Charley celebrates his second birthday on May 31, 2007. These were taken right after I shot his birthday portrait. Charley is leaning on a small table. This was a signal that he was ready for dinner. He came up with this all on his own. He would lean on this small table with his front legs and body on the table, with his back feet on the floor. He would do this until dinner was served. Upper West Side, Manhattan, NYC
Fujifilm Finepix S5 Pro | Zeiss Planar T* f/1.4 50mm ZF
Charley was born 18 years ago today on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 in Olympia, Washington. He would have been 18 years old today, but passed away August 4, 2021, a few months after his 16th birthday. He lived a long, happy, joyful life, experiencing new adventures daily and making friends wherever he went. He loved people, dogs, cats and other animals. He loved riding the subway in his travel bag and getting out at some unexplored destination — a park, store, or neighborhood — as much as returning to places he knew well. I miss him a little more every day and think of him throughout each day. I always stop for a moment at 7:06 pm, which is the time he went to sleep for the last time, and will never wake from. I’m glad I was able to have him in my life, making every day richer, happier and more fun than it would have been without him. I took these photos on May 30, 2007 — the day before Charley’s second birthday. Upper West Side Manhattan, NYC
Nikon D2X | Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D
(Source: Flickr / charleylhasa)
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Happy Holidays from Charley!
Charley poses for his holiday portrait on December 13, 2006. This was Charley’s second Christmas and his first with a studio portrait. I took this picture of him and he was a very patient and cooperative model. He would stay still and didn’t mind my moving him for the best pose. He enjoyed the experience and the interaction of it. This was one of many studio portraits I took of him over the years. Upper West Side, Manhattan, NYC
(Source: Flickr / charleylhasa)
Charley meets up with his longtime friends @fraanks-blog and Lya at Bethesda Fountain in Central Park 9 years ago today, September 13, 2013, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC
iPhone 5 | Adobe Lightroom
(Source: Flickr / charleylhasa)
Charley visits Turtle Pond in Central Park 9 years ago today, August 5, 2013, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC
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(Source: Flickr / charleylhasa)
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ONE YEAR AGO
Charley died one year ago August 4, 2021 at 7:06 pm. He went to sleep for the last time and he never woke up again. He was an amazing, wonderful, handsome boy and I miss and still love him so much to this day. He spent his entire life going on many adventures with me. But this was one trip he took by himself. But I was with him for several hours before and after he left. I think of him throughout each day and remember all the wonderful adventures we had and all the new and old friends he met everywhere he went. I will get another dog when circumstances allow, but for now Charley goes with me everywhere I do in my memory of him. City Veterinary Care, Upper West Side, Manhattan, NYC
iPhone SE
Charley was born 17 years ago today on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 in Olympia, Washington. He would have been 17 years old today, but passed away August 4 of last year, a few months after his 16th birthday. He lived a long, happy, joyful life, experiencing new adventures every day and making friends wherever he went. He loved people, dogs, cats and other animals. He loved riding the subway in his travel bag and getting out at some unexplored destination — a park, store, or neighborhood — as much as returning to places he knew well. I miss him a little bit more every day and think of him throughout the day. I always stop for a moment at 7:06 pm, which is the time he went to sleep for the last time, and will never wake from. I’m glad I was able to have him in my life, making every day richer, happier and more fun than it would have been without him.
I still plan to have another dog once I find a place better suited to having a dog. No one can replace him, but there are still some places unexplored by Charley that can still be discovered.
These photos were taken on Charley’s first birthday on May 31, 2006. They were the first photos of him using studio lighting equipment. I took his portrait like this twice ever year throughout most of his life — on his birthday in May and again for the holidays at the end of December. His appearance changed slightly throughout the years, but he looked remarkably the same and his positive, outgoing, friendly and confident personality never wavered or changed. He was always Charley his entire life.
The second photo became Charley’s avatar across all social media up to this day, starting with Flickr years ago. The cake was custom made. The cookie was made just for dogs and he loved it, as seen in the last two photos. Upper West Side Manhattan, NYC
Nikon D2X | Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D | Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G
Charley plays with Einstein the Lhasa Apso and Oscar the Pug at the Bagel Bark. Einstein is a Lhasa Apso and was two-and-a-half years old at the time. Oscar is a Pug and longtime friend of Charley’s.
