Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful moms out there from the staff at TBR News Media! May your day be filled with love and laughter!
Home Port Times Record
Suffolk County signs legislation further protecting animals from abuse
Suffolk County Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R – 18th L.D.) joined Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, the Suffolk County SPCA, Suffolk County DA Ray Tierney’s BEAST Unit, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina, and legislative colleagues to officially sign into law “Adopting Local Law No. -2025, A Local Law to Further Protect Animals from Persons Convicted of an Animal Abuse Crime” on May 7.
This legislation was unanimously passed at the Suffolk County Legislature’s General Meeting on April 8th at the Legislature.
This local law amends the Suffolk County Code to establish a misdemeanor penalty for individuals on the convicted animal abuser registry who are found to be owning animals in violation of Suffolk County Code Sec. 229-28(F).
In 2010, the Suffolk County Legislature enacted legislation to create the animal abuse registry, one of the first of its kind in the United States. Any Suffolk County resident aged 18 or older who is convicted of animal abuse is required to register their name, address, and photo with the registry. The registry is maintained on the Suffolk County Police website. Individuals must remain on the registry for 10 years and are prohibited from owning animals during this period.
The Suffolk County SPCA approached Legislator Bontempi to request this code amendment, highlighting a loophole in the current County code. The code did not impose any penalties on individuals listed on the Animal Abuse Registry, who were found to possess animals in violation of the County code. By passing this local law to strengthen the code, any individual who is required to register and is found to possess an animal in violation of section 229-28(F) will be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and will face penalties associated with that class of crime.
“I would like to thank Suffolk County SPCA Chief Roy Gross and his entire staff of volunteers for bringing this important issue to our attention, as well as County Executive Ed Romaine, my colleagues at the Legislature, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, and Police Commissioner Catalina for their unwavering support. Together, we are finally able to close this loophole and further protect our animals,” stated Legislator Bontempi. “In Suffolk County, we will not tolerate the abuse or neglect of animals. By closing this loophole, we will ensure that those offenders who disregard the will law face consequences.”
Port Jefferson Chamber hosts ribbon cutting for Limitless Integrative Wellness
OFFERING HOLISTIC SUPPORT
The Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce welcomed new Chamber partner Kristina Scaglione (holding scissors) of Limitless Integrative Wellness, 100 Mariner’s Way, Port Jefferson at a ribbon cutting on April 24. The event was attended by Mayor Lauren Sheprow (holding certificate), PJCC President Steve Munoz (far left), friends and staff. For more information, call 631-818-1528 or visit limitlessintegrativewellness.com.
Comsewogue High School senior Emma Samghabadi scores $10K Taco Bell scholarship
By Daniel Dunaief
The odds haven’t always been in favor of Emma Samghabadi.
The Comsewogue High School senior and Port Jefferson station resident was born under two pounds and spent over a month in the neonatal intensive care unit at Stony Brook Hospital.
After maneuvering through a period her parents Jennifer and Pedram Samghabadi described as “touch and go” for a while, she flourished and is poised to graduate from high school in June and enter college this fall.
A gifted singer and performer, Samghabadi, who recently played Velma Kelly in a teen edition of “Chicago,” applied for the Live Más scholarship through Taco Bell, where she has been working since last summer.
Samghabadi spent close to three months putting together a two minute video describing her passions, which include performing, singing, and serving as a conservationist.
On April 25th, Samghabadi, 18, was working at the drive through window at Taco Bell and learned that she had won a $10,000 scholarship, which she will use at the University of Rhode Island.
“It was a complete surprise to me,” said Samghabadi, who was thrilled when her managers and coworkers celebrated her scholarship with balloons and congratulatory posters in the dining room of the restaurant. “All my managers were there and my regional managers were there as well.”
Indeed, Samghabadi called her mother, who works as a registered nurse and her father, who is a social worker, to celebrate.
