City of Dogs

In City of Dogs, Laura Z. Barket--and her gaggle of tiny dachshunds--took us on a tour of her Upper East Side home and neighborhood. In late summer, Ken Foster and photographer Traer Scott reunited with her (remotely) to catch up on life during the pandemic, the absence of live theater during the pandemic, her work with the ASPCA and the unexpected thrill of welcoming a new puppy.  And because we are all theatre nerds at heart, we also got her to talk about her almost accidental career as a producer, beginning with the huge hit Dear Evan Hanson.  

In this episode we talk with Jessica Dolce about her work as a compassion fatigue educator (and a dog walker and shelter volunteer) and what we can do to provide self-care as we help with others.  Whether we self-identify as "helpers" or not, we are all playing a role in the lives of other people and animals, but we also need to take care of ourselves to keep from burning out.  Jessica shares some of the key points of her work with individuals and organizations in the caring professions, and focuses on the joy that can be found in observing and celebrating resilience in those around us. If you are a pet owner or shelter volunteer or even if you are not, there is valuable information in this conversation.

For more information on Jessica, visit jessicadolce.com and compassioninbalance.com

In the City of Dogs book, we visited Monet with her mother Alfreda and daughter Jamila in the Fort Greene neighborhood in Brooklyn, where they share a house next to the BQE with a number of dogs, large and small.  In this episode, we talk to Monet from Long Island, where she's caring for her mother during the Covid pandemic, and Jamila in Fort Greene.  Among the topics: how growing up with dogs shaped their lives, what to do when your dog crashes your Zoom course or workout, and how we've all been self-reflecting during the Great Pause. 

Photo of Monet, Jamila and Alfreda by Traer Scott for City of Dogs, published by Avery.  

#largedogs #brooklyn #mastiffs #dogs #nyc

Dogs bring people together, but what does that mean when a pandemic forces all the public dog parks to close?  New York City Dog Trainer Garrett Rosso of Village Dogworks joins Ken Foster to talk about the history of Tompkins Square's First Run, what it is like to be back in Manhattan after quarantining in the country, and what the future of dog walking and dog parks looks like, including the annual Halloween dog parade, which draws tens of thousands of visitors.  

Photo of dogs courtesy Garrett Rosso.  

Author and Host Ken Foster is joined by Broadway Animal Trainer Lydia DesRoche and special guest photographer Traer Scott.  Together, they talk about Lydia's lifelong love of animals and her unexpected journey from a New Orleans childhood to top Manhattan fitness instructor and her unexpected turn to animal training, rescue and coaching dogs, rats, goats and chickens for work on the Broadway stage.  This wide-ranging discussion includes our collective love of pit bulls, and the many ways in which the unexpected lull of the pandemic quarantine can benefit our animals. 

Photo of Lydia and Red by Traer Scott for the book City of Dogs.  

You can follow Lydia on Instagram @lydia.d

In this introductory episode, Ken Foster talks with photographer Traer Scott about New York City and its dogs, their collaboration on the book City of Dogs, the important role dogs may play in the current pandemic quarantine and rebuilding community once the lockdown is over.