Even natives sometimes forget New York City is made up of five boroughs, four of them islands. And as much as the waters which surround it are treasured for their iconic beauty, the raging sea was no friend to many neighborhoods when Hurricane Sandy arrived on the night of October 29, 2012. Communities closest to the water were hit the hardest. Over the next few weeks Pets In the City will take listeners on an audio tour of some of these neighborhoods and talk to people who have come forward...

When we’re enjoying the day-to-day fun and friendship our pets, thoughts of a time they will no longer be with us are far from our minds. Unfortunately, it is a sad truth that there will be a day when we have to say goodbye to these special friends, often long before we are ready to let them go. Many pet owners who have already experienced the loss of a beloved pet know it is often a time when sadness and loneliness swirl into one big cloud which can be difficult to discuss--even if, like...

Long Island, New York resident Olivia Bouler, wise beyond her eleven years, decided to take action. She began drawing birds and selling them to help in the efforts to clean up the devastating spill and begin the long process of rehabilitating the wildlife in the area. She posted her efforts on Facebook, and what followed next was something neither she nor her family could have ever anticipated. To date, Olivia’s efforts have raised some $200,000 and garnered numerous animal and environmental...

While we’re starting to hear some glimmers of good news about the economy, the fact of the matter is there are still plenty of us who are struggling to make ends meet. For some, the ends simply won’t meet, and many of these families include four-footed members who go hungry, too. That’s when people like Susan Kaufman, a New York-based attorney and president of The Animal Relief Fund ("ARF" for short) take a seemingly simple idea -- create a pet-food pantry for needy families -- and run with...

Out of a city where some 500,000 dogs call home is a not-so-secret subculture of women who call themselves “Doggie Moms.” But these aren’t just any doggies, and these aren’t just any moms. These mainly pocket-sized pooches wouldn’t be caught playing dead in anything but the latest fashions, and neither would their doting ‘moms.’ “Pets In the City” host Diane West spoke with three of the five moms featured in the six-part series: Erika (mom to Cubby and Ginger); Grace (mom to Portia and...

For many, the circus brings back fond memories of lions, tigers and other exotic animals performing incredible feats of entertainment. But in recent years, the ability of some circuses to properly care for such large beasts has come into question, and this renewed scrutiny has not been limited to the United States. Actress, animal advocate (and native New Yorker) Jorja Fox, who plays the popular character Sara Sidle on the mega-hit series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, spoke with "Pets In...

Finding good adoptive homes for healthy homeless animals is a daunting task that many good people throughout New York devote their lives to. But finding adoptive homes for homeless animals with special needs is even more of a challenge. Often, the medical costs of rehabilitating an abused or neglected animal is prohibitive, leaving cash-strapped animal rescue agencies to make heartbreaking choices. New York socialite and fashion designer Tinsley Mortimer, who has been described as "one of...

On Sunday, November 7th, some 45,000 dedicated people will embark on a 26.2 mile journey through New York City’s five boroughs to participate in the 41st annual New York City Marathon. And behind every runner is a story that propels them to the finish line, from personal challenge to something beyond themselves. For financial executive Brayden Mathews, it’s all for the animals. As in years past, Mr. Mathews is using his marathon run to raise money for animal causes close to his heart. This...

Well, as the song says, ‘it’s all over but the crying.’ The national mid-term elections are over, and they panned out pretty much as predicted. But often lost in the frenzy of the national political stage are important statewide elections, which, in many cases this year, were happening at the same time. New York State’s political stage, for example, has been a literal circus for the past two years-- from the 2008 resignation of Governor Eliot Spitzer following a sex scandal (his former...

For many children, dressing up, going door to door and yelling 'trick or treat!' until the pillow sack is filled to the brim with candy is one of the highlights of year. But for kids who are battling serious illnesses, like the guests at Ronald McDonald House on East 73rd Street in Manhattan, Halloween is one of those rare days when they can put their illness to the side and concentrate on the important business of being a kid. "Pets In the City" spoke with Chaplain Cherilyn Frei, director...

Love them or hate them, pigeons are a part of New York City’s ever-changing urban landscape. No matter what the season, this resilient bird can be found in flocks far and wide-- from your local park to the tops of the most opulent buildings. And while these birds are not universally loved by all New Yorkers (‘rats with wings’ is one of the milder terms used for them) many New Yorkers were shocked and angered when allegations that some of their boids may have been kidnapped off of city streets...

Legend had it that the blind minstrel of old, Homer, chronicled the adventures of the Trojan War, where Greek soldiers cleverly hid themselves from sight and successfully breached the walls of the great city of Troy. Flash forward several thousand years later to present day to another blind Homer--a cat--whose story in Gwen Cooper’s aptly titled Homer’s Odyssey is itself a tale of a fight by one small, abandoned feline to find his place in one woman’s reluctant heart and how anyone can find...