Jennifer Samghabadi was “overjoyed, proud, grateful and also humbled” with the scholarship.
“The odds [of winning] are very, very low,” her father said. “This was her exhibiting her unique mix” of passions.
Out of 500 scholarship applications from New York, Taco Bell awarded 13 at this level, which is just over two a half percent of the state’s entries.
The Taco Bell Foundation has been awarding these scholarships for 10 years, with some notable past winners including Mato Standing Soldier, a film and TV composer who was named to Forbes 30 under 30 List for 2023 and Brooke Taylor, who is dancing on Broadway in Moulin Rouge.
Samghabadi gave her scholarship entry considerable thought. The scholarship is based on a student’s passions, social impact, personal presentation and educational goals and does not include any reference to a grade point average or standardized test scores.
“As soon as I started finding pictures, I was already thinking about what I wanted to talk about,” Samghabadi said.
Editing the presentation to under two minutes was a “struggle,” she added.
The work paid off, as a Taco Bell Foundation spokeswoman suggested that Samghabadi’s video embodied the key traits they seek in an applicant: strong passion, a focus on social impact, clear educational goals and compelling storytelling.
Samghabadi, who has a weighted grade point average above 100, has impressed her high school teachers.
Rosa Antelo, who teaches Samghabadi’s Advanced Placement Class and was also her instructor for Advanced Spanish in 10th grade, described her student’s potential as “unmeasurable.”
Antelo suggested that Samghabadi is “not just a great student, but she’s truly an amazing person.”
Antelo, who wrote a college recommendation for Samghabadi, recalled a time when her student helped her manage through the strain of a stressful situation.
“She’s so positive and is looking for the best of everything,” said Antelo, who has been teaching for 26 years and believes Samghabadi stands out among her many students.
An early curiosity
When she was five, Samghabadi found a large green caterpillar in a hibiscus bush, which she brought home.
She and her parents looked up how to care for it. The caterpillar formed a cocoon and emerged as a moth.
After that, Samghabadi was hooked, establishing a monarch butterfly way station where she has released over a hundred of the orange and black insects that, while not endangered are threatened by a loss of habitat, pesticide use and climate change.
Dedicated to conservation and marine biology, Samghabadi has worked as a volunteer at the New York Marine Rescue Center in Riverhead.
She tells visitors about the only effort in the state to rescue and rehabilitate sea turtles and seals. She has also helped with beach clean ups and, in 2023, became scuba certified.
Samghabadi’s favorite animal is the manta ray, which she hopes to study in college.
From ‘The Lion King’ to community theater
Around the same time that she found the green caterpillar, Samghabi, saw her first broadway show.
Watching “The Lion King” sparked an interest in performance and theater.
Samghabadi has been an extra in short films and commercials as well as in the movie “Uncut Gems.”
As a 10-year old, she spent a day on set as an extra, sitting behind Adam Sandler in a movie theater.
She has performed in several shows and goes through cycles of singing different Broadway songs in the house.
These days, she’s using her soprano voice to belt out “Sweeney Todd” in the house.
Samghabadi is open to combining her interests in conservation and music. At some point, she would like to conduct research on bioacoustics. She could also envision using music as a part of public outreach for conservation.
Despite all her commitments, including working with second graders to help teach them Spanish, Samghabadi is able to enjoy leisure activities with her friends by organizing herself.
“I have a set plan for what I need to do each day,” she said.
Multiple scholarships
Samghabadi’s talents and dedication have earned her other competitive scholarships.
She will receive $84,000 over four years as a part of the inaugural Schilling Scholars Program at the University of Rhode Island. She will also receive $68,000 from the presidential scholarship at the university.
The New York Elks Association recently awarded her a $1,000 scholarship.
Samghabadi is the second generation in her family to work at Taco Bell, where her favorite meal is the Cantina Chicken Bowl.
When he was earning money for college, Samghabadi’s father Pedram worked at the restaurant chain.
