Roosevelt Island Coverage on WNYC

Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department Patrol Vehicle

WNYC  covered Roosevelt Island's ongoing controversy over issues with RIOC's Public Safety Department. 

To read the article and/or listen to the broadcast, please click here.

Missing Michael Smith

I was sad to learn that Michael Smith, Manager of Parks & Recreation for Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) is no longer employed by RIOC. There has been no confirmation as to whether Mr. Smith's departure was voluntary or compulsory.

Michael Smith was a bona fide friend and champion of the Roosevelt Island dog community and I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to work with him. He will be missed.

Roosevelt Island Dogs has a new URL

Roosevelt Island Dogs now has a custom domain and can be reached at www.rooseveltislanddogs.com.

Someone Needs to Have a Talk with the Board at Rivercross

Rivercross, Roosevelt Island's only co-op building, has a no dogs policy and they are sticking to it. In fact, someone told me that not too long ago the board took a woman to court for violating the policy. From what I understand (and feel free to correct me if I am wrong), the woman did not pursue her right to keep her dog because of a medical necessity and I'm not sure what she used as her justification for violating the no dogs policy of the building. According to an article from Brick Underground NY, had she gone a different route, the odds seemingly would have been in her favor.

“Those cases are sure-fire losers if the New York City Commission of Human Rights pursues a discrimination claim against the building,” says real estate attorney and BrickTank expert Steven Sladkus.

Instead, she lost the case. I don't know if she moved out of Rivercross or if she gave up her beloved pet. What I have been told about the end result is that following the ruling, the co-op board decided to really stick it to her and sued her for the cost of their legal fees.
I was disgusted not only by the story of this poor dog lover but also by the despicable leaflet a Rivercross resident created and slipped under the doors of each unit at the building. The leaflet was a list of facts about the dangers and hazards associated with living in a building that permits residents to keep dogs as pets. Whoever wrote this leaflet should be ashamed of his or herself. Not only was the leaflet misleading and in some parts factually inaccurate, it was hyperbolic propaganda.
The Rivercross co-op board needs to fairly examine the issue of allowing residents to keep dogs as pets within the building. After all, the resident population of Rivercross is aging. Empty nests, retirement, leisure time...these are all things that add to the potential for an individual to be a responsible and loving dog owner.

Flying With Your Dog Is Already Scary

As if flying with your dog wasn't already scary, here's an article from the NY Post that might be of interest to you. Apparently, a Perro de Presa Canario chewed through his traveling case and when baggage handlers opened the plane's cargo door, he took off and eluded capture before jumping into the bay. Don't worry, this big guy's story has a happy ending. Harbor Patrol was able to pluck the dog out of the water and bring him to safety, tired, but unharmed. Actually, I don't really think plucked is the proper verb for a dog of this size. Hauled might be the better verb choice.

Hungry Puppy Sale

My favorite source for dog food, the Hungry Puppy, is having a sale. Click on the link or see the coupon for more information.

The HP not only has a vast and diverse selection of food to choose from, their prices are extremely competitive. Even after the shipping charges are factored in, the prices are still great. Better still, orders to the NYC area typically arrive the 2nd day after the order is placed online and that's using the least expensive shipping option offered. It's worked well for me for more than two years now and I highly recommend the Hungry Puppy.

Italian Greyhound Puppy

For everyone out there who loves Munroe, here's your chance to adopt a dog just like him. No, Munroe is not up for adoption, but there is an adorable Italian Greyhound puppy who needs a new home. Click on this link to be redirected to the posting.

RID Gets Profiled

Sophia Chang of CUNY's Interactive Journalism Blog interviewed me about RID last week. You can check out the article and audio clips by clicking here.

Shelter Challenge

People often ask me how it is that I came to own such an eclectic mix of dogs. The answer is simple. Each dog was in need of a new home and was rescued from a bad living situation. They each came from different places. I got Mr. Elvis through Crest-Care, the Chinese Crested rescue group. Munroe had been surrendered to an awful "supposed" dog trainer who kept him hooked to furniture using two inch tethers. The woman claimed to have her own rescue organization (which was a lie) but really all she wanted was money. I gave her money so she would release him to me. Paddington had been surrendered to ARF Beacon, a no-kill shelter in Beacon, NY.