Emmy and OBIE-award winning actress Peggy McCay, perhaps best known for her role as Caroline Brady, the fiercely-protective matriarch of the Brady clan on Days of Our Lives, is just as protective of animals. Whether off or on stage (don't dare come on to the Days of Our Lives set wearing fur, by the way) animals are never far from her heart or her life. Pets In the City spoke with Ms. McCay about her proud New York City roots, the horrific encounter which prompted her to become a strong voice...

While New York may be the greatest city in the world, many Texans will tell you their state is the biggest in the USA: both in size (save for Alaska) and in heart. One special Texas trio ‘Pets In the City’ met with on a recent cold winter’s day might just prove the boast. Luke Robinson, a big man with two big dogs, set out from Austin, Texas several months ago on foot with one goal in mind-- to walk all the way to Boston in the name of bringing attention to canine cancer research. And boy...

In the spring of last year, residents of tens of thousands of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) apartments received a chilling memo: comply with NYCHA’s revised policies about dogs and cats in their homes or face eviction. While many dogs who are already registered will be grand fathered in, and certain other exceptions exist, the underlying message was clear-- residents would no longer be allowed to adopt dogs over 25 pounds, and no new Pit Bull, Rottweiler, or Doberman Pinchers (or...

We all know New York is the center of the universe for all things exciting, and cat shows are no exception. In this segment we take you through the Westchester Cat Show which took place recently in White Plains, New York. Come with us on an exciting auditory tour where we talk with famous Nora the Piano Playing Cat (as translated by her press agent and human caretaker, Betsy Alexander). Heck, we even sit in on a Cat Fashion Show (I kid you not.) We’ll also talk to experts like Carole...

On September 13th, New Yorkers cheered on some 25,000 runners and walkers in the annual Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure" in Central Park to raise awareness and funding in the continued fight against breast cancer in women and in a growing number of men. But lounging on couches and chairs throughout the country was another, even larger group of unlikely supporters -- those four-footed furballs we call cats. Since May of this year, Purina Cat Chow’s "Connected for the Cau" campaign has...

There are relatively few songs in the world that bring a knowing smile to your face in the first few notes, and Ian Anderson of legendary band Jethro Tull has written and performed more than a few of them. From the gallows humor of ‘Aqualung’ to the urgent, demanding cords of "Locomotive Breath" Ian has sometimes been referred to as the ‘mad minstrel’ with a unique mix of hard rock, epic-poem lyrics, and, of course, the flute. Probably one of the few-- if only--bands that can described as...

Mad Juana (sometimes used in literary circles as shorthand for “Juana the Mad”, the rather passionate daughter of Spain’s King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella I) is hard to describe. Rock, gypsy, punk, hypnotic, are just some of the adjectives that comes to mind. One can just as easily imagine them providing a haunting soundtrack to one of the “Kill Bill” movies or performing spirited, joyful dance music at a gypsy-esque festival. Karmen Guy, the sultry voice of Mad Juana, relishes in the...

The case of a kitten being put in a 500-degree oven and left to die in a Bronx, New York apartment last month left people throughout New York and the country outraged and asking one question: why would a pair of teenage girls do such a horrible thing under the guise of a 'prank'? For that matter, why do some people do cruel things to animals at all? This week, Pets In the City asks Officer Joe Pentangelo, assistant director of humane law enforcement at the ASPCA and frequent face on the...

Sounds bites and small video clips about the ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan filter into the airwaves and onto the Web everyday. But they don’t really convey the physical and psychological demands U.S. soldiers endure on a daily basis while serving in one of the most politically and culturally complex wars of our time. Pets In the City had the honor of speaking with Sergeant Allen Hill, an Iraqi war veteran whose therapy dog, Frankie, was trained by an inmate serving time for manslaughter...

If you're looking for a new band whose sound isn't hard to swallow, then you have to check out "The Choke", guests on this episode of "City Pound" with hosts Victoria Wells and Diane West. The Choke, a self-described 'punk and roll' band with a soft spot for animals filters the influences of Motown, soul, and garage rock through the attack of anthemic punk. Since the band’s debut in May of 2005, the New York-based foursome has performed for large audiences throughout New York and London,...

For fifty years-- just around the time television was born-- game show personality Bob Barker has been a guest in almost every home in the United States and, later, the world. And while this perennial, ever-friendly game show host always brought a sense of fun to every project he’s worked on, he couldn’t be more serious about animal rights. From throwing down the gauntlet 20 years ago at the Miss USA pageant with his very public anti-fur stance, to sending Price is Right viewers off with a...

Tens of thousands of dogs and cats are surrendered to Animal Care and Control of New York City (NYCACC) from throughout the five boroughs each year by people who are no longer willing or able to care for them. The reasons why these pets end up in the city’s three shelters range from the heartbreaking to the bizarre. Ten years ago, about 75 percent of the animals who came in through the shelter doors never came out alive. But thanks to combined national, state and city efforts, adoptions are...