Samghabadi’s parents are grateful for the life their daughter has lived and the energy and passion she brings to her interests.
“You can’t be thankful enough,” said Pedram Samghabadi. “We still cannot believe what we went through” in the first year of her remarkable life.
Their daughter. whose singing they will miss when she attends college, gave them a preview of what was to come early in life.
Joe Erland and Harry Heywood honored for their contributions to Village of Port Jefferson
By Sofia Febles
The sun was beaming down on parkland located on Caroline Avenue in Port Jefferson May 3, where two families gathered to honor their fathers. Two pillars of Port Jefferson were honored today: Joe Erland and Harry Heywood.
Joe Erland, also known as Mr. Port Jefferson, was a Port Jefferson Fire Department commissioner, village trustee and deputy mayor. A lover of softball, the field in Heywood Park was rededicated as Joe Erland Field. As Port Jefferson Village Mayor Lauren Sheprow mentioned during the ceremony, “Joe Erland has been described by his peers as humble, kind-hearted, and approachable…He always wanted to help people around him.”
Harry and Lois Heywood were commended for their tremendous contributions to the village. Harry Heywood and his wife Lois were married in 1931 where they began developing their legacy. They were involved in many organizations including the Ground Observation Corps and the Aircraft Warning Service that Harry developed and volunteered at.
Harry Heywood developed Suassa park, where he constructed a 40-foot watchtower that serves as a lookout point for aircrafts during World War II. The Heywoods utilized the park for the town’s benefit, creating parks and athletic fields for kids and adults to play baseball, softball, and soccer for many years and more years to come. They donated the ballfield and creek to the community in the 1950’s.
Many people spoke at the dedication ceremony including Deputy Mayor Bob Juliano, Legislator Steven Englebright, former Parks & Recreation Director Ron Carlson, Pete Heywood and Steve Erland, Joe Erland’s son. The people who spoke talked very highly about Joe Erland and the Heywood family. Englebright said, “parks last forever.” Englebright said we want to “appreciate and remember these important people who contributed so much to Port Jefferson”.
Erland has a son named Steve and two daughters named Michelle and Andrea. Steve Erland said his father “dedicated his life to this village.”
Peter Heywood, Harry and Louis’ son, and Peter’s daughter Randi were amazed and honored to have the park named after their family. The mayor mentioned that this couple were” two pillars of Port Jefferson whose civic contributions and love story helped shape Port Jefferson Village for nearly a century.” Peter Heywood and his daughters Randi and Lisa have continued their legacy and have been contributing to the parks. Sheprow said, “All of Port Jefferson now proudly remembers this is not just a park, but as Heywood Park- where love, learning and legacy live on”.
The Joe Erland Field at Heywood Park will always be a reflection of the impact Erland and the Heywoods have made in Port Jefferson.
Stamp Out Hunger food drive returns May 10
Island Harvest Food Bank, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), and the United States Postal Service (USPS) are once again in a united front for the annual Stamp Out Hunger® food drive, the nation’s most extensive single-day food collection campaign on Saturday, May 10.
At a recent kickoff rally at Island Harvest’s Melville headquarters before a group of postal union workers, corporate sponsors, and food bank staff and supporters, Samantha Morales, founder of Branches Long Island, a Middle Island-based social services organization that helps people in need, relayed a story about a first-time client coming in for food assistance.
“A woman named Maria came in holding a baby in one arm and a grocery list in the other. Her husband had been laid off, and their savings were completely gone. She looked exhausted yet determined and said, ‘I never thought I’d need help like this, but my baby needs to eat.’” Ms. Morales said that because of food donations from efforts like Stamp Out Hunger, Maria wasn’t turned away in her time of need, and she was given fresh produce, canned goods, and formula for her baby. As Maria left, she hugged a volunteer, broke down and said, “You gave me a lifeline today.” In concluding her remarks, Ms. Morales stated, “Every can, every box and every bag collected during this campaign helps real people right here on Long Island.”
