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in this issue:

Letter from the Editor

Doggie Business

Park Round-up

Crimestoppers, version 2!

PUPS Biz

Donate

Letter from the Editor

by Chris Franko

The Year of the Dog

Looks like 2006 really was the year of the dog! I just want to say a hearty thanks to everyone in the PUPS community who wrote letters, made (often frustrating) phone calls to City Hall, signed petitions, sent emails and made your voices heard during the lead up to the Juniper Park Lawsuit hearing. As you know, a judge recently ruled in favor of the Parks Department and our off-leash privileges will remain. So, may Santa fill your stockings and may your halls be decked – with PUPS calendars of course!

But although we won the battle, our struggles to remain responsible dog owners continues. So, as a friendly reminder, the following holds true, EVEN IN WINTER.

• Off-leash hours are 9 pm - 9 am. Can’t wait until 9 pm? Trek to Prospect Park, where the winter off leash hours begin at 5 pm.

• Clean up after your dog! Frozen poop is no “better” to step in than the fresh stuff. Besides, it thaws in the spring. So pick it up!

• Off-leash does NOT MEAN out of control. Pay attention to your dog and always be responsible for its behavior.

• Keep paths and intersections clear. Especially when it’s icy and slick.

• Keep an eye out! These holiday months typically mark a spike in mugging and theft. With more hours of darkness and fewer friendly faces milling about, there are more reasons than usual to buddy up after sundown.

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From time to time we like to give a shout out to local businesses that either cater to or have a direct link to PUPS and the Fort Greene dog community. Here’s three new enterprises or services that you may find useful:

Word Up: The Who's Your Doggy? Interview

We recently met up with Tracy Klonowski, co-owner of Fort Greene’s newest pet store, Who’s Your Doggy?, about her inspiration, hopes and her take on the community:

There are so many pet stores in the city. How is Who’s Your Doggy? different?

We want Who’s Your Doggy? to be a friendly, neighborhood place, a personable place where people remember your — and your dog’s — name.

Has owning a pet store always been a dream of yours?

My background is actually in fast food management. It became way too crazy for me, though – too corporate, everything about the bottom line. Then a friend who is a dog walker wanted to get into grooming but needed a place to do it. That put the idea in my head…

How did you decide on this location?

I literally took a phone book and a map and started dotting. Park Slope and Cobble Hill were already saturated. So I started doing some foot research and met people like April Walker (of the former Walker Pets) who was very helpful. At the beginning, we honestly didn’t even realize that we were next to a park with an active dog community and organizations like PUPS.

So what were your first impressions of the neighborhood?

We love it. Everyone is so friendly and really wants us to succeed here. When we first opened this summer, though, it was real quiet. There were no people anywhere. Everyone was on vacation. But as fall approached, we saw the foot traffic begin and we knew we made the right decision.

What’s in store for Who’s Your Doggy?

We’re still growing and we want to accommodate everyone’s needs, so we’re taking a lot of customer requests. By February or March we hope to offer grooming. Depending on the amount of space, we’ll have a “dog wash” area where for a fee you can use our water, dryers, shampoo, etc… The neighborhood seems pretty covered in terms of dog walking…so we’ll let the pros take care of that.

Tracy, holding Teddy, her 4-year-old poodle, with the Who’s Your Doggy? crew.

***************************

ScooterFood

Off-leash hours in Fort Greene Park represents playtime for some, but it just may have provided a spark of inspiration for PUPS member Michelle Lewis, who recently launched ScooterFood, a line of refrigerated canine cuisine that uses wholesome, all-natural, human-grade ingredients and contains no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. We wish her, and ScooterFood, lots of luck!

***************************

Sick as a dog?

Pet insurance can be confusing and costly, but Urbanhound (ny.urbanhound.com) has developed an all new pet insurance guide that compares costs, policies and that deadly "fine print" that can drive even the most zen-like policyholder over the edge. If you're considering purchasing pet health insurance or, want to see how your current policy stacks up against other, you're likely to find this guide quite useful.

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FORT GREENE PARK ROUND-UP

Rock Center!

Move over Rockefeller Center! Fort Greene now has its own “top of the rock”! By now you’ve all communed with the park’s latest addition: kids love playing on it, dogs love peeing on it and I’ve noticed more than one grown-up (myself included) scaling to the top. According to Park Manager Jeff Sandgrund, the rock is 400 million years old, weighs 14 tons and was part of the glacier that originally formed the East Coast. You should get your “rock on” while you can, though. Jeff says that the entire triangle will eventually contain a garden with a dedicated plaque and paths to access the rock. To protect the plants, Park Staff will ultimately install a fence.

