Category: Editorial Page

Poppy Says, “Time to Get a Dog License!”

Massachusetts law requires that all dogs be licensed with their city or town by April 1st of each year. To apply, you must have proof of a current rabies vaccination.

Normally, Boston officials send out packages reminding people with dogs to renew. I called Animal Care and Control to check if the mailing had gone out and found that it's been delayed this year and that the city of Boston plans to delay enforcement.

I don't know what this does if you are in another city or town with your dog, since it's a state law that requires a license. Better apply online or call the contact number at Animal Care to ask that a license package be sent to you now.

I put a reminder on my calendar on March 1st and have already applied online and received Poppy's Boston dog license. Here's the link for Boston. (Check your city or town to see if it offers this convenient service.)

My Poppy was already registered, so I typed in her current license number and all my information was filled in by the system. I uploaded a photo of her spay certificate and one of her current rabies record. Then I entered my credit card information and completed the transaction. The cost this year in Boston for a spayed dog is $16, including a one dollar processing fee.

When her license arrived, we scanned it and put a copy in Dropbox so that both Ed and I always have access to it on our phones. The tag was added to Poppy's ID set.

On a side note, Poppy would like to thank the person who cleared this park bench for her. She loves benches.

Low Cost Rabies Clinics

From the Facebook Page for the City of Boston Animal Care and Control, here is a list of the times and places where you can get a low cost rabies vaccination. The following information was given in two posts.

Fees:

"The fees for the rabies clinics are:
$5 for the rabies shot for Boston Residents
$10 for non-Boston Residents

License fees:
$15 for Spayed/Neutered Dogs
$30 for non-fixed Dogs"

Clinics:

"Saturday April 4th 10am-2pm
Codman Square BCYF Perkins Community Center
155 Talbot Ave

Saturday May 2nd 10am-2pm
East Boston BCYF Martin Pino Community Center
86 Boardman St

Saturday May 9th 10am-2pm
West Roxbury BCYF Roche Family Community Center
1716 Centre St

Saturday May 16th 10am-2pm
South Boston BCYF Condon Community Center
200 D St

Tuesday September 22nd 4pm-8pm
City of Boston Animal Care and Control
26 Mahler Rd"

Update 04.14.15 Since we didn't see any improvement in the list or access to information about low cost rabies clinics in Boston we hunted down this list from the state.

Why Should You Get a Dog License?

We've said it before and now we are saying it again. A license is proof that your dog has had a rabies shot. That's important to anyone who might have to help you find a lost dog or treat a hurt one.

It's really important to let the city know how many dogs live here and should be considered when the politicians do their planning and spend our money. Getting everyone to license their dogs will send a message. So, stand up and be counted!

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny Cherubino

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Get Ready for Amtrak's "All Aboard" for Dogs & Cats

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March 15, 2015
Lend Your Support to Allowing Dogs & Cats on Amtrak
We know that our family would travel more if the entire family were allowed to travel by train. Right now, there is a pilot program under way in Illinois and a bill pending in the US House (The Pets on Trains Act of 2015, or H.R. 674) that would begin to allow some people with dogs and cats to ride on Amtrak.

Poppy waiting for a ride on the MBTA

Our Westie Poppy is welcome on the MBTA outside of rush hours. All our dogs have been passengers on ferries in Boston Harbor, Provincetown, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and in Portland Maine. We have never witnessed an incident with dogs on any of these trips. And, on ferries, there is no size limit and no carrier is required.

If you think opening the rails to people with companion animals is a good idea, please contact your representatives in Congress and the President to ask for their support and quick action on the Pets on Trains Act of 2015, or H.R. 674. You can find the addresses here.

Responsible Access Only, Please

Not all dogs are appropriate passengers on all mass transit systems. And, it is often the worst case scenarios and most irresponsible people who ruin something like this for the rest of us. We would love to see a registry for dogs and cats allowed to participate, with microchip scanning as a part of the ticketed access.

This way you would only have to sign the responsibility waiver once and any person with a dog who jeopardizes the future of the program could be barred. It would be much better to have barriers to behavior than to size.

Here's Poppy in the back of a Zipcar. We do all we can to be sure her presence is not a problem for the next member to reserve the car.