According to Randi Shubin Dresner, president & CEO of Island Harvest, the need for food assistance on Long Island has never been greater.
“The need among Long Island families is alarming, making your contribution to Stamp Out Hunger more important than ever,” said Shubin Dresner. She highlights that the organization distributed a record 18.3 million pounds of food last year and is forecasted to distribute 20 million pounds this year.
“With increased costs at the grocery store, coupled with the region’s high cost of living and continued economic uncertainty, more Long Islanders urgently need supplemental food support. We are calling on the responsibility and generosity of all Long Islanders to donate what they can by leaving nonperishable food items in a bag next to your mailbox before the regularly scheduled mail delivery on Saturday, May 10 for your letter carrier to pick up and help ensure it gets onto the tables of our Long Island neighbors in need,” she added.
Nonperishable food includes canned goods, cereal, pasta, rice, boxed juices, and shelf-stable milk (no prepared food or food or juices in glass containers). In addition, personal care items such as toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, and disposable diapers are gratefully accepted. All donations collected will help replenish Island Harvest’s network of community-based food pantries, soup kitchens and other emergency feeding programs in communities in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
“Every donation, no matter the size, will help countless Long Islanders who may be struggling to put food on their tables — even a can of soup can be a much-needed meal for people who are hungry,” added Ms. Shubin Dresner, “We’ve always been touched by the generosity of Long Islanders to help their neighbors in need, and we are confident that they will once again step up and support this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive.”
“The National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 6000 and the United States Postal Service are excited to partner with Island Harvest again this year for your 33rd annual Stamp Out Hunger food collection,” said Tom Siesto, Executive Vice President of NALC Branch 6000. “The members of Branch 6000 and the employees of the United States Postal Service often see firsthand the widespread issue of food insecurity on Long Island and are thrilled to take part in this very important campaign and give back to the local communities they serve.”
Since its inception in 1993, the Stamp Out Hunger food drive, held on the second Saturday in May, has collected approximately 1.9 billion pounds of food for those in need across the United States. Input from food banks and pantries suggested that late spring would be the best time because most food banks start running out of the donations received during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays by that point in the year, according to the NALC.
Last year, generous Long Islanders donated 382,175 pounds of food, supplementing 577,000 meals. Island Harvest hopes to exceed 500,000 pounds of food during this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food collection campaign.
This year’s Stamp Out Hunger collection campaign on Long Island is generously supported by presenting sponsor National Grid (lead sponsor), JPMorganChase, Dime Community Bank, FourLeaf Federal Credit Union, IPRO Healthcare, Leviton, M&T Bank, Nonna’s Garden, Petro Home Services, and Stop & Shop.
Local ultra-runner honors veterans through seven-day marathon challenge
By Dylan Friedman
Continuing a remarkable tradition, ultra-runner Eva Casale this past week (April 27 – May 3) traversed Long Island for the ninth time in as many years, completing her seven-marathon-in-seven-days challenge – an enduring tribute to the legacy of America’s veterans.
“I started running local veteran races, and during those races, I met Gold Star families,” Casale explained. “I wanted to see if there’s a way we could continue to remember them.” Gold Star families are those who have lost loved ones during active military service.
What began as a personal mission has evolved into nine annual Every Veteran Appreciated (EVA) Weeks and counting, challenging physical limits and serving as a moving educational platform.
Each day, the marathon is strategically dedicated to different fallen heroes, with over 20 Points of Honor. Casale and other participants pause at certain businesses and military memorials to learn about specific veterans and their sacrifices.
“Each time I read those plaques, it really reminds me that I am here because of them,” Casale said. “I am able to run these streets and have freedom because of them. That gives me strength when I’m tired.”
Another critical component of the week involves engaging younger generations. Casale aims to create meaningful connections to veterans’ experiences by inviting high school students to participate. Patchogue-Medford High School and Copiague students ran in this year’s event, while learning about military memorials and placing roses at significant locations throughout the journey.
