VILLAGE PET PAGES By Joy Pape and Brian Pape

The Story of Grover, A Rescued Beagle

One early morning, I passed a man walking his dog on Christopher Street, picking up trash on the sidewalk and throwing it in the trash bins. It seemed they were street cleaning together. I thanked him for doing this for our community and he said, “Why not take care of where we live?” I was touched and thought our community should know more about Elliott and Grover. Here’s what he had to say. —Joy Pape

By Elliott Arnold

Owning a beagle has been a dream of mine for some time. I fell in love with the breed during the pandemic. An online semester of college and my boyfriend-at-the-time’s remote job meant that we could forgo a typical New England winter (for me) and Seattle winter (for him) for the deserts of Palm Springs, California. Our crucial companion on this trip was my boyfriend’s beagle, Ripley, who spent three months with us hiking in the desert, navigating a post-pandemic world, and baking in the sun. During this time I learned just how charming, devilish, cute, cunning, smart, and attitude-heavy a beagle can be. I look for that attitude in a dog.

After moving to New York City to begin school at NYU Law and living alone for the first time, the moment had come to finally realize this dream. I knew that I wanted to rescue a beagle as opposed to purchasing one, as the breed is notoriously used for experimentation and often abandoned after hunting season.

Grover came into my life on January 11 at 4:45 a.m. He is a tough puppy and his story is a testament to the power that comes from a strong will to survive.

He was a stray placed in a kill shelter and eventually discovered by Last Chance Animal Rescue to be transported to an animal sanctuary, all before he turned one. He was scheduled to be driven from South Carolina to the Last Chance headquarters in Long Island. Because I’m originally from New Jersey, where my dad still lives, I arranged a more central pick-up location: the Grover Cleveland Service Area on the northbound side of the NJ Turnpike (I-95).

A slow-moving snowstorm traveling upwards from North Carolina meant delayed travel. While pickup was originally scheduled for 12 a.m., Grover did not arrive until more than four hours later. Waiting with my dad, who graciously decided to accompany me, I knew immediately that Grover had arrived when a white van pulled into the rest stop just shy of 5 a.m.

In the most suspicious fashion imaginable, Grover and a handful of other rescue animals arrived in a nondescript white van — a surreal but fitting end to his journey north. The next moments still feel like a haze, perhaps due to the flurries of snow that turned an exciting night into something quietly magical. I walked up to the van. The driver opened the door. He pointed to Grover and asked, “Is this one yours?” I nodded. He opened the crate, I pulled Grover into my arms, and just like that he entered my life and found his forever home.

Since parts of his story will always be a mystery to me (I wonder how he survived alone on the street as a young puppy), I wanted to memorialize this moment as an integral part of a new chapter in his life. Before long, I landed on Grover’s name (at the time, Dorito); it comes from that moment at the Grover Cleveland rest stop.

Since moving to the West Village and leaving behind his southern roots, Grover has adjusted to city life quite well. He loves Hudson River Park and is a ferocious walker. Our daily routine involves heading to the Christopher Street Pier and then walking about 1.5 miles north to Little Island, which is close to his favorite dog park. He has been a great companion as I explore this new neighborhood. He loves to be outdoors, taking in his neighbors, the trees, the birds, and all the stimuli New York City has to offer. His favorite shop is Wooftown, where he loves to splurge on squeaky tennis balls, air-dried fish, and duck hearts. During the day, he spends his time at Biscuits & Bath, where he is considered one of the top five most energetic dogs. Thankfully, his friend, Callie, gives him a run for his money.

If you see us out for a walk, please say hi! Grover loves to meet new people. However, golf carts, skateboards, street cleaning trucks, and wheeled vehicles beware! You may be met with the notorious beagle bark-yell-scream-howl combination.