Jim Buck (dog walker)

Jim Buck, wearing a coat and hat, holds onto the leashes of six dogs in front of him.
Buck in 1964, walking six dogs in Central Park

Jim Buck (28 November 1931 – 4 July 2013) was a New York City dog walker from 1960 to the mid 1990s, and was reportedly the first person in the United States with the profession.[1][2]

James Augustine Farrell Buck was born into a prominent Manhattan family with wealth from the banking and shipping industries. He had a successful, $15,000-salary career in electronics sales.[1] He quit this job in 1960 at age 32 because it bored him, and became a full-time dog walker on the Upper East Side, walking as many as 40 dogs per day. The profession was largely unheard of, and Buck's career as a "dog walker" made international headlines.[1][3] Buck became a well-recognized figure in the neighborhood, where he offered training services and canine consultations as well.[1][4] By 1964, Jim Buck’s School for Dogs was earning as much as $500 per week, and he hired his first assistant.[3] Buck operated the business for more than forty years, and hired at least 24 assistants at its peak.[1]

On July 4, 2013, Buck died in Manhattan from complications of emphysema and cancer.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fox, Margalit (12 July 2013). "Jim Buck, Who Made Walking Dogs a Job, Dies at 81". New York Times. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "Pro dog walker handles 12 canines at a time". The Monitor. 1996-10-13. p. 40. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
  3. 1 2 "New Leash on Life Gives Buck Bucks". Evening Independent. Associated Press. 6 March 1964. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  4. ↑ "Pioneer trainer walks Manhattan's dogs daily". Star-Phoenix. 1996-10-16. p. 34. Retrieved 2026-06-11.


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