“We took [the students] to a memorial as part of the 5k run that we do at the end of the day,” Casale explained. “After I put down my first rose, I would share with some of the other students, [and] they would do the same thing. They were actually understanding why it was there and why it was important.”
Casale’s personal connection to the military is rooted in her father’s experience of serving in the Korean War. “He never spoke about it much, if at all,” Casale recalled. “But I think there is a certain generation that does not speak about it, but they still need to be thanked for their service, so that is what I am trying to teach,” Casale continued.
For Casale, whose athletic background already encompassed feats of extreme endurance, the demanding seven-day marathon format emerged as a fitting and impactful way to amplify her message.
With a background in ultra-running —having completed 50- and 100-mile events — the seven-day marathon format was a natural choice. “I did this seven-day format once before [doing this event annually],” Casale said. “I chose this format because it brings more and more awareness over an extended period.”
Maintaining physical readiness for such a grueling challenge requires careful recovery strategies. Each night, Casale used compression boots for several hours, a ritual she credits with making “the world of difference” in her ability to continue running day after day.
When asked about the event’s future, Casale maintains that she will continue doing it as long as possible.
“I mean, every year I have been asked the same question, right?” Casale said. “I would say as long as I can, my team is really excited, because next year is the 10th year. So we will do the same format, we are excited, and then we will see from there. At this point, my answer is always, as long as I am able to do it, and as a way to thank our veterans, we will continue with our mission.”
As the event approaches its milestone next year, it is a powerful testament to the enduring spirit of gratitude and remembrance. Through seven marathons, countless stories are shared, and a commitment to honoring those who have served, Casale continues to transform athletic achievement into a profound act of remembrance.
“We want people to recognize that gentleman sitting in the diner wearing the Korean War hat and say, Thank you, thank you for your service,” Casale said. “We want people to thank the woman across the street who served in the Army or the Navy. We want them to say, thank you for your service. That is where part of our mission is. We know we have that opportunity to remind people to do that.”
Present meets past at 17th Annual Antiques and Garden Weekend in Port Jefferson
By Sumaq Killari
The scent of rusted metal and aged cedar greeted visitors as they stepped inside the Port Jefferson Village Center this past weekend, where the past felt freshly alive.
The three-story venue was transformed for the 17th Annual Antiques and Garden Weekend, a community tradition and fundraiser for the Port Jefferson Historical Society, generously sponsored this year by Northwell Mather Hospital.
The building buzzed with activity as visitors explored vintage treasures and seasonal blooms. The Suwassett Garden Club showcased a vibrant display of hanging baskets, perennials and patio planters.
“It’s a time when the whole community comes together,” said Catherine Quinlan, a member of the Port Jefferson Historical Society board of trustees. “You see people you haven’t seen for maybe a year or so. People come together and just support each other. It’s really a wonderful event.”
The first floor featured at least 20 different vendors, many displaying jewelry in glass display cases, glassware, porcelain statues, old postcards and framed drawings and pictures.
Toward the south side of the first floor, Karen & Albert, a business owned by Karen and Albert Williams, a married couple, displayed furniture from different eras, including a 30-year-old wooden writing desk with a gently curved design. But there is a trick: hidden inside is a concealed bar. “You think it’s just a desk when you see it,” said Albert Williams with a smile.
“Part of our company is to be able to educate people about antiques and about vintage items and how they can incorporate that with their own style,” said Karen Williams. “We have been in business for over 40 years, so we go on buying trips all the time,” she said.
On the second floor, a booth displayed a collection of thrifted bags, including a beige Lauren Ralph Lauren handbag made of monogrammed fabric and featuring the LRL logo, priced at just $30. “This bag is so Y2K,” said Emelyn Ore, a college student attending the event. She noted its early 2000s aesthetic and monogrammed design matched current trends.
