Box Turtle
When Yorkie-poos Fly
People like to bring their pets everywhere these days. Teacup pigs trot on leashes in Central Park, and Yorkie-poos in duffelbags yap from under the middle seats in airplanes. During the pandemic, as fliers started to exploit the "service animal" gambit beyond reason, some airlines cut back on allowing pets in the cabin. Others have long designated big dogs as cargo, to be stored near the golf clubs and other oversized luggage in a plane's belly.
Matt Meeker, a serial entrepreneur (in 2002, he co-founded Meetup, the network of offline hobbyists), saw a problem in need of a solution. Earlier this year he started up Bark Air, which markets itself as "a 100% totally real airline for dogs." The Thursday before Memorial Day weekend, several four-legged passengers checked in at a Signature Aviation terminal at Westchester County Airport, for Bark Air's inaugural flight—a six-hour trip to Los Angeles, aboard a chartered Gulfstream V (a "G-five," to regulars). The flight manifest: Eddie (golden retriever, native of Wyoming), Brooklyn (dachshund-Pomeranian, from Texas), Poppy (white-haired Chihuahua, terrified), and Tola (Prague ratter, frequent flier), plus their humans. Skyler, an elderly Shar-Pei, was apparently stuck in traffic.
Meeker, who wore jeans and a black T-shirt covered in dog hair, was on hand to greet the first passengers. He knew his audience. "Imagine putting your toddler in a bag and shoving them in front of a seat—although we might want to from time to time," he said. "It's unthinkable!" He explained that his inspiration was his own Great Dane, Hugo (R.I.P.), who never got to fly, because he didn't fit under the seat. In March, Meeker said, as part of his research, he crawled into a dog crate, at Naples Airport, in Florida, and flew in the cargo hold of a G-five to Long Island. "It's an absolute horror show," he said.
Bark Air is a lot like Delta or United, except that instead of an air marshal there's an onboard veterinary technician who is trained in doggie CPR. A ticket to Los Angeles runs six thousand dollars, for human and pooch. To bring prices down, Meeker is in talks to purchase a Boeing 747 from an Israeli man who is moving some jets. Meeker dreams of retrofitting the interior with two dog runs and enough lie-flat beds for seventy-seven pups. He also runs the airline's publicly traded parent company—ticker symbol: BARK—which has hired designers from Lego and Nickelodeon to create bespoke toys and treats, and has hosted an outdoor music festival for dogs.
At the terminal, Jim King, a bald and bearded Bark Air pilot, wore a nametag that read "Furst Class Crew." He told a story about the time he transported a dolphin from Chicago to Miami in the back of a freight aircraft: "We hung a cargo strap like a hammock, and put him in there!" (The dolphin's handlers sponged him down every so often to keep him alive.) King looked over at his fur-bearing passengers, who were snuffling one another's rears. "I'd rather fly these puppies than people," he said.
"Let's not tell your mother about any male-bonding experience we might have had while dodging traffic at Columbus Circle."
Cartoon by P. C. Vey
The flight was scheduled to depart at 4 P.M. At four-oh-three, a Boykin spaniel named K9 Little, employed by a security firm, sniffed the dog owners' bags, looking for cocaine and cash. Skyler, the Shar-Pei, was a no-show.
Onboard, the humans sat down and buckled in (seat belts were required only for turbulence, takeoff, and landing; otherwise, pups and their people were free to roam the cabin). "Doggie Fine Dining" menus were distributed, as well as an "in-flight safety manual that puts dogs first." Among the instructions:
NO CATS PERMITTEDTIME TO GO POTTY? GOOD BOY! FEEL FREE TO RELIEVE YOURSELF WHEREVER YOU WANTYES, LITERALLY WHEREVER. IT'S TOTALLY FINE
After takeoff, a Bark Air concierge noticed that Poppy the Chihuahua was shaking with fright. Reaching into what she called her "trusty just-in-case bag," she proffered a complimentary "happy hoodie," which was strapped around the dog's tiny head. It resembled a weighted balaclava, and it seemed to do the trick. No canine passengers took the opportunity to relieve themselves, but, in case nature did call, the flight attendant was ready with wee-wee pads. At cruising altitude, Eddie ran up and down the aisle drooling on everyone. As refreshments, passengers could choose from hunks of pork, a "Barkaccino" (whipped cream topped with powdered chicken), bacon-flavored "calming supplements," and various beverages, including "Doggie Champagne" (organic chicken-bone broth). Bowls were provided for those who hadn't brought their own.
