Cityfile: New York's Most Notable and Influential

Attention, Manhattanites! If you're out walking your dog—or thinking about innocently petting one on the sidewalk—be wary of a wheaten terrier named James. He belongs to Eliot Spitzer. And he's not exactly friendly. When this reporter unsuspectingly tried to pet him last night near the Metropolitan Museum, his dog walker issued a firm warning. "Those are the former governor's dogs," she said. "And that one," she said pointing to the aforementioned, seemingly sweet terrier. "He's mean, and he bites!" More

Pet Fashion Week(end) | Were you aware that "Pet Fashion Week" went down this past weekend in Chelsea? You missed it? Guess you'll have to wait until next year to see a dog model a handmade gown made of red satin and black lace. [NYDN]

A Toddler Is a Dog With Less Hair | There isn't much of a difference between a dog and a two-year toddler, according to new research. Both are on the "same mental plane," according to a psychology professor and dog expert who reports that like two-year-olds, "dogs can experience fear, anger, happiness and disgust, but not guilt." (Humans don't experience guilt until the age of four or so.) Regrettably, the study did not look into cases in which the parents were operating on the same mental plane as the toddler and dog, but we'll assume the results of that study will be coming along any day now. [Yahoo! News]

Pets In Flight | And you thought one of the silver linings of the economic downturn was that it was sending really silly companies out of business. Pet Airways, the "first-ever all-pet airline," took off from Republic Airport on Long Island for the first time today. The airline, which plans to operate in five U.S. cities, is now offering one-way tickets for about $250. The perks, however, are hard to beat. Pets get escorted to the plane by attendants who will check on the animals every 15 minutes once they're in the air. The pets are given pre-boarding walks and bathroom breaks, and there's even a "Pet Lounge" at the airport for "future fliers to wait and sniff before flights." If your dog has been begging to get away from his/her owner for little summer getaway, consider yourself fresh out of excuses. [AP]

Here Comes the Dog | Please don't insist on having your dogs attend your wedding. Don't dress them up in special outfits, or make them play the role of ringbearer. Don't require they sit for wedding photos. Or send them for pre-wedding beauty treatments. Your guests may smile politely and tell you what a cute idea it is. These are the same people who will be laughing at you for weeks to come. (Unless, that is, the person is blind and it's a seeing-eye dog we're talking about, in which case ignore what you just read.) Next thing you know people are going to start holding bar mitzvahs for their canines or something. Oh, right. Too late. [NYDN]

How much does Mike Bloomberg pay his dog walker? This is the pertinent piece of information missing from today's Daily News profile of Eloise Cucui, the Hunter high school senior who walks Mayor Bloomberg's two golden Labrador retrievers, Bonnie and Clyde. (The News may also oversell her position a smidge, too, calling hers "one of the city's most important jobs.") More

A couple of weeks ago, state officials issued a report indicating New York City may need a new area code in the near future. It seems phone numbers for the 718 and 347 area codes—which are in use in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx—will run out by late 2011. Cindy Adams doesn't live in any of those boroughs (her apartment is a Park Avenue penthouse, thank you very much), but she's still outraged by the prospect: "Making someone get another area code is like making them move to the back of the bus. It's discrimination." More

Curb Your Dog... Or Else | A notice to dog owners who still refuse to pick up after their pets: Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe announced yesterday that the city is raising the fine for people who refuse to comply with the city's pooper-scooper law from $100 to $250. The fine doesn't take effect until June and Benepe says the move is merely intended to "change the culture of litter in our parks." Also? Dog poo may now be the city's secret weapon in tackling the budget deficit. [NYDN]

Martha's Dogs Following in Her Footsteps | Martha Stewart's French bulldogs now have their own blog. It's called "The Daily Wag with Francesca and Sharkey." And chunks of it are written in French. Thank us later. [The Daily Wag via Buzzfeed]

Not Every Industry Is Suffering, Clearly | "Demand for fake testicles for neutered pets, including dogs and cats, is also holding up during the recession. Southern California is the biggest market for Kansas City, Missouri-based Neuticles, said Gregg Miller, the company's founder. Its most expensive prosthetic testicles, for large dogs, cost $1,299. 'You would assume that with people losing their homes and jobs, the last thing on their mind is buying a pair of fake testicles for their pets,' Miller said. 'Folks in California love their pets and are trendsetters. They'd do anything for them, no matter what the economy is doing.'" [Bloomberg]

Leona's Estate Will Not Go to the Dogs, After All | Unfortunate news for the dogs hoping to take a bite out of the $5 billion to $8 billion fortune real estate queen Leona Helmsley left behind when she passed away in 2007: A Manhattan judge ruled today that the trustees managing Helmsley's estate will get to decide how the funds are distributed, even though she left instructions that her money go to care for dogs. No word on how Trouble, Helmsley's beloved pooch, reacted to the news, but if someone files another mauling lawsuit, you'll know the news didn't go down well. [NYP]

Beth Ostrosky—or Beth Ostrosky Stern, as she'd like to be known these days—has sealed a deal to write a book about dogs, according to Publishers Marketplace: "Animal-rights activist (and wife of Howard Stern) Beth Ostrosky Stern's user-friendly guide for anyone who owns a dog, covering everything from tips for doggie dental hygiene, diet, health, and etiquette to planning the perfect party for your pooch, to Jennifer Bergstrom at Simon Spotlight Entertainment, with Emily Westlake editing, for publication in Spring 2010, by Richard Basch at Don Buchwald Agency (world)." Presumably she shared the section on "doggie dental hygiene" with the owner of this particular pooch before going in for the photo op. [Publishers Lunch, sub req]

Dog Doo Rising | One disturbing effect of the recession: It seems people are less inclined to buy plastic bags so they can pick up after their dog. According to the Sanitation Department, Manhattan saw an 88 percent spike in fines for "unattended droppings" last year, with Morningside Drive, Amsterdam Avenue, West End Avenue, Riverside Drive and Central Park West cited as the worst streets. [NYP]

Is Dressing Up Your Dog Taboo? | Alarming news for society types who enjoy dressing up their dogs in elaborate outfits: Britain's animal welfare group, RSPCA, is threatening to take legal action against pet owners who "over-dress" their pooches in "restrictive clothing." Fortunately for Tinsley Mortimer, Cece Cord, and Ivana Trump, there's no such law on the books in New York yet. But if our fondness for all things British (Topshop, Agyness Deyn) is any indication, it may just be a matter of time! [Daily Mail]

Something New to Worry About: Dognappings | The current issue of The New Yorker has the details on the frightening surge in dognappings on the Upper West Side: "There's a two-man team, with one in a gray hoodie on a bicycle who comes by and slices the leash with a razor, then goes away with the dog. The other guy calls you up later on and says, 'Hey, I found your dog! What's it worth to you?'" Sounds horrifying, yes, but don't get too panicked just yet. Although versions of the story have been circulating for weeks, the 20th Precinct on the UWS has yet to receive a single report from a dognapping victim. Or a dognapping victim's owner, at least. [NYer]