VILLAGE PET PAGES By Joy Pape and Brian Pape

A Tail of Two Rescues

By Laura F. & Anne K.

Beth, who works at Greenwich Village Animal Hospital’s front desk, recommended we write about this family which has two rescue dogs with unusual stories. Thank you Greenwich Village Animal Hospital!
—Joy and Brian Pape

Our family’s blended story begins 11 years ago on a beach in Puerto Rico. Benson is our handsome Sato mix. Satos are known in Puerto Rico as stray dogs. He was found abandoned with his mom and two siblings in an area sadly famous for its stray population. Young, wild and vulnerable, he dipped and dodged his rescuers through the beach brush until he was finally caught by an organization close to the hearts of many Village locals, the Sato Project. Benny, as we affectionately call him, was soon flown to Animal Haven on Centre Street to find his new home, and that’s where our story begins.

My wife Anne, a nurse practitioner with deep ties to the city, was looking to rescue a puppy. She had heard positive things about Animal Haven and stopped in where she was immediately introduced to a sweet, 5-month-old puppy named Benson. She instantly fell in love with his airplane ears and his soulful stare. She had found her man. 

Benny was a sweet and gentle pup despite being understandably fearful of the new cityscape. He was more of a dog’s dog, comfortable in a pack but leery of new humans. Like a true New Yorker, Benson went through years of intensive West Village exposure therapy, tagging along to outdoor brunches at Cowgirl and for to-go coffees at Birch and Grounded. As those of us in therapy know, the path to healing isn’t always linear. Benson had some setbacks after escaping from his collar while walking with his dog walker on Washington Street. Benny was hit by a vehicle crossing the West Side Highway but somehow managed to find refuge at Leroy Street Dog Park, his happy and safe space. After physically healing, he happily trotted back into the beautiful flow of his Village routine.

Ten years on, Benny is the consummate city man, running happily along the Hudson River Greenway, alert to any street mischief and discerning about his favorite craft beer bars. His expressive eyes and expertly timed sighs have us convinced that he was a human in a previous life.  We can all learn something from this brave boy, particularly how to survive apartment life with a puppy romping at our feet!

Enter Hazel. Anne and I love a dog pack just as much as our boy Benny, so in an attempt to complete our family we went in search of our fourth wheel.

While scrolling through Instagram after a long evening of food and vinho verde in Portugal, we saw our girl posted for adoption by Rescue City. She came in the form of an extra-large, extremely outgoing rescue pup from Kentucky. Her joy was infectious, jumping through the screen like a real-life Air Bud. I told Anne she was the one and we applied (confident she would go to a family with a yard somewhere in the suburbs. There’s no way we could be so lucky to snag this sweetheart!) Luckily, we were wrong and she wiggled into our life this past May. 

As we say every morning, there’s never a bad day in Hazel’s world. Benny, now 11, was somewhat circumspect about his new baby sister but he tolerated her shark teeth and whiplike waggy tail like a champ. For her part, Hazel has been deemed the mayor of the neighborhood and the nanny to all the neighborhood kids. At 80 pounds and 10 months, she’s the gentlest giant — a yellow version of Clifford the Big Red Dog. 

Despite ten years, an ocean and two rescues apart, they’re now best buds. Benson continues to teach Hazel “dog code” and Hazel is making Benson more confident and youthful on our bustling little streets. 

They’re our world. Please say hello if you ever see us, we’d love to make them part of yours as well!

Learn more at:
Greenwich Village Animal Hospital
The Sato Project
Animal Haven
Rescue City