About halfway to L.A., Poppy slobbered over an apple-and-banana "cupcake" with potato-honey-yogurt "frosting." Tola reluctantly accepted a spa treatment, which included a massage with paw balm. Brooklyn looked out a window at the Grand Canyon, forty-three thousand feet below. Eddie licked his balls. ♦
Three-bedroom Family Home On Sale For £65,000 Is Covered In Bird Poo After Animals Move Into The Dilapidated Property
With living costs soaring, moving in with strangers is becoming an increasingly common choice, but one family could be in for the most unique house-share yet.
A three-bedroom family home in Blackpool has hit the market for £65,000, but alongside an already extensive DIY job, the next owners will have to start life by shooing away a flock of resident pigeons.
The bargain buy includes three bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, a lounge, and a dining room.
Pictures of the semi-detached property show that the interior - much of which is rubbish which will need throwing out - is coated in a thick layer of bird poo.
Some of the images reveal the source of this unpleasant decor - a handful of pigeons perched on cabinets, a wardrobe and even some wallpaper as it peeled off the wall.
Young families might think this three-bed semi-detached house in Blackpool is a snip at £65,000 just looking at the outside, but there is a catch
The home's interior has been completely ruined by a combination of rubbish left by previous owners, and pigeon squatters who have drenched the place in their excrement
The birds were pictured perched on cabinets, a wardrobe and even some wallpaper as it peeled off the wall ahead of the house's sale
The bathroom boasts quite possibly the least tasteful bird bath in history
The house went viral on Reddit, where users had fun spotting the four birds hidden in various nooks and crannies throughout. One is seen mid-flight
The brazen birds' attitudes to being photographed do not bode well for whichever family ends up moving into the home, since they appear to have been unphased by whoever walked in on them previously.
This is a shame as from the outside, the property looks like a traditional, semi-detached family home with a front hedge allowing for added privacy from the road.
Along the kitchen surfaces and worktops, going into the bedrooms, living room and the bathroom, there is mould, debris and most notably - droppings.
That includes a remarkable amount in the bath tub - with the pigeons putting a new twist on the traditional bird bath.
There is also a hole in the living room ceiling - perhaps a small price to pay for a relatively excrement-free zone.
There is a hole in the living room ceiling but on the plus side, the damage appears to have put the birds off
A glacier of guano is seen covering the stairs
Whoever inherits the property will have difficulty knowing where to start out of the extensive belongings left by the previous owner and the infesting flock of birds
There is also mould throughout the property - not helped by the current occupants
The large back garden is an overgrown mess, with a picture showing signs of even more garbage lurking amongst the matted plants
The property is set to be sold via auction with Auction House Fulwood next week
The house went viral on Reddit, where users had fun spotting the four birds hidden in various nooks and crannies throughout.
And the work does not end there. The large back garden is an overgrown mess, with a picture showing signs of even more garbage lurking amongst the matted plants.
However, the size of the garden, and house, does offer the promise of becoming a family haven - if you can stomach it.
The property is set to be sold via auction with Auction House Fulwood next week, from June 11 until June 12.
Man Accused Of Stealing Yorkie In Greece Arrested
Greece, N.Y. — A man faces charges after he allegedly broke into a home and stole a Yorkshire terrier.
Luis J. Flores is charged with burglary, grand larceny and criminal mischief.
The Greece Police Department hasn't released any further information about the incident, including the dog's condition.
Flores is listed on the Monroe County Jail roster.
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