It's A Dog's (Or Cat's) Life: Roxie, Senior Puggle, 'My Best Friend'

LONG ISLAND, NY — In our new column, "It's A Dog's (Or Cat's) Life we've invited Patch readers to share the stories of the pets that make their lives special. Here's this week's entry sent in by Sea Cliff resident Scott J. Borow, whose puggle Roxie, 14, has changed his life.

"I’ve always wanted a dog, my whole life but was never allowed as a kid. Of course, being a parent now, I can totally understand. I can say the wait for my best friend was definitely a long time running, but the result was spot on," he said.

"My wife Stephanie and I adopted Roxie in 2016. We had been going to the North Shore Animal League to find a young adult dog, and this particular day Steph picked out what we thought was a five-year-old cute face. Within seconds, she was listening to me like she’s been with me for ages. We don’t know anything of her backstory, just she had been there for a long while, three to four months — and she was actually eight years young, not five, like we were told."

It was then, Borow said, that their story began.

"For the first three years she traveled on so many car rides with us, went up and down the northeast. Beaches of Maine and Maryland, snow in upstate New York and Massachusetts, mountain hikes in Pennsylvania and New York, and restaurants and bars from Portland, Maine to Queens to Boston. Never a fan of toys, she was content with food, her people, and more food, and occasionally spilling over and checking out what’s in the garbage. Ya know, just to make sure she didn’t miss anything," he laughed.

For the last three years, Borow said, life has been a little different. "She’s gotten a little slower. She is our daughter's best friend (Allison has said so on numerous occasions!). She is the best nap-time buddy, cuddle bug and couch potato. She’s now fairly blind, mostly deaf and waking up at 4 a.m. for breakfast, before she snoozes the rest of the day until dinner."

Borow reflected on just how much Roxie means to his family. "She is the definition of why you should look into adopting a senior. So good with every person, child and dog (so long she can remain the queen) that she meets, we can take her anywhere, and just the best sleeping buddy you’ll ever have. If you are looking for a dog, spend a weekend with her, and you’ll never walk by a senior again."

About It's A Dog's (Or Cat's) Life

Pets are part of what makes our lives wonderful. Our dogs, cats, birds, guinea pigs, chickens and horses all paint the canvas of our collective lives with love, joy, humor and yes, sometimes crazy experiences.

Patch wants to see your pets. We want to see their photos and, in this brand-new weekly column, we want you to share the stories that make your pets special.

Patch wants to hear your dog (or cat, or chicken) tales. Send photos of your beloved four-legged buddies, as well as a short few paragraphs about what makes them special, extraordinary, or about the hilarious things they have done — and why you can't imagine your life without them.

Send your submissions to Lisa.Finn@patch.com. Please include the town where you live, as well as written permission to use the photos. Here's to celebrating our furry friends!