DOGS
Deborah Jacob and Gingy
Samantha Green and Molly
Stacey Mischel and Jett
Bahleh Lewis and Penny
THE LUNCHERS
O
ne canine klatch is giving a
whole new meaning to
Ladies Who Lunch. This
quartet gathers around
Samantha Green’s kitchen table to
share a takeout lunch while their
puppies, all two-year-old Golden
Doodles, frolic in the fenced-in yard.
The members (in addition to Green:
Bayleh Lewis, Stacey Mischel and
Deborah Jacob) knew one another
through their children’s schools and
sports teams, but it wasn’t until they
brought home new puppies within
weeks of each other that they formed
a weekly playgroup. “We chat and eat
lunch while the dogs run around,”
says Jacob.
At first, the group’s agenda
centered around surviving puppyhood:
housebreaking issues, sleep problems,
bath time challenges. All but Green
are first-time dog parents. Jacob
acknowledges that now that the
group has been dog owners for two
years, the conversation has shifted.
46 MILLBURN • SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE HOLIDAY 2016
Now, says Jacob, “the topic is more
likely to be about baseball teams
than chew toys!”
The group has become so friendly
that they often get together without
the dogs. Kids sometimes join in,
particularly at a birthday party for
Jacob’s dog, Gingy. Four-legged
guests received goody bags with
bones inside while two- legged guests
got dog-themed cookie cutters. “I
hope we will continue to meet as the
dogs get older because we’ve become
such good friends,” says Jacob. ➤