With the dog days of summer upon us, we give FMC’s official mascot and goodwill ambassador, Jive, a turn at The Interview.
Here, the big dog dishes about living on Long Island, the importance of giving animals a voice and why we need to lose the ‘always no’ mentality.
FMC: What’s your current state of mind?
Jive: Alert.
FMC: When you were five years old, what did you want to be when you grew up, and why?
Jive: Can I get back to you on that? I only turned four in June.
Growl only when necessary. Otherwise, no one will take you seriously.
FMC: What are the three best things you’ve done in your life?
Jive: I moved to Long Island when I was three months old — that changed my life, for sure.
Then, I started a Facebook page to keep in touch with my family. That has been really important to me. Now I run into people who recognize me from Facebook and they always want to pet me or take selfies with me. I like that a lot, but I’ve learned I need to allot some extra time for that stuff during my walks, otherwise I run late for appointments.
And then I started publishing a newsletter on Twitter, called Chew on This, to provide animals everywhere with a place where they can have a voice. I love that. It’s really cool to help others.
FMC: Why do you do what you do?
Jive: Working and helping others is part of my DNA! I’m really lucky to be the son of champions, and all my siblings — Cowboy, Gunnar and Fanucci — are stars in the show ring. I’m very proud of them. But I wanted to take a different path, and raise awareness of the needs of animals everywhere. Like people, we suffer from homelessness, and hunger, and we need better access to affordable healthcare. Mom always says she wants one health plan that covers both of us. So maybe if Michael Dowling is reading this, it’ll happen. If anyone can figure that out, it’s him.
FMC: What’s your guilty pleasure?
Jive: Chasing rabbits.
FMC: What gives you hope for the future?
Jive: Seeing laws changing to better protect animals. Like how animal abuse is now a felony. And there’s a big movement on to protect K9 officers on the same level as human police officers. Working dogs are heroes.
FMC: What’s your idea of happiness?
Jive: A squirrel-free environment.
FMC: Coke or Pepsi?
Jive: Neither, but I’ll gladly play with the ice cubes.
FMC: Who was/is the most influential person in your life?
Jive: My mom. She taught me so much, like to always share my food and let my friends drink from the water bowl first.
FMC: Favorite restaurant?
Jive: Island Breeze on Fire Island. They’re really nice to me there and they make awesome grilled chicken.
FMC: Where do you get your news?
Jive: Mostly from social media. I get twitter messages from all over the world, so I have really good sources when I need to find out something fast.
FMC: Name five guests you would want to have at a dinner party.
Jive: Well, for starters, Rin Tin Tin, of course. And Lassie. She’s a babe. Inky the octopus would be lots of fun at dinner, I bet. One of the monks of New Skete should be there. Oh, and Secretariat — for the running tips.
FMC: What’s the biggest misconception people have about you?
Jive: That I’m mean. Lots of people are afraid of us big dogs — but it’s really those little guys who get away with murder.
FMC: What would you tell leaders they need to do to make Long Island a better place?
Jive: People need to think outside the box, and that doesn’t happen a lot. Pets have special needs, but people in power often don’t take that into account. It’s a shame, because the end result would make things better for the whole family and would make Long Island a much friendlier place to live.
Take Patchogue, for example. Those nice wide sidewalks make it easy for me to walk down the street. The mayor was very smart with what he did there. I’ve never met Paul Pontieri, but he sounds like someone I’d like to hang with.
Now, where I live, we have no sidewalks, and no street lights, so I can’t go for walks around my neighborhood. It’s just too dangerous. I can walk the sidewalks in Huntington Village, but they’re old and narrow, so if people are walking toward me, you should see how scared they get! Sometimes, they even cross the street to avoid me. Knowing I’m not welcome used to hurt my feelings. Now that I’m older, I understand, but something needs to change.
If I’m not welcome in the village, then allow me in the parks. Long Island is too much of an ‘always no’ place. We need to become a ‘sometimes no’ kinda place. There are lots of places on the West Coast that observe alternate days, so dogs are welcome a few days a week, but not welcome on other days. That’s fair.
But you want to know the worst part? Dogs like me are trained to jump out of helicopters and we’re sent into wars strapped with bombs. Yet I’m not allowed to walk my family through a park, even if I’m on a leash. It takes a human to think that makes sense.
FMC: What is the biggest challenge you’re facing now?
Jive: To get people to understand pets really are family members, and we’re a $60 billion industry. The more we’re accommodated, the more economic benefit to a region. We need places to live, and play. Walkable neighborhoods are important, just ask Eric Alexander about that. But with dogs now in 50 percent of homes, it’s more important than ever. We need to be more incorporated into the planning behind day-to-day living.
Dog parks are nice, but they can be problematic and not just because of ill-mannered dogs. I’ve seen humans do some pretty goofy things there. One morning, I saw a lady pushing her baby in a stroller through the dog park. Lots of dogs started going after the stroller, and jumping up on it. The lady started to scream and called 911 with her cell phone. Turns out, she packed a lunch and put it inside the stroller next to the baby. Now, I ask you, who thinks that’s a good idea?
FMC: What’s your idea of success?
Jive: Seeing how people are stepping up to help. Like what Janine Dion is doing with Pet Peeves. And how Paule Pachter at Long Island Cares asks for food donations for pets as well as people. It all helps people know animals matter, and we share this planet together.
FMC: What mistake did you make that turned out to be your best learning experience?
Jive: I’d have to say learning not to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong. I have found that, far too often, you unexpectedly come face to face with an angry raccoon.
FMC: What’s the best business advice anyone ever gave you?
Jive: Growl only when necessary. Otherwise, no one will take you seriously.
