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Out Walking the Dog is available for freelance writing and editing work.
e-mail: melissacoopernyc (at) gmail (dot) com
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tracking nature in the city & other NYC odysseys
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- Mastodons in Manhattan: How the Honey Locust Tree Got Its Spikes
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Out walking the dog 
June 6, 2016 at 1:11 pm
I was actually frightened last week when I went to Riverside Park with my big bag of peanuts to feed my squirrels (have not been to the park since last summer) and couldn’t find any! Where have they gone? Then I read this page and saw that Mange may be the reason. Is this true? My fear was they were missing due to rat poison. That would have made me contact PETA! When did this problem with Mange begin?
October 4, 2016 at 11:48 am
Sorry to take so long to reply! My post was written several years ago, and it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen mangy squirrels in Riverside Park. I haven’t noticed a decline in squirrel numbers, though its an interesting observation.
February 29, 2016 at 1:57 pm
Hi. Great blog. I’m looking for fellow city slicker nature nerds to guest blog for me, to paint a picture of urban wildlife across the globe. Let me know if you’re interested on being my NYC correspondent!
November 29, 2015 at 2:05 pm
Last Thanksgiving day I was hand feeding one of my neighborhood Squirrels. Just as I leaned out the sliding glass door with a peanut in my hand a Hawk was swooping in to take the Squirrel. The Hawk sort of flew over my head and went over to the fence and sat waiting To try again but I threw a rock at the fence and it left. Last October a Bald Eagle was purched in our tree scoping out the neighborhood for food. Normally if there is a predator near the Squirrels will purch on a tree branch make a crying sound.
April 27, 2012 at 3:44 pm
Hello Out-Walking-The-Dog!
I too am a writer and researcher – on the topic of Fatigue Recovery and the health benefits of …. pups and purrs. I am also a regular foster parent of either. It is easy for me to do as I work at home and they have blessed me ten-fold for my devotion.
Would you consider fostering a pup or purr? This would also be an adventure that could be written up and shared. Perhaps your experience could even start a trend among writers in NYC!
Fostering is a great way to help an animal without taking on either the financial or emotional burden. The medical costs are covered by the organization and a quality group gives the foster parent approval or rejection power over the adoption. Whenever my fur-friends move on, they do so to homes that are better than mine and I end up with friends for life!
A good friend of mine wrote a book about her experience fostering a pup and it is hilarious! Title is: The Dog Diet.
Look forward to hearing from you at your convenience!
Cheers!
Viveca
January 4, 2012 at 8:37 pm
Dear Melissa,
Happy New Year! We nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award—you can read about it, and why we picked you, here: http://windagainstcurrent.com/2012/01/04/versatile-blogger-award/
Warm regards,
Vlad and Johna
(windagainstcurrent.com)
January 5, 2012 at 4:22 pm
Wow! Thank you so much, Vlad and Johna. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know your amazing blog (readers, Vlad & Johna are scientists who spend their free time kayaking around NYC, writing & photographing). I’m surprised and delighted to know you nominated Out Walking the Dog. Thanks also for the link to your post about the Versatile Blogger Award. Cheers!
November 16, 2011 at 4:00 pm
Hi Melissa,
A friend of mine directed me to your blog. As a newly arrived Manhattanite (fr Westchester) and an Upper West Sider now, I am having a wonderful time getting to know my new neighborhood, as is my aging Golden Retriever, Willie. I thought you may like this story that I posted on my blog about how some kind NY’er’s in Riverside Park helped me get Willie home when he couldn’t make it on his own steam.
http://www.michaelsinkindds.com/blog/a-dog-day-afternoon-in-nyc/
November 18, 2011 at 8:16 am
I loved your story about Willie. Thanks so much for visiting.
April 23, 2011 at 10:27 am
My name is Dean Vogel. I am a dog owner and volunteer for the dog run in Riverside Park at 87th Street. Last year to fund a major restoration of the run (more than $75,000 – all privately raised) we created a directory of dog care providers – vets, walkers, groomers, etc. – which included listings for hundreds of dog care providers and was funded by 40 sponsors who received advertising space in the directory. The directory also included a number of brief articles. We are planning a new ediiton of the directory, this time to benefit the dog runs at 87th and 105th street as well as dog friendly initiatives in Riverside Park. I’ve really enjoyed your blog and was wondering if perhaps you would be willing to write an article for the new edition of the directory that might capture the essenceo of your experiences in the park walking your dog. Please let me konw if this is of any interest to you. You would do aus an enormous favor as we continue to raise money to make Riverside Park more accessible and hospitable to our dogs. I can forward addtional information to you if you would like to see the directory or learn more about the work we’ve been doing. Thank you.
Dean Vogel
April 25, 2011 at 7:37 am
Dean, I am delighted you wrote, and am sending you an email this morning.
August 23, 2010 at 6:19 pm
Great Blog — look forward to exploring some of these spots and thanks for writing
July 5, 2010 at 10:15 am
I also have a feather vase bouquet.I used to live on East 78 street which is a street that ends at the East river .I saw swans in the East River under the esplanade and once a huge praying mantis landed on my dogs back as I walked him up the ramp to the walkway.When I first moved there in 1995 there were feral cats but they were trapped and taken away.This resulted in an explosion of the rat population.I remember one summer day in 2006 there were so many young rats in John Jay park they looked like chipmunks they were frolicking in the planted border area on 78 street at Cherokee place.I always saw something on my dog walks so I really appreciated your stories.