The friendly atmosphere reached the third floor, where the smell of baked goods filled the air. A group of ladies, members of the Suwassett Garden Club, sat behind a table displaying the treats.
“Money, we like money,” one woman joked when asked what they liked most about the event. “Yes, we like it,” another chimed in. The group’s co-president added that this was their major annual fundraiser.
Proceeds from the event support the Historical Society’s mission to discover, preserve and share knowledge of the Greater Port Jefferson Area’s rich history.
As the day drew to a close, the sound of chatter and the scent of fresh blooms lingered, reminding visitors that while antiques may be old, the community spirit in Port Jefferson is timeless.
Sumaq Killari is a reporter with the SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.
Letters to the Editor: May 8, 2025
Common sense approach
As the former chairman of the Huntington Town Zoning Board of Appeals, I worked tirelessly to balance the interests of residents, landowners and prospective applicants.
New York State Zoning Law requires that neighbors and other residents’ interests be represented in hearing applicant requests. The burden of consideration by the applicant, under the law, covers at least five explicit considerations for area variances requests: an undesirable change, feasible alternatives, substantiality, adverse effects and self-created hardship. As a board we emphasized careful review of potential undesirable changes to neighborhoods, always lending a sensitive ear to the neighbors.
You may have met me at your door during some of these applications, as I would often take the time to walk a neighborhood impacted and speak to residents instead of putting the burden on them to show up at a ZBA meeting.
Residents shouldn’t have to leave their house during a cold winter night, wait hours to speak at a public hearing to fight to defend their zoning and quality of life every time a development application comes up. That is a strict responsibility of the board; residents should not be on the defensive.
Our Town Board and the individuals they appoint have a duty and responsibility to represent us, not simply facilitate development.
The need for the Zoning Board and Planning Board’s independence in this Town is paramount if we are to restore trust in the Town’s zoning process.
Land-use rules and laws protect our most precious investment, our homes. Good zoning and land-use guidance is the most important responsibility of Town government, it is what knits our communities and neighborhoods together. Applications for exemptions from prevailing laws deserve careful review, but that review should never be at the disadvantage of neighbors and residents.
Now, more than ever, we need this balanced common sense approach.
John Posilico
Former Chairman of the Huntington Town Zoning Board of Appeals
Questioning ‘Elder Parole’ for cop killers
It’s common for politicians to send out “constituent surveys.” Ostensibly, the goal is to get feedback from local voters on specific issues. But it would be a rare survey indeed, that did not frame certain questions in ways aimed at getting politically desired responses.
Newly elected Assembly member Rebecca Kassay pretty much followed that template with her May mailer.
A couple of seemingly “feel good” proposals were the Second Look Act, and Elder Parole. Maybe state polls are looking to save some dollars on a staggering state budget that’s twice the size of Florida and Texas combined? Money aside, the goal is to give judges and parole boards the power to reconsider early release for “elderly individuals” so long as the felons have “demonstrated growth and rehabilitation.”
Here are two important unknowns. What would be the specific criteria for the above mentioned, and how it might be applied to those who’ve murdered law enforcement officers? This is especially critical because the PBA has cited 43 cop killers released by our NYS Parole Board in just the last 8 years,
As of this writing,waiting on the sidelines to possibly become lucky number 44, is David McClary. On Feb. 26, 1988, he snuck up behind rookie NYPD Officer Edward Byrne, and shot him five times in the head. The 22-year-old was guarding a witness waiting to testify against a notorious drug lord.
Edward’s brother Ken spoke to ABC News. “Referencing the murder he said, “’It was a horrible scene, we were in shock. It was just beyond devastation.…’ “This is always a difficult process because every two years with the parole board we have to reive everything.” It’s that family’s eighth time.
Who has had the most sway in picking and managing the group tasked with deciding which felons will be freed? That would be former governor Andrew Cuomo, and his Democrat heir, Kathy Hochul (D). This board is a direct reflection of their views on policing and made up of a majority of fellow Dems.