For more info and pix, check out cool city blogs Razorapple www.razorapple.com/2006/10/30/costuming-a-10-ton-rock-for-halloween/ and local favorite The Brooklyn Record www.brooklynrecord.com/archives/2006/10/on_vanderbilt_a.html for their take on the borough’s most welcome new permanent resident.

***************************

The Fountain

…and while it may seem like an ice age ago that PUPS and Councilmember Tish James first met to discuss funds for a new dog water fountain, we’ve recently received word that a cast iron human/dog drinking fountain has indeed been purchased by the Parks Department and is sitting in their storehouse awaiting installation. Work is expected to start in May 2007 when the fountain will be installed as part of a much larger project to restore the Myrtle Avenue basketball courts. We're keeping our fingers crossed that we'll have the new fountain and improved drainage before the dog days of summer arrive!

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Give That Dog A Bone!

Notice a trend emerging in Fort Greene of canine crime stopping? Over the summer there was car-jack-thwarting Honey. This time around it’s Tim, the cat-burglar-bungling German Shepherd. Here’s PUPS Prez Nancy Peterson and Tim’s loving owner with the blow-by-blow:

“Like most people would be inclined to do, we told our two-year-old pup Tim to “go back to bed” when he started barking at 6:30 am one recent Sunday. But after his second bark, and a faint thud from above, we decided to take a look around.

Imagine our surprise when we found an uninvited guest — and an open window — upstairs. But judging from the look on his face, the burglar was more surprised than we were. And I know for certain that Tim, standing next to me when we caught him in the act of packing up our PC, had more than a little something to do with the speed in which the thief bolted out the window.

Thanks to Tim, the burglar fled before he had been able to get away with the goods. In the end all he made off with was a pair of binoculars and an iPod speaker. Unfortunately a neighbor across the street hadn’t been as lucky. The night before the same burglar had gotten in through her bedroom window and had stolen jewelry, electronic equipment and other belongings.

So the next time your dog wakes you up barking, don’t be too quick to tell them to “go back to bed”. They might be telling you to wake up for a good reason”!

Tim, waiting to pounce on the next intruder!

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PUPS BIZ

Holiday Coffee

Mark the date of December 16 and join us at the Fort Greene Park Visitor’s Center at 8 am for our annual holiday coffee get-together. Come say hello to the PUPs board and park staff. Warm up with a cup of hot coffee courtesy of Starbucks, goodies from Tillies and for your canine companions, doggie treats from Who’s Your Doggy?. Plus, last minute shoppers will have a chance to pick up a few stocking stuffers — PUPS 2007 calendars!!

***************************

Board Meeting

PUPs held its annual Board of Directors and Officers meeting in September and the following appointments were made:

Nancy Peterson, President
Kath Hansen, Vice President
Chris Franko, Secretary
Maurice van Swaaij, Treasurer

In back, from left: Maurice and Carly, Tim and Nancy. Front, from left: Kath with Bobby, Charley, Chris with Otis.

***************************

Great PUPkin

MC Justine Keefe, wowing a crowd of PUPkin fans with her microphone mathematics.

1st prize winner Great PUPkin grand prize winner, Ernest Hemingway.

More PUPkin pics can be found by going to www.fortgreenepups.org/events and clicking on the 2006 link.

***************************

PUPS Rootin’ Tootin’ 2007 Calendar

Be sure to buy your 2007 calendars before this “Most Wanted” item is sold out. Purchasing the PUPS calendar is a great way to support our on-going efforts. As well as constituting our major source of revenue, it also gives PUPS an opportunity to lend financial support to like-minded organizations and causes, like our recent donation to NYCdog, a group that was pivotal in defending off-leash rights in the Juniper Park lawsuit.

Pick them up locally at Tillie’s, Who’s Your Doggy?, Kiki’s on DeKalb and Woofs'n'Whiskers. Or place an order on our site by clicking on the “donate” button. For large orders, contact Nancy Peterson at info@fortgreenepups.org and arrange for a pick-up/drop-off.

GET INVOLVED!

• Submit articles for the quarterly PUPS newsletter this year.
• Volunteer to work on the 2008 PUPS calendar. We’ll start working on the calendar this spring and need volunteers to help with design, photo selection and sales.
• Volunteer to organize seasonal coffee get-togethers and new member sign-ups.
• Volunteer to organize PUPS members to participate in “It’s My Park Day” events.
• Get in touch with us if you have other ideas for activities that help promote PUPS’ Mission and improve Fort Greene Park

To submit articles or story ideas, please contact editor Chris Franko at newsletter@fortgreenepups.org. To get involved in the other above mentioned activities please contact Nancy Peterson, PUPS President at info@fortgreenepups.org

PUPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit so your dollars are tax-deductible. Donate now at fortgreenepups.org or mail a check to:
Fort Greene PUPS, Inc.
PO Box 103
542 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217

Thanks for supporting PUPS!

