Happy New Year, New Decade, Birthday

I sure am glad to see 2009 go. To say there was turmoil in the newspaper business would be an understatement.

We can hope for better times in 2010.

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year.

I got Kate from the shelter on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in May 1995.

They estimated her age at 4-5 months, so I randomly picked Jan. 1 as Kate's birthday.

Happy 15th Birthday to the best dog in the whole world.

Here's what I said in my first blog entry March 19, 2007. Three changes: Kate is older (so am I), I've had her for over 14-1/2 years and I now cover southern Dutchess County.

I have a dog. Dogs are the superior pet. I’m sure others might take issue with that statement. But it’s a fact.

At least to me it is.

That said, this blog is here for you and me to talk about all kinds of pets: cats, ferrets, rabbits, fish, turtles, gerbils, you name it. Even dogs.

Let’s get the formalities out of the way. I’m a reporter for the Poughkeepsie Journal. My beat is covering the eastern part of Dutchess County. But enough about me. Let’s get to what’s important – and what brings us here.

My dog is named Kate. After Kate Hepburn. It’s the cheekbones. Kate is a (best guess) 12-year-old (even more of a guess) boxer/shepherd mix, who is (absolute certainty!) a sweetheart and the best dog in the whole wide world.

I know people have had pets as a part of their lives probably since the first time a caveman dropped a bit of roast mastodon on the ground and a wild four-footed furry creature snapped it up and wagged its tail in thanks.

But even after over 11 years of coexistence under a number of different roofs, I still look at my dog and marvel at the fact that I’m sharing my home with another species.

And another species that is entirely dependent on me. Some have said it’s like having a 2-year-old child who never grows up. I say it’s more like having a 2-year-old who never stops shedding.