First Post

Our first post. It started like this. One day in 2002 walking down Lexington Avenue I passed by a store I usually avoided.  It displayed barking little dogs like shoes in its window.  The city smelled of soot and despair.  I was too early for an appointment and decided the store could not possibly smell worst than the streets. I glanced around aimlessly for a while, and I noticed a little black and white dog.  I knew those awful stores were called puppy mills, that the responsible thing was to contact a breeder to get a pet. But after noticing this small puppy with bloody paws on metal grills chasing her own tail and barking in a small cage, too narrow and tiny, even for her, and a crude price tag attached, I was furious!.  I had to save her. 

Growing up I  dragged home street cats and street dogs ( they were plenty in 70’s Istanbul)  only to be told: ‘ There are people in need!. What a crazy notion! Animals don’t belong in houses, they are dangerous fleabags!’ 

I was intrigued by their wildness and freedom. So much more interesting than people. Although I was a bit frightened of them I also loved their presence, waiting for me in front of our house,  in front of butcher shops. 

Loving a creature is no small feat to begin with and try it on an alien who needs 24 hour room service and 24 hour bathroom duty and training and learning a new woof language.   But, unlike human babies they don’t grow up and leave and end up annoying you.   Betrayal, malice, meanness are unknown territory to them;  they dwell only in Love and Treats.  Their quiet presence is a balm, and it makes the medicine go down, as Mary Poppins sings.

And as we all know what a drug is Love  and we were hooked!

We named her Babette, and to honour her namesake  we made a big feast!

Read on…