Learn More and Take Action

Please take the time to learn a bit more about the value of this program to: those of us with companion animals, the environment, and businesses, then contact those who can make it happen. (As of this writing, our Representative, Michael Capuano of Massachusetts, is a co-sponsor of the bill, so we'll be sending him our support and thanks.)
- The sponsor of the bill, U.S. Representative Jeff Denham has said, “Last year I worked in collaboration with Amtrak, the Illinois Department of Transportation, and a small working group to launch a six-month pilot program to test the idea of having pets on trains,” said Rep. Denham. “This legislation builds on the success of that pilot program and would help families nationwide save money and time in traveling with their pets while bringing in much-needed revenue for Amtrak.”
- The original Co-sponsor, U.S. Representative Steve Cohen said, “For many Americans, pets are simply part of the family—and all of us lucky enough to have pets are incredibly blessed by the companionship they provide.” “I am proud to work with my friend, Congressman Denham, on this important legislation to ensure families can bring their pets when traveling on Amtrak and that pets aren’t left behind to fend for themselves.”
- The working group for this bill includes: the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), the Federal Railroad Administration, and Amtrak.
- Allowing people to leave the car behind and travel by Mass transit helps with the congestion on the highways and is less polluting.
- Businesses (like hotels, shops, and restaurants) that cater to people who travel with companion animals could see an increase in business if this passes.
- Thanks to our friend Amy Burkert over on Go Pet Friendly for inspiring this post. There is more background on this at her link.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino for Poppy on the MBTA and istockphoto for the traveling dog image.

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Angel in the Snow, Little Did I Know …

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February 22, 2015
Spread a Little Local Love for the Rest of Valentine’s Month

For the past week, there's been a lot of social media talk about getting out and supporting the local businesses who have been so badly hurt by the recent weather. We're adding our two cents to this message.

Pawsh Dog Boutique and Salon has toys for your four-footed valentines.

If you don't want to lose the small owner-operated businesses that are one of the best aspects of the Boston area, please get out of your homes and spend some money. Figure out what you need, or want to do, and then how you can do that with a local business.

We made the rounds of a few of our favorite shops this week. We restocked our wine rack at Bauer Wines on Newbury Street. They have a great selection of sparkling wines for your Valentine weekend celebrations.

At KitchenWares, Jim Hill says it's a great time to bring in your knives to be sharpened. He was telling us that some customers drop them off before heading away to warmer climes and pick them up upon return to Boston.

While we were there talking about the service, a local chef was picking out a new knife from their fine selection. He told us he had just had his very hard carbon steel knives sharpened at the shop and was very pleased. (Ed once gave me a knife for Valentines Day and I still smile when I use it.)

Onion Soup from Petit Robert Bistro

This week we had food delivered from a couple of local restaurants. Our meal from Petit Robert Bistro could have been a special Valentine's Day supper. We shared an assortment of pâtés, roast chicken, beef Bourguignon, tart tatin, and chocolate mousse.

Because we always think about how a menu item will travel before we order, our choices for delivery arrived in lovely condition. If you don't want to go out to dinner over the weekend, consider having a meal delivered.

However, we hope to get out and dine-in at some of our favorites. There are some foods like the Petit Robert onion soup and profiterole above that are better ordered and eaten at the restaurant. What's more, this will give you the opportunity to provide a tip for a member of the waitstaff who has been hurt by slow days and snow days.

If what you need is not local or if you are one of our readers from another part of the world, BostonZest is also a local business. When you are going to buy from one of the businesses that advertise here or pay us commission, we appreciate your support.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

February 13, 2015
Tips for Dealing with Uncontrolled Dogs
City neighbors can fall on two sides of a great dog divide. One group controls their dogs on short legal leashes, while the other group’s dogs are off-leash or uncontrolled on illegally long leashes. You’ll know the second group by the often recited cry, “Don’t worry, he’s friendly!” as their uncontrolled dog runs up to you.

But, He’s Friendly …

Yes, your dog may be friendly, but you don’t know what you would need to know about the people or dogs around you to make a long leash or off-leash decision. Trailing the equivalent of one or two car lengths behind your dog, you can’t control what is happening or communicate with people around her.
- A dog being approached may be reactive when on the leash like the one in the illustation above. (It's from the Boston Public Library's 19th Century American Trade Card Collection.)
- Or, your healthy pup may be bouncing toward a dog about to share a contagious disease.
- The person may be out for a quiet dog walk after surgery or injury and may not want your dog exciting their pup.
- Or, the dog may be old and frail and the person with the animal could be worried sick that one fall might be fatal. For years, I walked with a lovely, elderly Afghan named Crystal who was game for a walk but very wobbly. Her friends would form a protective circle around Crystal whenever we saw an uncontrolled dog near her.
What's Legal in Boston?

The city website lays out the rules in detail, “When your dog is off your property, it must be on a leash.” And, a Boston city ordinance is specific about the length of a legal leash saying that your dog must be, “… effectively restrained by a chain or leash not exceeding ten (10') feet in length.”

Your leash length and style should be determined by the size, temperament, and successful training of your dog. Short leashes are needed on crowded sidewalks and in places where you are likely to encounter the fools who don’t control their dogs properly.

