Woofs N' Whiskers

Hello, my fellow Animal Enthusiasts!

Guess what?? I just began a job as a Kennel Attendant at a boarding & daycare facility in Red Hook, Brooklyn called Woofs N' Whiskers. Yup, that's right! Al gets to spend their days cleaning for, taking care of, and playing with dogs and cats (and sometimes bunnies & reptiles too!). YES!!!

No more stress of dog-walking from door to door in Manhattan; millions of keys, dozens of miles, and 10-dogs-in-two-hours (as sincerely fun as that was...and more stories on that later!). No more sleep-less over-night sitting; spending days and weeks away from my own bed, being in places in New York City (or Jersey!) I may not want to be in, spending way too much money on food for someone else's kitchen...though, let's face it, that WAS really fantastic overall; and I'm sure I'll do it again now and then...

Willie: C'mon Al...you know you will...

But THIS, folks...THIS is what I want to spend my days doing. Being in one central location, looking after many animals at one time; feeding them, making their space clean and shiny, and making sure they are healthy and safe in every possible way. AND I get to work with some pretty fucking-amazing people!! All different; all open-minded; all respectful; all: Just. Plain. AWESOME.

And so...in honour of this fantastic new gig of mine (and while I'm still in training and don't have a ton of time to take many pictures of the animals I'm CURRENTLY falling in love with...) I thought I'd do a photo montage of what made all of those previously mentioned walking & sitting jobs fantastic and worthwhile. Like good ole' Willie up there; these are real photos I've personally taken of real dogs & cats I've had the pleasure of being in love with. Please enjoy! :D

Dog Walking in Manhattan With The Hoochie Poochie Club:

Truman & Bailey Love To Play!

GO, Billy Bob!

Ari: The Muppet-Puppy!

Daisy, Sadie, & Bernie; Best Group EVER.

Brucie: Stole My Heart

Freelance Dog Sitting AAAALLL Over The New-York-City Area:

Dante & Lulu...Much Closer By The End of the Weekend!

How Could I Read A Book Without Dasha??

Binky; The Diabetic Kitty!

Comfy Yet, Lucy??

A Special Shout Out To My "Firsts":

Rest In Peace My Beloved Friends

Benny; The First Dog I EVER Sat (Back In Rural Montana...). I Miss You My Best Buddy!!

Jordy & Griffy; The First Pups I Ever Sat In New York City; Only 18 Months Ago. I Miss You Both Like Crazy.

And Finally; A Shout Out To All My Rural, Non-Business, Childhood Fur-Babies!

My Beloved First Cat  & Best Friend Salem; Rest In Peace, My Main Man!

My Adorable Furry Pals Gidget & Olivia: Rest In Peace Pretty Girls!

Our First Dog; Niko. I Carried Him Home When I Was 8 Years Old & He Was Bigger Than I.  The Best Dog Anyone Could Ask For. Rest In Peace Big Boy!

(And An R.I.P. For Those Loved and, Sadly, Without Digital Photos: Curious, Angel, Fozzie-Bear, and Mr. T. :) )

(Don't Worry; No R.I.P.'s For The Following Cuties Waiting For Me To Visit Montana Again! :D )

Nilla Bean; The Wanna-Bee Dog & Most Loving Cat You'll Ever Meet!

Nikita-Banana! Just Turned 13 This Year. A Hilarious & Wonderful Boxer-Pug Mix; Adorable and Loved!!!

Princess: Who Lives Up To Her Name; And Won't Let You Forget It! Playful & Fantastic! ;)

The "Newest" Member Of The Family: Our Beloved Husky/German Shepherd: Mystery. :D

It has been an incredible year-and-a-half with all of my New York City furry-friends. And an incredible life with ALL of my fur-babies. I'm so very lucky. I've loved them all and have learned SO MUCH from each and every one of them (even if their cuteness didn't quite make the blog posting today...). And I am excited to take all of that experience with me to this next phase of my life. It's been an exciting journey; and it's just beginning!! :D

And on that note! :P Have a GREAT week, readers!! Stay awesome! :)

All the very best,

-Al :)