Pets and the City November 3, 2024

We went to the New York Historical Society (that has questionably rebranded itself as New York Historical) to see their new exhibition called Pets and the City. Most of us remember when police were called to get Ming the tiger out of a bathtub in the Bronx in 2001, those amazing service dogs at 9/11 and recent history involving Flaco the Eurasian eagle owl’s life after a vandal cut through his enclosure and released him into the wilds of Central Park. The exhibit covers lots of ground and is thoroughly enjoyable. It explores the visual history of New Yorkers and their ‘animal companions over the last two and a half centuries, tracing the evolving relationship between Gotham’s people and its animals as the city grew increasingly urbanized and industrialized.Through a broad spectrum of works of art, objects, documents, memorabilia, and clips from film and television, the exhibition surveys the evolution of pets—from their presence among the Lenape and Haudenosaunee and the hunting culture of settlers through their insinuation into the urban family and onto the pampered pets of today, which enjoy their own public rights. Drawn largely from The New York Historical’s collections, Pets and the City also investigates the reasons for the soaring pet population, especially after 9/11 and during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as issues surrounding pet adoption, the trafficking of exotic animals, and service animals’. The exhibit can be seen through April 20, 2025. Speaking of pampered pets – my Gang of Four can be seen in the bottom photo. If you do not know them already, please meet cats Audrey, Roberta and Pete and our very special dog, Mr. Pepe. Trust me – they are living their best lives.