April 5, 2008 - Intro 13: Important Pet-Friendly Legislation. Nearly 2 years ago, Councilmember Tony Avella, of Queens, introduced legislation to clarify tenants' rights to replace a pet who may be lost to old age, accident or disease. This legislation has garnered 30 additional sponsors, including our own Councilmember, Alan Gerson. Unfortunately, Speaker Quinn has not allowed Intro 13 to come to a vote. On April 5, supporters of Intro 13, including BPC Dogs leaders and leaders of NYCDOG, the City-wide association of dog-owner groups, held a press conference at City Hall to demand action on this important legislation. Here is video of the news coverage:

October 28, 2007 - the 6th Annual BPC Dogs Halloween Puppy Parade, was held today along the Esplanade in BPC.

We started at the South Cove, and marched toward the North Cove and on to the Sirius Dog Run at Kowsky Plaza. It was a beautiful day, and dogs and humans had a wonderful time. Prizes were awarded for Best Costume - Large Breed; Best Costume - Small Breed; Best Owner & Dog Combo; Best Dog Team Costume; and best best Small and Large Dog Tail-Wagging. Click HERE for Photos.

August 20, 2007 - Suspected Dog Poisoning in Nearby Dog Run. There have been reports of dog poisonings at the Chelsea Waterside Dog Park. There have been no reports of similar activity in the BPC dog runs, but please be on the lookout. If you spot suspicious activity report it, use your cellphone camera to take a photo, get the attention of other dog owners nearby, and, most of all, be mindful of your dog. Watch for items left on the ground. If strangers appear to be feeding dogs, intervene. Here is a link to a WCBS story on the Chelsea incidents.

February 15, 2007 - Dog Electrocuted in our neighborhood. The 2/15/07 New York Times, reports that a dog has been electrocuted in our neighborhood, at Greenwich Street and Rector Street. Unfortunately, electric shocks from poorly insulated ground wiring are not uncommon. The problems are particularly severe on snowy, rainy or slushy days, especially when there is salt on the ground, because both water and salt can act as a conductor. Please see our Electric Shock Safety Page for important information on how to avoid this danger.

October 29, 2006 - the 5th Annual BPC Dogs Halloween Puppy Parade was held on the BPC Esplanade today, starting at the Volleyball Court near the North Cove Marina. Strong winds, threatening to blow the costumes off our local canines, caused a mid-parade route change, with everyone heading for the nearby Sirius Dog Run, rather than the North End Avenue Dog Run, as had been planned. We had a big crowd of brave, windswept dogs, with prizes awarded for Best Costume - Large Breed, Best Costume - Small Breed, Best Owner & Dog Combo and Best Dog Team - and Best Tail-Wagging Dogs. Click here for photos.

October 1, 2006 - Annual Blessing of the Animals. On Sunday, October 1, St. Joseph's Chapel in Battery Park City held its annual Blessing of the Animals in celebration of the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. It was a beautiful day and gave us a nice opportunity to welcome the fall season with a show of love and appreciation for our beloved pets. Click here for pictures.

June 19, 2006 - Gateway residents: Please do not let your dog urinate near the Steamers Landing Restaurant outdoor seating areas. Steamers is a great friend and neighbor to the BPC community.

February 14, 2006 - Angel on a Leash. One of our members, Greer Griffith, was honored at the Westminster Dog Show , for her work in coordinating a wonderful program with therapy dogs, called Angel on a Leash, which is sponsored by the Westminster Kennel Club. Angel on a Leash brings theapy dogs to the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital where the therapy dogs not only visit children at the hospital at their bedside, but they also work in occupational and physical therapy sessions.

October 29, 2005 - the 4th Annual BPC Dogs Halloween Puppy Parade was held on the BPC Esplanade, starting at the South Cove, and proceeding north to the new Sirius Dog Run. Prizes were awarded for Best Costume - Large Breed, Best Costume - Small Breed, Best Owner & Dog Combo and Best Dog Team. Click here for photos.

HURRICANE KATRINA - For those of you interested in the animal rescue efforts going on in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and how we might contribute to that effort, we have compiled information here regarding various organizations involved in the animal relief work, including links to these organizations' websites. In addition, BPC Dogs is working with the BPC CERT Animal Search and Rescue Team and City Critters to amass information and identify people who would foster and/or adopt animals rescued from the hurricane zone.

September 8, 2005 - Dedication ceremony for the naming of the new Kowsky Plaza dog run for K-9 Sirius, the Port Authority police dog killed on 9/11 - the only police dog killed in the attacks. See the Port Authority Police Memorial Web Pages for more information about Sirius. This moving ceremony took place September 8 on Kowsky Plaza next to the North Cove Marina in BPC. Click here for photos.

May 9, 2005 - The NEW DOG RUN on Kowsky Plaza opened Monday, May 9. If you have not yet visited the dog run, you and your dog are in for a treat, complete with bathing pool and small hills for the dogs, and benches and wonderful views for the humans. Kowsky Plaza has become BPC's "town square", and not just for dog owners. Click here for photos.



January 2005: See ELECTRIC SHOCK for important information about serious electric shock hazards in BPC.

The Third Annual BPC Halloween Dog Parade was held on Saturday, October 30, 2004, starting at the Esplanade Plaza next to the North Cove Marina - and heading to the BPC South Dog Run (Battery Place & 3rd Place), where prizes were awarded for Best Costume - Large Breed, Best Costume - Small Breed, Best Owner & Dog Combo and Best Dog Team. December 2003: Mercy, our local stray dog finds a home!

Word has it that NYC will be cracking down on unlicensed dogs. See this June 19 article in the New York Post, for one report on this subject. It's easy to license your dog. You can download an application at the NYC DOH website.

PEP "Zero Tolerance" Campaign -- UPDATE, March 17, 2003: As a result of meetings between BPC Dogs and BPCA representatives, we think the PEP situation should be back to "normal" now, after an ill-starred experiment with a strict "zero tolerance" enforcement policy. PEPs will most definitely still be on the look-out for dog-related violations, but enforcement going forward should be tempered by more common sense, with warnings, rather than summonses, being the weapon of first choice. Officials have pledged not to re-institute "undercover" dog regulation enforcement in BPC without prior consultation with BPC Dogs. If you nonetheless have PEP problems, please email us with the details. We will try to help.

Our own Bobby Concister of Le Pet Spa talks to the Daily News about preparing with your pet in these days of terror alerts.

Join BPC Dogs to stay informed, and to show your support for new BPC Dog runs.

BPC Dogs is a volunteer organization with approximately 600 members dedicated to responsible dog ownership in the Battery Park City community. Through our email distribution list, we keep our members informed of news and developments of concern to dog owners and dog lovers in and near Battery Park City. From helping pet-owners recover their animals after September 11 to working to make BPC once again a safe and welcoming neighborhood for dogs and their owners, we are here to serve you.

We are a member organization in the New York Council of Dog Owner Groups (NYCDOG).