Over the past year, we’ve interviewed many members of the hospitality industry, and one constant among the interviewees has been a profound love for their pets. We thought it would be great to share this love with our readers. That’s why we recently launched an ongoing feature called “Wag Wednesday” to showcase industry peeps and their pets.
This week, we’re featuring John (a.k.a. Yosh) Migita, Executive Sous Chef at Katsuya, and his Jack Russell Terrier, Wasabi.
Your Name: John (a.k.a. Yosh) Migita
Your Pet’s Name: Wasabi
Sex: Male
Age: 5
Breed: Jack Russell Terrier
How did you come to own your dog? What drew you to him?
My wife Shannon (girlfriend at the time) really wanted a dog while we were living in Philadelphia. I was a little reluctant because I didn’t grow up with a dog but eventually gave in. We were planning to go to the SPCA when we got a call that her family friend had a Jack Russell puppy that they could not take care of. She was living on her own and did not have enough time to train a high-energy puppy. We saw a picture of him via text and knew immediately he was for us. He was tiny – just three months old when we drove to New York to pick him up – and we immediately fell in love.
How would you describe your dog’s personality?
He really has a mind of his own! He is very well behaved (Shannon trained him well) but also super stubborn (part of the breed). He always knows how to tell us what he wants and makes it very clear whether it’s going out, climbing under the blankets or just wanting attention. His vocabulary is almost too good; we have to spell certain things out in front of him and I think he’s even catching on to that. He’s really funny and playful and loves to cuddle. Also, like a lot of small dogs, he thinks he’s a lot bigger than he is (20 lbs).
How has owning a pet made your life richer?
Sometimes on my days off, I just feel like vegging out but he makes me get up and go. We play soccer together at the park by the bay in North Beach and he loves it. He also makes me laugh every day and is the best cuddle buddy – he sleeps in with me a little after my wife gets up for work. He’s our baby and I find it hard to imagine life without him.
It’s said that dogs reflect their owners and vice versa. How does this apply to you and yours?
I think we can both be a little stubborn! Someone once told me we look alike.
Tell us a funny story about you and your dog.
My wife is a redhead and I like to introduce them as my Wasabi and Ginger 🙂
But as for a story: when he was a puppy, we lived in a trinity house in Philadelphia. The stairs were really steep and winding and our bedroom was on the third floor, so he was too little to get up and down. Instead of a steel crate, we bought him a little pop-up tent and one day we came home to find him bouncing around at the top of the stairs. He learned how to un-zip the tent! It was like when the raptors on Jurassic Park learned to open doors! He was so cute and so proud of himself, though, that we couldn’t even be mad that he was an escape artist (that wasn’t yet house-trained).
I tried to rig the tent up with a carabineer and a few other ways, but he would always be skipping around at the top of the stairs when we got home. Now he has the run of the house and spends his day sunbathing on the balcony.
Are you involved in any pet organizations or philanthropies?
We donate to the SPCA.
We follow a lot of dog social media accounts like Doug the Pug and Menswear Dog. Do you? Which are your favorites?
I actually check in on the Jack Russell hashtag on Instagram from time to time.