New York Post - A pet can be more than a woman's best friend

Post date: May 07, 2013 9:40:45 AM

Marley went from being all alone on the highway of Providenciales to being a New York star. In being such a smart, loving, loyal companion, he is spreading the word about his cousins in The NEW YORK POST:

SHE'S an author with three cats, a busy travel-writing career and a new best-selling book, but she still made time to adopt a homeless pup.

"I was in Turks & Caicos, and I came home with sunburn and a potcake," explains Paula Conway, coauthor of "The Beauty Buyble" (ReganBooks, $19.95).

"Potcake" is a Caribbean term used to describe stray mutts, and Conway adopted hers from a group called Potcake Place (potcakeplace.com).

With books on the brain, she named the dog Marley, after the canine subject of another popular title, "Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog." A 10-week-old pup is a handful, as Conway learned quickly while trying to accommodate Marley's schedule. "He's always on the move," she says. In fact, his kinetic quality helped Conway reach a goal she'd recently set for herself.

"I've lost nearly 40 pounds on Weight Watchers since January," Conway confides.

"To be honest, I took September and October off, but having this puppy has kicked me back into gear.

His first week here I tossed off two pounds just chasing him around!" In addition to his services as a fitness trainer, Marley also works as a research associate. Conway's home office is piled high with boxes of the beauty products that she diligently tests (her next book, "The Beauty Jungle," is due next year).

"He's in the teething stage, so naturally he is chewing all of the boxes," Conway reports. "But that gives me extra incentive to get things opened and on shelves, so I'm testing promptly and clear on what I have." Hard-working Marley has become quite the connoisseur.

His tiny paw-pads are wiped with Prince Lorenzo Borghese's Royal Treatment Papaya and Aloe Tender Touches for pets. (Incidentally, Prince Lorenzo, a k a TV's "The Bachelor," just adopted his own mutt, Porcini, from the ASPCA.) "Marley loves my Vera Wang perfume," Conway concludes. "He just wants to lick the bottle - there must be doggie [drugs] in there!"

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