Tips on Dealing with Uncontrolled Dogs

Since the problem is the human on the other end of a retractable leash or carrying the leash around their neck, I try not to get angry at the dog. I treat it like an unaccompanied stray. I also put little stock in anything the trailing person is saying. I don’t consider someone who routinely breaks the law as a reliable source of information.
- Protect Your Dog: Step between your dog and the approaching one. If you have a second person with you, one of you can make a U-turn with your dog while the other deals with the problem.
- Give a Command: Step into your strongest alpha dog pose, stand erect, and use your deepest, firmest voice (along with hand signals) and command the approaching dog to stop and sit! I’ve surprised myself at how often this works.
- “Please Control Your Dog:” By now, the person should be close enough for you to take a deep breath and ask them, as politely as you can, to please leash or control their dog.
- Don't get into a debate or discussion with the scofflaw. They will be sure they are right and you are over-reacting.
- Just walk away and remember what Mark Twain was famous for saying, “Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.”
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

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Words: Penny Cherubino (previously published as one of her City Paws newspaper columns)

Illustration courtesy of the Boston Public Library's 19th Century American Trade Card Collection (used under this creative commons license. )

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November 16, 2014
Exceptional Street Sweeping: Applause! Applause!

Yesterday, we spotted this gentleman from Public Works out ahead of the street sweeper on Marlborough Street.

He was sweeping the leaves away from the curb to enable the machine to do a better job at collecting them.

He coordinated his work with the driver of the street sweeper.

He also took a moment, now and then, to clear a sidewalk of leaves in front of buildings where the residents had not taken advantage of the street sweeping schedule to push their leaves to the curb.

As you can see in the photo above, this resulted in a great job! A big thank you to someone who obviously takes pride in his work.

If this is the new way of clearing leaves, we hope not to see a mess linger into the winter like we did last year. (See our post: The Case for Year-Round Street Sweeping.)

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny Cherubino

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Then and Now: Back Street Was Once the Shoreline of the Charles

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October 21, 2014
Then and Now: Back Street Was Once the Shoreline of the Charles

In the days before political manipulations created the dreadful Storrow Drive, Back Street was the shoreline of the Charles River. Here's a photo from the City of Boston Archives taken 107 years ago, on this day, in 1907.

Here's the scene in a photo I took last week.

Below is a map of what the area looked like a few years later, after a new dam created the Charles River basin and the mud from the dredging of the river was used to create a parkland beyond Back Street.

As you can see, what we call the Charles River Esplanade was identified as the Charles River Embankment.

This is an idealized postcard depiction of the embankment parkland. You could walk from your home on Beacon Street right into the park.

Next came the parkway along the river for pleasure drives. It was called a driveway back in the day and as you can see, you could pull over and enjoy the river scenes.

Then, in the 1950s, the ugly scar called Storrow Drive became a barrier between Bostonians and their riverside park.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny Cherubino with this link provided to historic photo from the Boston City Archives. The postcards are from a private collection.

October 17, 2014
Discussion on Teaching Life Skills, Like Cooking – Our Friday Link

I had already clicked over to National Geographic to read their post, Bring Back Home Economics: Three Food Writers on Teaching People to Cook, when I saw that one of the food writers taking part in this brainstorming session was Boston's own maven of many things food, Jacqueline Church. That gave the discussion great credibility.

Once upon a time, students at Boston schools learned life skills like cooking. The photo above, from the Boston Public Library Collection, is of girls at the Everett School in th 1890s. (I loved the old home economics photos in the National Georgraphic piece, so I went hunting for some local versions.)

Today, we have many adults who don't know how to feed themselves and resort to buying highly processed food and fast food that damages their health.

With each successive generation, fewer people have the skills these eight young women were gaining in the Boston Public Schools. (Photo from the Boston Public Library Collection.)

Or, this group of boys identified as being part of "An experiment of Miss Fuller's: boys' cooking class." (This is from the City of Boston Archives and is circa 1898-1899.)

Here's Jacqueline Church, a modern woman with a modern approach to teaching cooking skills.

If you cook, how did you learn? Are you a confident shopper? Are you feeding yourself in a way that is keeping you healthy or that addresses the health issues that concern you?

If cooking and feeding yourself is a goal you'd like to set for yourself, consider consulting with a professional like Jacqueline. Here is a link to her site where she explains how you can gain Kitchen Confidence.

Just as you might want to consult with a personal trainer to learn proper exercise techniques to achieve your fitness goals, you can turn to a cooking coach to "learn the skills you'll use for a lifetime," as Jacqueline says.

By the way, here is Jacqueline's own follow up post to the National Geographic conversation with a cooking lesson!