Animal shelters are important. Although they are important, the funding they receive does not necessarily mirror just how valuable the work they do is and most shelters are perpetually underfunded and scramble for each and every single dollar in their budget. You can help worthy shelters by participating in the Animal Rescue Site's Shelter Challenge. See the information below for specific details.

Now you can help The Animal Rescue Site choose which eligible Petfinder.com animal rescue organizations will receive special funds to help animals! Participating is simple. You can cast one vote every day for your favorite rescue organization, starting on September 14.

Seventy-three grants will be awarded for a total of $100,000 to eligible Petfinder.com members. Final prizes will go to the eligible Petfinder.com organization with the highest accumulative votes for the duration of the Challenge as specified in the rules.

Voting begins on September 14th, 2009, and ends at midnight (PST) on December 20th, 2009. The more friends you can rally to vote for your favorite rescue organization, the better its chances of winning. Every vote, every day counts - shelters can pull ahead even during the last few days with enough support. Get people involved! Your favorite rescue organization is counting on you!

Eligible organizations with the most votes could receive a weekly prize and/or one of the other grants below:

Grand Prize: One $20,000 grant!
Second Prize: One $5,000 grant!
Third Prize: One $3,000 grant!
New! Most Touching Story*: Two $2,000 grants! (judged by The Animal Rescue Site)
State Winners**: Fifty-one $1,000 state grants (50 U.S. states and Washington DC)
Canadian Winners*: Two $1,000 grants will be awarded
International Winner: One $1,000 grant will be awarded.

Words from Joyce

Response from Joyce Mincheff, president of the Roosevelt Landings Residents Association. In my opinion, this image says it all about Joyce and her unstoppable drive.



Joyce said...

Thanks for the credit but there are so many unsung heroes that they're just too numerous to mention!

There's all those folks who took action and placed the pink piglets in their windows, provided the board with data and helped keep the building informed by posting information and placing flyers under each apartment door on multiple occassions! Our Vice President, Lisa Knox, helped in so many ways, including moral support!

There are a huge number of electeds and officials that recognized our problem and came to our aid, like our Council Person, Jessica Lappin, Borough President Scott Stringer, State Senator Jose Serrano, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and a host of others who advocated for us like Gerry Gauthier and Gerry Norlander at PULP, Ellen Davidson at Legal Aid, Dina Levy at UHAB, Lynn Shinazaki, Allan Smith of the NY State Division of Housing, NY City Controller Bill Thompson, and all of the staffers who consistently and tirelessly helped in so many ways.

But most of all, this victory belongs to our incredible Assemblyman Micah Kellner who reached out and mobilized everyone who we needed to listen and did an amazing job dealing with this issue!

Just for the record, I want to clarify my comment in the Daily News article, because I never indicated I felt that using stoves for heat and candles for light was a plausible alternative to electricity. I explained to Ms. Trapasso, the reporter, that some of our tenants had been overheard discussing this a solution to the outrageous electric costs. I never condoned the practice, nor would I, and believe such methods would put our building and it's residents at grave risk!

Canine Tooth Decay

Mr. Elvis had seven teeth extracted today. I'm picking him up from Dr. Jules of City Vet at 5:30 this evening. Although he now only has a few teeth left in his tiny mouth, he'll be much happier and healthier down the road as a result of having the decaying teeth removed.

A typical problem with Chinese Crested Hairless dogs, is that they are born with an incomplete set of teeth. Cresteds have what is called a "primitive mouth". This means that most of their teeth are pointy like their canines. Due to poor dentition, their teeth are prone to decay and as a result, Cresteds may lose many of their teeth during their young adult years.

State Rules in Favor of Roosevelt Landings (Eastwood) Residents

Congratulations to the residents of Roosevelt Landings (Eastwood)! The NY Daily News has reported that the state ruled in favor of the residents of RL. According to the article, "The Public Service Commission barred the landlord of Roosevelt Landings from submetering the roughly 1,000 units - a move that would have required tenants to pay their own electricity bills based on usage." This is great news for the tenants of RL and the result of much hard work and effort.
Joyce Mincheff, president of the Roosevelt Landings Residents Association, deserves a lot of credit and thanks for her tireless crusade on behalf of the residents.
To read the article, click on this link.

Snuggie

The makers of the Snuggie have crossed the line. They now make a Snuggie for dogs.
(AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Eating Grass?

