Unlike most animal lovers, I never really grew up with animals. In fact, I was raised by parents who perceived animals to be dirty and unpredictable. They would urge me to stay as far away from stray dogs and cats as possible, assuming that they had diseases that could somehow be life-threatening to me. Nonetheless, I have always had a natural love and curiosity for animals (specifically dogs) and the little rebel in me always managed to come out whenever I saw a stray dog roaming the streets or being walked by his/her owner. I would reach over immediately with my pudgy little fingers and pet whatever dog I saw near me, squealing in excitement at how cute they were. I had tried every idea under the sky to persuade my parents to let me get a dog. And after years of begging, they finally let me get my FIRST...pet fish. I named him Lemo. Throughout high school, I adopted a stray black pitbull I named Xian Tsao (it means a black dessert in Chinese) that I would see roam around the streets near my neighborhood. He never even stepped paw into my house (my parents would kill me), but I would come out even in the coldest of nights to feed it scraps of food and play with it. It was the longest interaction I had ever had with a dog, and an ongoing memory that I will treasure forever. After less than two years, Xian Tsao got in a car accident and passed away. It broke my heart and reminded me of how short a dog's life is, and how each dog deserves to have the best life ever because of the warmth and love it can bring to anyone. I promised myself that I would get a dog as soon as I got to college. That's when I got Pika. I went to college full-time while dog-sitting and working three side jobs. A huge chunk of my paychecks went towards Pika and my hamster at the time. It left me with limited options when it came to going out or buying things I wanted. But I wouldn't have done it any other way. Pika has been the most amazing thing that has happened to me and I would do anything to keep him as healthy and happy as he is. ABOUT PIKA: He is an 8-year old purebred English bulldog. Feisty, fun, friendly, and too gassy most of the time. He is fully potty-trained and good with other dogs. More active than most bulldogs, Pika loves playing fetch and being at dog parks. He is very energetic and definitely not shy, so please keep that in mind if you have a pup who may not be into that kind of roommate. ABOUT ME: I was born and bred in Southern California and just moved to NYC in April 2021 for a new experience in life! My biggest passions in life are playing with dogs, traveling, eating, and writing. If I'm not working my 9-5 job, I'm probably doing any of these things. I'm also open to food recommendations ANYTIME. ABOUT MY PLACE: I live in a cozy 1-bedroom apartment with my boyfriend on the border of Gramercy and East Village. Part of why we chose this apartment is because of how amazing the location is - we live near THREE dog parks! If your pup loves going to the dog park, I will be sure to take he/she there for some fun. I also love sitting around at cafes and would love to bring your pup with me! Something to note is that I live on top of a bar that does play music on most late nights, so just keep that in mind if your pup is extremely sensitive to noise. ABOUT MY SCHEDULE: I work a 9-5 job and am required to go into the office twice a week, while the other 3 days I can work from home. I live with my boyfriend and he works 100% remotely, so your pup will never be unattended.