context, to a sharp stone lodged into a boot. If the dogs’ paws have any aberrations or cuts, the salts will burn.

Chemical de-icers — particularly those containing the antifreeze material known as ethylene glycol — pose, perhaps, the biggest threat: not only will a dog hold up its paws in pain and temporarily limp away, but the ingredients can also prove harmful should a dog accidentally ingest them. Salt is also dangerous.

“It can be really bad for their kidneys, or other organs,” said Dr. Wilson. “That’s why it’s really important, if your dog isn’t wearing booties, to wipe their feet, belly and undercarriage off thoroughly with a towel when you come home from a walk.”

For longer walks, Dr. Wilson suggested bringing a towel along. Once home, she said the dog owner should check a dog’s paw pads for cracks and toes for redness. She also recommends pet-friendly melting products, containing propylene glycol, to building owners and managers.

Shaina Stelzer, the owner of Brooklyn Haute Dogs, a pet care service based in Dumbo, advised dog owners to watch out for the thick, yellow salt that is often spread near the entrances to parks. Salt crystals that look like small golf balls are typically more dog-friendly, she said, as is salt with a bluish tint.

For comfort, many of her clients use Musher’s Secret, a wax, Ms. Stelzer said. Owners can coat the dog’s paws with it before a walk; petroleum jelly, like Vaseline, can also work. But in a pinch, the solution can simply be snow. “Have your dog put its feet in cleanish snow for a couple of seconds,” she said. “That usually relieves the issue.”

Booties are also a popular option. After living in Colorado for some time, Michael Friedland wasn’t aware of the chemicals that kept hurting his Labrador/husky mix when he returned to New York. On a walk one day, the dog began to whine, and seeing what looked like a puddle of water nearby, Mr. Friedland dipped his dog’s paws in it. It turned out to be liquid chlorine. “That was even worse,” he said.

So, alongside his father, Gary — who faced similar woes with his Jack Russell terrier — Mr. Friedland started Pawz, a Brooklyn-based company that produces rubber dog booties, in 2005. “Everyone would ask my dad where he got them from,” he said. “Because everyone kept experiencing the same problem.”

For dogs who may not enjoy the winter accessory, Dr. Wilson said praise or treats should be used in advance to prepare the pet. “You don’t want the first time you have to use them to be during a blizzard,” she said. When Dr. Wilson first dressed her Corgi in them, the dog went into what she described as “bootie paralysis,” falling over and refusing to walk.

“My best advice would just be for owners to examine the state of the sidewalk,” Dr. Wilson said. “If there’s no snow or ice present, there’s a good chance that a de-icer was used.”

In Riverside Park, James Hercher, 29, said his dog, Marlowe, and other dogs he has seen know to avoid the northern section, where the chemical de-icers are more commonly used. “The salt around here is a big issue,” he said. “It really messes with his head when it’s on the ground.”

On a recent afternoon, after a snowfall, Mr. Hercher found himself following Marlowe — at least as best as he could — near the park’s central bank, at West 85th Street, where the materials’ use is less apparent. Free of a leash, the 2-year-old Husky Australian Shepherd pranced in the snow, inviting other dogs nearby to play with him.

“These are actually my favorite days to walk the dog,” Mr. Hercher said. “It’s only us dog walkers out here. No one biking, no one running. Just us.”