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		If you can't see this, click here




in this issue: Letter from the Editor Doggie Business Park Round-up Crimestoppers, version 2! PUPS Biz Donate	Letter from the Editor by Chris Franko The Year of the Dog Looks like 2006 really was the year of the dog! I just want to say a hearty thanks to everyone in the PUPS community who wrote letters, made (often frustrating) phone calls to City Hall, signed petitions, sent emails and made your voices heard during the lead up to the Juniper Park Lawsuit hearing. As you know, a judge recently ruled in favor of the Parks Department and our off-leash privileges will remain. So, may Santa fill your stockings and may your halls be decked – with PUPS calendars of course! But although we won the battle, our struggles to remain responsible dog owners continues. So, as a friendly reminder, the following holds true, EVEN IN WINTER. • Off-leash hours are 9 pm - 9 am. Can’t wait until 9 pm? Trek to Prospect Park, where the winter off leash hours begin at 5 pm. • Clean up after your dog! Frozen poop is no “better” to step in than the fresh stuff. Besides, it thaws in the spring. So pick it up! • Off-leash does NOT MEAN out of control. Pay attention to your dog and always be responsible for its behavior. • Keep paths and intersections clear. Especially when it’s icy and slick. • Keep an eye out! These holiday months typically mark a spike in mugging and theft. With more hours of darkness and fewer friendly faces milling about, there are more reasons than usual to buddy up after sundown. back to top From time to time we like to give a shout out to local businesses that either cater to or have a direct link to PUPS and the Fort Greene dog community. Here’s three new enterprises or services that you may find useful: Word Up: The Who's Your Doggy? Interview We recently met up with Tracy Klonowski, co-owner of Fort Greene’s newest pet store, Who’s Your Doggy?, about her inspiration, hopes and her take on the community: There are so many pet stores in the city. How is Who’s Your Doggy? different? We want Who’s Your Doggy? to be a friendly, neighborhood place, a personable place where people remember your — and your dog’s — name. Has owning a pet store always been a dream of yours? My background is actually in fast food management. It became way too crazy for me, though – too corporate, everything about the bottom line. Then a friend who is a dog walker wanted to get into grooming but needed a place to do it. That put the idea in my head… How did you decide on this location? I literally took a phone book and a map and started dotting. Park Slope and Cobble Hill were already saturated. So I started doing some foot research and met people like April Walker (of the former Walker Pets) who was very helpful. At the beginning, we honestly didn’t even realize that we were next to a park with an active dog community and organizations like PUPS. So what were your first impressions of the neighborhood? We love it. Everyone is so friendly and really wants us to succeed here. When we first opened this summer, though, it was real quiet. There were no people anywhere. Everyone was on vacation. But as fall approached, we saw the foot traffic begin and we knew we made the right decision. What’s in store for Who’s Your Doggy? We’re still growing and we want to accommodate everyone’s needs, so we’re taking a lot of customer requests. By February or March we hope to offer grooming. Depending on the amount of space, we’ll have a “dog wash” area where for a fee you can use our water, dryers, shampoo, etc… The neighborhood seems pretty covered in terms of dog walking…so we’ll let the pros take care of that. Tracy, holding Teddy, her 4-year-old poodle, with the Who’s Your Doggy? crew. ************************* ScooterFood Off-leash hours in Fort Greene Park represents playtime for some, but it just may have provided a spark of inspiration for PUPS member Michelle Lewis, who recently launched ScooterFood, a line of refrigerated canine cuisine that uses wholesome, all-natural, human-grade ingredients and contains no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. We wish her, and ScooterFood, lots of luck! ************************* Sick as a dog? Pet insurance can be confusing and costly, but Urbanhound (ny.urbanhound.com) has developed an all new pet insurance guide that compares costs, policies and that deadly "fine print" that can drive even the most zen-like policyholder over the edge. If you're considering purchasing pet health insurance or, want to see how your current policy stacks up against other, you're likely to find this guide quite useful. back to top FORT GREENE PARK ROUND-UP Rock Center! Move over Rockefeller Center! Fort Greene now has its own “top of the rock”! By now you’ve all communed with the park’s latest addition: kids love playing on it, dogs love peeing on it and I’ve noticed more than one grown-up (myself included) scaling to the top. According to Park Manager Jeff Sandgrund, the rock is 400 million years old, weighs 14 tons and was part of the glacier that originally formed the East Coast. You should get your “rock on” while you can, though. Jeff says that the entire triangle will eventually contain a garden with a dedicated plaque and paths to access the rock. To protect the plants, Park Staff will ultimately