Charley attends an early-morning offleash Bagel Bark at The Pool in Central Park 8 years ago today, May 3, 2014, The Pool, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC
iPhone 5s | Adobe Lightroom
(Source: Flickr / charleylhasa)
Charley visits the first bloom of the cherry blossoms in Central Park 9 years ago today, April 17, 2013, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC
iPhone 5 | Adobe Lightroom
(Source: Flickr / charleylhasa)
Today I visited the cherry trees in Central Park along the west side of the reservoir. They haven’t started blooming and are in the pre-bloom phase. Charley loved the cherry blossoms and visited them annually his entire life. He loved coming here to walk around, meet others and lie in the grass under the cherry blossoms, especially during the post-peak bloom when the petals would fall to the ground covering him and the ground. He lived very close by for many years and would come almost daily — sometimes several times a day — when the cherry trees were in bloom. In the last three years of his life when he moved to Brooklyn, he would take the train to visit at least once every spring to see the cherry trees in bloom. If Charley had a favorite place in the world, this would be it. April 13, 2022, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC
iPhone SE
(Source: vimeo.com)
Charley plays with Oscar the Pug and friends at a Bagel Bark in Central Park 8 years ago, March 1, 2014, The Great Lawn, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC
Charley meets up with his friends Oscar the Pug and PJ the Poodle and others at the monthly Bagel Bark in Central Park 8 years ago this month. It was a brisk and sunny morning. Charley had a wonderful time and met many new friends. He loved these Bagel Barks held during early morning off-leash hours in Central Park and he rarely missed one.
Apple iPhone 5s | Vine
(Source: Flickr / charleylhasa)
Charley watches the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Fifth Avenue 16 years ago today, March 17, 2006, Upper East Side, Manhattan, NYC
Charley loved parades. This was the first one he attended. He would go to many more in the coming years.
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Charley likes climbing, March 2006, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC
Charley liked climbing rocks, hills, ledges, and pretty much anything else to get a better view. He did this his entire life. This was supposedly a breed trait. He was never a very fast runner compared to other breeds, but he could climb faster and easier than just about anyone else. I think this is the first photo of him climbing a rock. Even though it was not a very big one. he would find a lot more — and a lot bigger ones — to climb throughout the park in the years to come. I don’t have an exact date that this photo was taken, but it was sometime in the first half of March 2006 — 16 years ago. Central Park, Manhattan, NYC
Sony Ericsson T637
(Source: Flickr / charleylhasa)
Charley greets his longtime friend PJ the Poodle during early-morning off-leash hours in Central Park 8 years ago, March 1, 2014, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC
Charley ran into his old friend PJ the Poodle, who was the same age as Charley. PJ was born in July and Charley was born in May of 2005. They were both 8 years old in this photo. PJ was exploring the area around the Great Lawn with his dad Peter during off-leash hours in Central Park of 6 AM – 9 AM. Charley also met a large gathering of other dogs who were socializing with other dogs and their owners. Charley made several new friends and had fun running around with them without having to wear a leash. PJ sadly passed away several years before Charley. PJ developed diabetes some time after this photo was taken and required insulin injections. I believe this was actually the last time they saw one another. They were good friends and got along quite well. Central Park, Manhattan, NYC
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Apple iPhone 5s | Adobe LIghtroom
(Source: Flickr / charleylhasa)
Charley visits the cherry trees by the reservoir in Central Park 9 years ago, February 20, 2013, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC
Charley visits the cherry trees on the west side of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park. It will be a few more months until the cherry blossoms begin to bloom. Charley can’t wait. The cherry blossoms were an annual tradition for Charley. He never missed visiting them several times while they were in bloom every spring. Central Park, Manhattan, NYC
Ricoh GR Digital IV | Ricoh GW-2 | Adobe Lightroom
(Source: Flickr / charleylhasa)