One of the members would be Tana Agostini, who was appointed by Cuomo in 2017. She married convicted killer Thomas O’Sullivan while he was still in prison. Tana used her influence as a staffer of the state Assembly committee overseeing prisons in 2013 to advocate for the parole of O’Sullivan. His stint in prison included an escape and biting off part of an inmate’s nose. It’s hard to see much “growth and rehabilitation” there.
Imagine the unrelenting heartache, revisited every 24 months by long “suffering NYPD families, who are sitting in front of an NYS Parole Board that has released an average of five cop killers yearly since 2017. We can bet these kinds of “feel good” proposals feel anything but good to them. Let’s remember and help protect slain, heroic police officers and their grieving loved ones,
Hard “No” on survey query number 7.
Jim Soviero
East Setauket
D. None of the Above: How long can we sniff each other’s butts before it becomes socially awkward
By Daniel Dunaief
Dear Paw Landers,
I’ve never written a letter like this before. Truth be told, I’ve never written a letter of any kind.
But I understand you live far away and that you dispense valuable advice that I could use in my everyday life with the guy and his family.
The guy spends most of his days sitting at this thing typing, so I guess I can do it for an hour or so, which, you know, is more like seven hours for him.
I was thinking of asking you about that rumbling noise that scares me so much when it gets incredibly dark out and when the ground gets wet. Those sounds make me want to find cover somewhere, but no matter where I go, I can still hear it and feel the terrible vibrations. It’s like if a pack of, you know, us were running around the neighborhood, growling so loudly outside the door that we caused the floor to vibrate a second or two after a flash of light.
No, no, I’ll save the questions about those noises for some other letter. This one is about the delicate social business of interacting in the neighborhood.
You see, my guy varies in his social energy and interests. Some days, he speaks with everyone we run into and bends down to pet other dogs.
That doesn’t bother me, the way it did with Fifi last week, when she complained that her owner pets other dogs more readily and happily than she pets Fifi. I’m fine if my guy wants to scratch other dogs behind their ears or rubs their back. Frankly, there are times when I think he needs a hobby to get out all of his scratching, squeezing and high-pitched voice energy that he reserves for me and, once in a while, for small people when they come to the house.
Other times, he barely waves or acknowledges people and their pets. He’s either staring into his phone and talking to himself or he’s making lists out loud and telling himself what he needs to do that day.
When he does stop to chat with neighbors and their companions, he often talks about me while the other human talks about their dog. I’m kind of tired of hearing about how I don’t like to swim, how I’m not that high energy and I don’t fetch.
Everyone doesn’t have to fetch or swim, right? But, then, he also talks about how sensitive I am and how supportive I am whenever anyone is feeling sad in the house. Hey, we all have our strengths, right?
When he’s chatting, sometimes about me and sometimes about the weather, I’m not always sure how long the pause in our walk will go.
I sometimes sit or lay down near him, while other dogs jump or sniff around me. Other times, I’m so happy to see one of my neighbors that she and I try to tie the two leashes into a knot in the shape of a heart. My guy and the neighbor never see it, but it’s so obvious to us.
Every so often, I meet someone intriguing and, you know how it is, right? I have to sniff them, the way they have to sniff me. The question is, how long can I sniff their butts before it becomes socially awkward, either for them or for the humans?
I mean, I can tell when my guy is in an intense conversation about something, when his voice drops or shakes and I want to help him. At the same time, I have this need to sniff.
Clearly, sniffing butts at the wrong time or for too long can become a problem for the guy and the other person.
If we do it too long, their conversation ends and he walks away, muttering and puling on me until we get inside.
So, what’s the ideal, allowable butt sniffing time? And remember that none of us is getting any younger, so, you know, if you could write back soon, it’d help. You can’t see me, but I’m looking up at you with my big brown eyes and wagging my tail. That usually works with the guy.
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