It seems to be a never ending cycle. Dog eats grass, dog vomits up grass. Many of us have dogs who like to eat grass and most of us scratch our heads and ask ourselves why they do this. It's very puzzling because this grass eating behavior is almost always followed by vomiting.
Healthy Pet's Pet Care Library covers this topic and even has a helpful survey you can fill out to help researchers identify the reason why dogs eat grass which will hopefully lead to better instructive resources for humans to use to get dogs to stop eating grass. Click on the link to go to the Healthy Pet site and download the survey.

Clean + Green Product Review

Recently, the good people at Clean + Green sent me a couple of their products to test and review. The products they sent to me were their Wood & Tile cleaner & odor eliminator and their Carpet & Upholstery cleaner & odor eliminator.
I have to admit, I was very impressed with both of these products. The Carpet & Upholstery product made removing stains and odors very easy. The Wood & Tile cleaner allowed me to clean up a stinky mess quickly and virtually eliminated all odors associated with it. What I like most about both of these products is that they not only worked great, but they also eliminated unwanted smells without leaving a perfume odor of their own. Both products are unscented so you're not covering up odors, you really are eliminating them.
The one feature I wish would be changed relates to the Carpet & Upholstery product. While it works great and gets the job done, the aerosol (non-harmful environmentally friendly) dispensing packaging means that you don't have as much control over the quantity of product you are spraying and therefore the product doesn't last as long as it could. If they could repackage this product in a manual spray bottle, it could be applied more times before becoming empty.
Overall, both products are excellent and I encourage anyone looking for natural, non-perfume odor eliminator and cleaning solutions to check out Clean + Green.

What I'll Miss About the Octagon

It looks as though I will definitely be moving out of the Octagon and into the new Riverwalk condo building at 415 Main Street. While I am sad to leave, as I really enjoyed living here and will miss many things and people from this northern end of the island building, I am very excited about moving into my new place.
I am definitely going to miss Miguel, my favorite concierge at the Octagon, Sun and Danny who run the cafe, having my car parked in the garage under the building, being so close to the tennis courts and of course, the dog run at this end of the island. Then there are the many, many people my dogs and I will miss. First and foremost, my next door neighbors Matt and Rob with their dogs Ali and Zoe. What are the odds that me and my dogs, including my one eyed, completely blind dog Paddington, would move in next door to the other one eyed completely blind dog in the building, Ali? Slim to none but I'm glad we did wind up living next door to one another. All of my human and dog friends from the Octagon will be missed. Melanie and Calvin Klein, Maura, Nick and Matty, Kimberly and Ming, Donna, Greg and Diesel and Delilah, Ezra, Lisa and Ninja, Ed, Kristy and Sadie and Brady, plus many others.
I hope that even though I move to the other end of the island, we all still stay in touch and meet up on a regular basis.

Roosevelt Island Dogs Community Chest

Introducing the Roosevelt Island Dogs Community Chest, a free pet products/supplies sharing resource for island dog owners.
Most of us know that just because we like or use something today for our pets, does not mean that we'll always need or use that item. Take safety gates for example. When your new dog comes home for the first time, most dog owners set up some sort of system to confine their dog's access within the home. This does not mean the dog will always have or need to be limited in terms of space they can access, it's just that right then, that is what you need and therefore you buy safety gates. Once you are done with the safety gates, what do you do with them? Put them in storage, give them away, or worse yet, throw them away?
Instead of leaving resources unused or wasted, donate those items you no longer use or do not need to the Roosevelt Island Dogs Community Chest. Simply send an email to rooseveltislanddogs@me.com and tell me what you would like to donate. We can then arrange a pickup or dropoff time and location. I will store your donation and lend it to someone from the island when they make a request.

GUIDELINES FOR DONATIONS

-Donations must be cleaned before donating them to the Community Chest.

-Cat items cannot be accepted by the RIDCC, please contact Island Cats to make donations of cat related products.

-Donations should be in good condition. If your puppy nearly destroyed something, or if it is in poor condition, it cannot be accepted.

Animal Rescue Site Needs Your Help

The Animal Rescue Site has link you can click on that by doing so allows them to get free food for animals in need. The site even has another link you can click on to sign up for a daily reminder to click.
This is 100% legitimate. Please, if you have a moment, click on the link and help animals in need.

Thank you.

Small Dog Play Group TONIGHT @ 7 PM

Join at the dog run next to the Octagon, Wednesdays @ 7PM for Small Dog Play Group.