install a fence. For more info and pix, check out cool city blogs Razorapple www.razorapple.com/2006/10/30/costuming-a-10-ton-rock-for-halloween/ and local favorite The Brooklyn Record www.brooklynrecord.com/archives/2006/10/on_vanderbilt_a.html for their take on the borough’s most welcome new permanent resident. *************************** The Fountain …and while it may seem like an ice age ago that PUPS and Councilmember Tish James first met to discuss funds for a new dog water fountain, we’ve recently received word that a cast iron human/dog drinking fountain has indeed been purchased by the Parks Department and is sitting in their storehouse awaiting installation. Work is expected to start in May 2007 when the fountain will be installed as part of a much larger project to restore the Myrtle Avenue basketball courts. We're keeping our fingers crossed that we'll have the new fountain and improved drainage before the dog days of summer arrive! back to top Give That Dog A Bone! Notice a trend emerging in Fort Greene of canine crime stopping? Over the summer there was car-jack-thwarting Honey. This time around it’s Tim, the cat-burglar-bungling German Shepherd. Here’s PUPS Prez Nancy Peterson and Tim’s loving owner with the blow-by-blow: “Like most people would be inclined to do, we told our two-year-old pup Tim to “go back to bed” when he started barking at 6:30 am one recent Sunday. But after his second bark, and a faint thud from above, we decided to take a look around. Imagine our surprise when we found an uninvited guest — and an open window — upstairs. But judging from the look on his face, the burglar was more surprised than we were. And I know for certain that Tim, standing next to me when we caught him in the act of packing up our PC, had more than a little something to do with the speed in which the thief bolted out the window. Thanks to Tim, the burglar fled before he had been able to get away with the goods. In the end all he made off with was a pair of binoculars and an iPod speaker. Unfortunately a neighbor across the street hadn’t been as lucky. The night before the same burglar had gotten in through her bedroom window and had stolen jewelry, electronic equipment and other belongings. So the next time your dog wakes you up barking, don’t be too quick to tell them to “go back to bed”. They might be telling you to wake up for a good reason”! Tim, waiting to pounce on the next intruder! back to top PUPS BIZ Holiday Coffee Mark the date of December 16 and join us at the Fort Greene Park Visitor’s Center at 8 am for our annual holiday coffee get-together. Come say hello to the PUPs board and park staff. Warm up with a cup of hot coffee courtesy of Starbucks, goodies from Tillies and for your canine companions, doggie treats from Who’s Your Doggy?. Plus, last minute shoppers will have a chance to pick up a few stocking stuffers — PUPS 2007 calendars!! *************************** Board Meeting PUPs held its annual Board of Directors and Officers meeting in September and the following appointments were made: Nancy Peterson, President Kath Hansen, Vice President Chris Franko, Secretary Maurice van Swaaij, Treasurer In back, from left: Maurice and Carly, Tim and Nancy. Front, from left: Kath with Bobby, Charley, Chris with Otis. *************************** Great PUPkin MC Justine Keefe, wowing a crowd of PUPkin fans with her microphone mathematics. 1st prize winner Great PUPkin grand prize winner, Ernest Hemingway. More PUPkin pics can be found by going to www.fortgreenepups.org/events and clicking on the 2006 link. ************************* PUPS Rootin’ Tootin’ 2007 Calendar Be sure to buy your 2007 calendars before this “Most Wanted” item is sold out. Purchasing the PUPS calendar is a great way to support our on-going efforts. As well as constituting our major source of revenue, it also gives PUPS an opportunity to lend financial support to like-minded organizations and causes, like our recent donation to NYCdog, a group that was pivotal in defending off-leash rights in the Juniper Park lawsuit. Pick them up locally at Tillie’s, Who’s Your Doggy?, Kiki’s on DeKalb and Woofs'n'Whiskers. Or place an order on our site by clicking on the “donate” button. For large orders, contact Nancy Peterson at info@fortgreenepups.org and arrange for a pick-up/drop-off. GET INVOLVED! • Submit articles for the quarterly PUPS newsletter this year. • Volunteer to work on the 2008 PUPS calendar. We’ll start working on the calendar this spring and need volunteers to help with design, photo selection and sales. • Volunteer to organize seasonal coffee get-togethers and new member sign-ups. • Volunteer to organize PUPS members to participate in “It’s My Park Day” events. • Get in touch with us** if you have other ideas for activities that help promote PUPS’ Mission and improve Fort Greene Park To submit articles or story ideas, please contact editor Chris Franko at newsletter@fortgreenepups.org. To get involved in the other above mentioned activities please contact Nancy Peterson, PUPS President at info@fortgreenepups.org PUPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit so your dollars are tax-deductible. Donate now at fortgreenepups.org or mail a check to: Fort Greene PUPS, Inc. PO Box 103 542 Atlantic Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11217 Thanks for supporting PUPS! back to top