Adrien Gerson puts together the second straight yearly homage to city pets.
By: Linda Seida
LAMBERTVILLE Even before their photographs made them pinup stars this week, two pugs that spend their days greeting customers at a home furnishings store were having a grand season.
The pugs, Jackson and Pat, are owned by the proprietors of the home furnishings store Monkey Hill, Jobert Abueva and Bruce Imber. The dogs were hosts of a successful pet masquerade last month to benefit pets affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Now Jackson and Pat are among the dogs featured in the second annual Dogs of Lambertville Calendar, and proceeds will go to the Animal Alliance of Belle Mead and the Hunterdon County ASPCA.
Among the pugs’ fellow pinup stars are Lambertville canines Phoebe, a Dalmatian owned by Hope Arvantis and Gary Langfelder; Rocky, a boxer owned by Tom and Phyllis McGuire; Lillie, a bichon frisé owned by Debbie Wean; Bangsi, a mixed breed from Iceland owned by Hrefna Jonsdottir; and three dogs owned by Robert and Elaine Warner, a chow mix named Gidget and a pair of Irish setters named Tassie and Jessie.
"The pet masquerade was a great idea, and the owners of Monkey Hill, Jobert and Bruce, did a fantastic job putting this all together," said calendar creator Adrien Gerson. "It was inspiring to see how many animal lovers exist. I got some photos that I might use (for next year’s edition) as I did at the Shad Fest."
The 2006 edition, which also features some of the city’s Victorian architecture, was scheduled to hit store shelves this week. Ms. Gerson took most of the photographs herself on jaunts on her electric scooter throughout city where dog lovers can easily be found walking the streets or along the towpath.
"I guess this is such an animal friendly walking town that a dog enables us as humans to socialize in a way that we might not do if we it weren’t for that common bond that we have each other’s dogs," Ms. Gerson said. "Town people and visitors alike enjoy walking their dogs around town."
Ms. Gerson, 47, moved to Lambertville in 1989 when she opened the American Bake Shop on North Union Street. Multiple sclerosis cut short her career as a chef. Health complications this past summer made it difficult to meet the calendar’s printing deadline, but it also made her more determined to get the work finished on time.
"I had an exacerbation in late June, and it became a goal of mine to complete this year’s calendar despite losing over two months time," she said.
The calendar can be purchased for $10 at Sojourner, The Chocolate Box, Del-Vue Cleaners, the Lambertville Animal Clinic, Monkey Hill and Jim’s Antiques in Lambertville and at the New Hope Pet Center in Pennsylvania.
Calendars also can be ordered via the Web site for an additional $5 shipping charge at www.Lambertvilledogs.com.
For more information, call 397-2654.