Reminder: Small Dog Play Group TOMORROW (Wednesday)

Reminder: Small Dog Play Group TOMORROW (Wednesday) at 7PM.

Update on Roosevelt Island Apartments/Condos/Co-ops & Dog Policies

Each apartment complex on the island has different policies regarding pets and more specifically, regarding dogs. Some complexes allow dogs and others do not. Dog owners at some buildings are subject to non-refundable fees and others charge nothing at all. I'm making an attempt to compile as much of this data as possible so that it can be used as a resource for those dog owning individuals who are looking to move onto or within the island. If you have any information to share, please post a comment. Thanks!




Riverwalk Crossing: Dogs weighing less than 50 pounds are permitted. There is no additional fee or deposit to have a dog(s) in this rental building. Information regarding your pet(s) will be added to your lease information.






Manhattan Park: Currently allows residents to have cats but not dogs. I've heard that the building owners are in the process of reevaluating this policy.









Roosevelt Landings (Eastwood): Allows dogs & cats. I don't have any additional or more specific information at this time regarding policies at RL.









Octagon: Dogs weighing up to 60 pounds are permitted. There is a non-refundable charge of $250 per dog. This charge is not a deposit, it is a fee and therefore it is not and will not be refunded when you move out, even if you and your dog have not caused any damage to the property or your apartment.






Rivercross is Roosevelt Island's only co-op building. The waiting list for an apartment at Rivercross is (as I have been told) very long and the estimated wait time to get an apartment there is 20 years. Currently, the policy is that dogs are not allowed with the exception of those covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act. There is however, a strong organization trying to change that rule. The group is called ARDOR, which stands for the Alliance for Responsible Dog Ownership in Rivercross.


Island House is a rental building. I have been told they allow dogs but do not have any further information or specific confirmation of their policies regarding dogs. The waiting list for this building is closed.







Westview is a rental building. I have been told they allow dogs but do not have any further information or specific confirmation of their policies regarding dogs. The waiting list for this building is closed.



Riverwalk Complex (Southtown) seems to have a standard pet policy for all of their buildings and policy is that dogs are permitted.

3 Dogs in a Stroller is Nothing

3 dogs in a stroller is nothing compared to this!

Roosevelt Island Perhaps Not Such A Great Deal Anymore

According to Bloomberg.com, apartment rents fell by as much as 18% in the second quarter. Citi-Habitats is quoted in the article as stating "On the Upper East Side, the average apartment price ranged from $1,617 for a studio to $5,214 for three bedrooms. One- bedrooms in that neighborhood averaged $2,133 and two-bedrooms cost $3,075."

Meanwhile, Miller Samuel President Jonathan Miller is quoted as saying, "the median rent downtown fell 2.7 percent to $3,200, while on the East Side the drop was 18 percent to $2,550."

Now go to the websites of the rental properties on Roosevelt Island and see for yourself how much the asking rent is for properties here on the island. It's no wonder the apartment vacancy rate on the island appears to be increasing at a positively terrifying pace. Rent prices like these make it no mystery why more and more people might think Roosevelt Island is not such a great deal anymore.

Why does my dog scoot his rear end on the ground?

Healthy Pet is a great website you can go to for answers about various pet related questions. For example, if you want to know why your dog scoots his/her rear end on the ground, Healthy Pet has an answer. Keep in mind, the answer provided might not be the only answer, but it is the most common explanation for the behavior.

Question Why does my dog scoot his rear end along the ground?

Answer This is not an uncommon problem. It probably means that your dog has full or infected anal glands. These glands help dogs to mark their territory through scent. They usually empty themselves every time a dog defecates. They can become clogged, however, and unable to empty, and sometimes infection can develop. When this happens, your dog feels a constant, itchy pressure. It can be very uncomfortable.

To get your dog relief, make an appointment with your veterinarian. She can empty (or "express") the glands, a messy and extremely smelly job, but one that will make your pooch feel much better. If the glands are infected, she can clean them and prescribe an antibiotic. If your dog has a chronic, recurring problem with infected anal glands, they can be surgically removed. For more information, talk to your veterinarian.

Analyze Your Rent

This is my new favorite tool. Rentometer analyzes your address, apartment size and rent payment to determine if what you are paying or if the asking rent price is too high, too low or just right.