Woof! Welcome to Dog Diaries — a weekly series where the dogs run the show. New York City is filled with hundreds of dogs of all ages, sizes, breeds, and personalities. And we’re going to meet them all! Well, we’re certainly going to try. This week we’re spotlighting the dogs in Union Square Park. 

Dear Dog Diary, 

New York City is not known for its open spaces, hiking trails, or national parks. So what is there to offer dogs? Instead, the city folk pamper their pooches with apartment life, strolls down Fifth Avenue, and picnics in Central Park. Where there’s a person, there’s usually a dog. The urban environment doesn’t keep them away. They’re everywhere! 

And thank goodness because otherwise I’d be starved for cuteness. Cute dogs vs. cute humans? There is no competition. Dogs, all the way. Besides, they’re much less likely to break your heart.

Happy dog, happy life is the motto here in the city. There is something so special about seeing the exciting lives of dogs in a city as chaotic and stimulating as New York. Especially when their lives seem better than mine (something to aspire to, I suppose). This week, I met several pups at the Union Square Dog Run, a mere five-minute walk from the University Center. In the midst of the chaos that is Union Square, these adorable pups big and small hold more attention than the wacky people. 

Brody, he/him, 10 ½-year-old golden retriever

I’ve never been a person who could walk past a golden retriever, so when I saw Brody — the most handsome, calm, and happy-looking boy — I had to stop and say hello. 

According to his owner, John, Brody is a professional commuter, living most of the time in New York City and part-time in New Jersey. “He loves the ocean, he loves the beach, and he loves people,” John told me. At least Brody can find one of those things every day in the city, where there is no shortage of people. Despite Brody living into his golden years (get it?), John hasn’t been so lucky in the past. “He’s our second golden from the same breeder. First golden got Lyme disease, and his kidneys had a problem, and only lived to 4,” John said. “But now Brody is 10 and a half and doing very well.” Here’s wishing Brody many more years. Before I left, John eyed the skateboarder near us, and said, “He goes crazy for skateboards … if [the guy] gets up and rides away, you’ll see what I mean.” So if you find yourself skateboarding in Union Square Park, watch out, Brody might be coming your way.

Bobo, she/her, 3-year-old Havanese-dachshund mix

Bobo is going to be 4 years old in April, and “we both just moved to New York together last week,” her owner Trinity shared. Trinity rescued Bobo from a shelter in Colorado, meaning Bobo had to travel a long distance to become a city girl. “Now I’m just trying to acclimate her to the New York environment. I think she’s excited about it, but she’s also very shy. So I’m trying to get her out a lot and not pressure her too much into socializing, but just get her comfortable with it,” Trinity said. One step at a time, Bobo. Despite Bobo’s size, she is small but mighty: “She’s a small dog, but she doesn’t really know it,” Trinity said. There is no written rule that every small dog should wear cute small clothing, but I think there should be. However, Bobo would disagree. “She hates wearing clothes, which is sad because I bought her so many,” Trinity told me. With such an original name as Bobo, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ask about the meaning behind it. Trinity shared, “I was going to name her Boba because she’s small and black. But I told my mom, and she said I should name her Bobo because that’s Cantonese for precious, and that’s what we speak.” 

If you see Bobo, make sure to give her and Trinity a nice warm welcome to the city! 

Valla, she/her, a Rhodesian ridgeback-German shepherd mix

Valla is named after a city in Mexico called Valladolid. She is a Rhodesian ridgeback-German shepherd mix, or as her owner Huan Huan proudly called her, a “super mutt.” Huan Huan and her boyfriend rescued Valla at a shelter in Indiana after the pup’s mom was rescued from a fighting ring. Valla was the only pup left in the shelter. “We saw her and we loved her, but also there [was] no other option,” Huan Huan said. Sounds like fate to me. Valla is an outdoorsy girl; she loves to hike, go to parks, and stick her head out of the car window — the usual dog quirks. Huan Huan mentioned, “She’s a great car dog because she’s a COVID puppy. When she was younger, we would take her on road trips during the pandemic. So she’s been to a lot of national parks and state parks, and is very familiar with the car ride.” 

However, Valla’s special trait is her picky expectations of her water. “We live on the sixth floor where the water doesn’t get really cold, and she doesn’t want to drink warm water so we have to fill up her water bowl, put it in the fridge, cool it, and then she’ll drink it,” Huan Huan told me. So if you see Valla, you can easily win her heart with some cold water.

Kobe, he/him, a 3-year-old pit bull

Yes, he’s named after Kobe Bryant. Despite people’s judgment towards pit bulls, Kobe is the sweetest pup ever and is also a service dog. Prince, Kobe’s owner, is diabetic and lost half his hearing due to an injury. Prince trained Kobe himself to be his service dog and alert him to certain things, whether it’s health or safety-wise. Prince figured the best way to solve his loneliness during the pandemic was to get a dog, which led him to rescue Kobe from a church. “He saved my life,” Prince said. I think there is something to be said for COVID dogs because as much as it was a great time to adopt a pup, it was just as equally a bad time for dogs being surrendered to shelters or abandoned altogether. 

Kobe is an amazing dog who saves lives, spreads love, and most surprisingly, loves riding scooters. 

Betsy, she/her, 14-year-old yorkie-Italian greyhound mix

Last, but certainly not least, meet Betsy. 

“She’s really funny, super sweet, and she’s just the perfect friend,” Betsy’s owner Erica told me. Erica rescued Besty in Northern Indiana after seeking out the smallest dog she could find. “Because they live longer in theory,” Erica said. “She was the tiniest dog I could find on Petfinder. She was in Indiana, so I went and got her. I want her to live forever.” And who wouldn’t? There’s something so endearing about small dogs with their tongues hanging out. How can you not instantly love her?

While it may be surprising to some that New York is a dog-loving city, I find it one of the least surprising things about this place. Anyone can get lonely, and who wouldn’t want a furry friend by their side? All dogs, big and small, are wonderful company — and good company means everything. As long as you can take care of them, I highly recommend canine companionship in the city.