“Will they be in cages all day?” he asked. “I know my yard isn’t great. But at least the dogs can run and play here. They love to play.” Derek had lots of questions about the group that offered to shelter his dogs and find homes for them.  “Will they make sure the new family is good?” He […]

URGENT Help Needed!!! Can anyone provide temporary foster care for Monte the cat? Earlier this year we welcomed Blue (the dog), Monte (the cat), and their family to Ruff Riders. At the time, they lived in an apartment in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Rodney was unemployed, so we shared dog food and supplies to help make ends […]

Do You remember our Ruff Riders family members: Dilma and her dogs Caleb, Joshua, and Solomon? They were featured in Beyond Breed’s video on The Huffington Post: http://on.aol.com/video/dogs-of-new-york-celebrates-the-bond-between-nycs-humans-and-their-pets-518919643. Today we spent the afternoon at Brooklyn Cares Veterinary Hospital and Dental Clinic with Dilma and Caleb, who is suffering from chronic ear infections that are painful and uncomfortable. Now we could really use […]

We’ve talked to nearly 600 New York City dog owners through our project, “Dogs of New York.” Sometimes we meet dogs that go to work alongside their owners. Here are 7 “working dogs” we met on the job. “RED,” Brooklyn, East New York Red lives at a fire station in East New York, Brooklyn. For the past […]

We’ve talked to nearly 600 New York City dog owners through our project, “Dogs of New York.” Some trends have emerged in the process. Over and over, we hear stories about the therapeutic power of dogs to make us happier human beings, especially in our time of need. Here are 8 examples that stood out.   “NEEZY,” Brooklyn, […]

Are you a Parent? Teacher? Proud Aunt? Neighbor? Co-Worker? Romantic? We have Valentine’s Day cards that will make a BIG difference for New York City’s pet owners in need! We’re selling these Valentine’s Day cards to raise money for the people and pets in our Ruff Riders project: https://beyondbreed.com/ruff-riders/ This is a fundraiser, so we’re asking for a $15 donation […]

The following excerpt is from sociologist Arnold Arluke’s “Ethnozoology and the Future of Sociology,” published in 2003 in The International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy. The full article gives sobering proof that in the not-so-distant past, local humane organizations have teamed up with law enforcement to use pit bulls as a profiling tool for targeting […]

It seems like every month a new project pops up to “change perceptions” of pit bulls. From children’s books to merchandise, and even a march on Washington, there’s no shortage of requests for donations to fund these efforts. Which begs the question: Does “changing perceptions” require spending money? If so, I’d write a check and […]

I try to give people the benefit of the doubt and not make assumptions about why-they-do-what-they-do. Today I was reminded why that’s important. I was riding the subway to work when a woman sat down next to me. She starts clicking her pen, rapid fire. “CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK!” For most people this […]

With nearly 70 million dogs living in the United States, our four-legged friends are something that bring Americans together. We love our dogs and we love talking about them with anyone who’ll listen. It’s no surprise that animals are the #1 most popular cause shared on social media these days. While there are issues and organizations within […]