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: Boston Public Library and City of Boston Archives used under this creative commons license. Jacqueline Chruch photo courtesy of www.jacquelinechurch.com

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September 12, 2014
A Pour of Hospitality at Scoozi

Panini from Scoozi on Newbury Street are a regular take out order for lunch around here. But, this post is not about the great options on the menu but the small kindness we've noticed during the hot days of summer. On the counter, near the chairs where you can sit and wait for your order, is an icy carafe of water with lemon and a stack of cups.

Often, when out walking, we've stopped into Scoozi to place our order and welcomed this silent offer of a cool drink. Once, Penny thanked the woman at the register, who replied that it's part of their hospitality. She's right. It's a signal that this place is in the hospitality business.

We certainly run into enough restaurants that are in the celebrity business, the investment business, and the ego business. We appreciate it when we find places that are in the business of offering hospitality to their customers.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny Cherubino

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September 4, 2014
Great Hospitality at Jake’s Seafood in Hull, MA

We've been zipping down to Jake's Restaurant and Fish Market in Hull for years but we hadn't brought one of our dogs with us until recently. Our plan was to get some take-out and sit on one of the small stone benches they provide for folks waiting for tables on busy weekends.

I went in and asked the hostess if we could order take-out and if she had a menu I could bring outside to Ed so he could make his selection. I explained that we had our dog with us and would eat on one of their parking lot benches.

Her response was that we were welcome to eat on the patio if we didn't mind sharing one of the servers from inside. While the day had turned out perfect, the forecast had been for rain, so they had closed the patio for the day.

We didn't mind at all and set ourselves up at the corner table,

with this fantastic view!

I had a lobster roll on a grilled bun with fries and a bit of lemon and drawn butter on the side.

Ed opted for their Mediterranean Salad topped with grilled scallops. Check this menu for all the choices you have on top of a selection of salads.

And, as I noted in our post on Lobster Rolls vs Lobster Salad Rolls, Jake's does it right.

They have Jake's Original Lobster Roll. This is described on the menu as:

"Our classic! A full 1/4lb. of freshly picked lobster meat on a traditional hotdog bun (toasted with butter upon request), served with mayo on the side"

And, they have a Lobster Salad Sandwich:

"Freshly picked lobster mixed with our herb mayo & topped with sliced Hass avocado, lettuce & tomato, served on our toasted brioche roll"

The woman serving our lunch could not have been nicer, despite the fact that she had to leave her station inside and come out to the patio for one table. But, perhaps this great hospitality all around paid off because soon we were not alone out there.

If you take a ride to Jake's bring a cooler. The seafood market side of the business will have you taking home the makings of a second meal.

Thanks for the great hopitality Jake's, we'll be back soon!

What's on your Summer Fun shopping list? Shop Amazon – Get Ready for Summer – Everything You Need and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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August 19, 2014
Great Hospitality at Jake’s Seafood in Hull, MA

We've been zipping down to Jake's Restaurant and Fish Market in Hull for years but we hadn't brought one of our dogs with us until recently. Our plan was to get some take-out and sit on one of the small stone benches they provide for folks waiting for tables on busy weekends.

I went in and asked the hostess if we could order take-out and if she had a menu I could bring outside to Ed so he could make his selection. I explained that we had our dog with us and would eat on one of their parking lot benches.

Her response was that we were welcome to eat on the patio if we didn't mind sharing one of the servers from inside. While the day had turned out perfect, the forecast had been for rain, so they had closed the patio for the day.

We didn't mind at all and set ourselves up at the corner table,

with this fantastic view!

I had a lobster roll on a grilled bun with fries and a bit of lemon and drawn butter on the side.

Ed opted for their Mediterranean Salad topped with grilled scallops. Check this menu for all the choices you have on top of a selection of salads.

And, as I noted in our post on Lobster Rolls vs Lobster Salad Rolls, Jake's does it right.

They have Jake's Original Lobster Roll. This is described on the menu as:

"Our classic! A full 1/4lb. of freshly picked lobster meat on a traditional hotdog bun (toasted with butter upon request), served with mayo on the side"

And, they have a Lobster Salad Sandwich:

"Freshly picked lobster mixed with our herb mayo & topped with sliced Hass avocado, lettuce & tomato, served on our toasted brioche roll"

The woman serving our lunch could not have been nicer, despite the fact that she had to leave her station inside and come out to the patio for one table. But, perhaps this great hospitality all around paid off because soon we were not alone out there.

If you take a ride to Jake's bring a cooler. The seafood market side of the business will have you taking home the makings of a second meal.

Thanks for the great hopitality Jake's, we'll be back soon!

What's on your Summer Fun shopping list? Shop Amazon – Get Ready for Summer – Everything You Need and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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Luke's Lobster Weekend Pop-up: Lobster Roll Chronicles

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August 19, 2014