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NewsHound 021
March 13, 2008 |
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Dear Urbanhounders,
Spring is a time of beginnings, and this year, one of the most delightful examples of renewal we've seen is the new official off-leash area in San Francisco's Duboce Park.
Though just three blocks long, and half as wide, Duboce has long been a magnet for residents of the Duboce Triangle, Upper Market and Lower Haight. A tent city sprang up there after the '06 quake. And today it packs a recreation center, a mediation labyrinth, a basketball court and a playground, plus flowers, trees and green, open lawns, into a vibrant slice of The City bounded by Muni tracks and stately Victorians.
And as long as people have used Duboce, they have enjoyed it with their dogs -– though the park's off-leash status wasn't sanctioned by law.
Luckily, in addition to being one of the most-used parks in The City, it's also among the most loved and supported by the communities it serves. A few years ago, those communities came together and pushed past all the conflict that attends the discussion of off-leash recreation in this town to develop a vision for Duboce Park that embraced the dog owners along with all the other users.
In doing so they bucked both trend and policy, creating a multi-use space visually defined by attractive bollard-and-chain fencing (rather than a dog corral enclosed by 4-foot-high chainlink) and graced with benches, a drinking fountain for dogs and people and wide, smooth pathways.
Dog owners, who were accustomed to run of the park, will now need to get used to unleashing only in the off-leash area, but that's a small price to pay for what we dog folks have wanted for years: recognition that we are legitimate and desirable users of our neighborhood parks.
Kudos to the Friends of Duboce Park, the Duboce Park Dog Owners Group, and all the other organizations and individuals who came together to make this happen, and to Supervisor Bevan Dufty for championing the cause at City Hall.
With renewed hope for the future of The City that Knows How,
Laura Cavaluzzo,
Editor, urbanhound San Francisco
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Oakland Adoption Event
Dates Throughout March & April, 11 AM to 2:30 PM
City Center, 12th & Broadway, Oakland
All year long, the East Bay SPCA sets up shop at City Center on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays to find homes for pets.
Yappy Hour
Friday, March 14, 5 PM to 7:30 PM
1750 Union Street, San Francisco
Every Friday, pet lovers gather for wine and cheese while their dogs mix and mingle, too, at Bella & Daisy's Dog Bakery & Boutique. Cocktail attire-—for you and your hound--is encouraged.
Spring Fling Party
Saturday, March 15, 10 AM to 7 PM
342 Divisidero Street, San Francisco
Celebrate the return of sunny days with this free event at the Black Nose Trading Company, a daycare, dog wash and retail store in the Western Addition. The day's events include pet photos, massage sessions, talks on training and communication, tours of the facility and discounts on items throughout the store.
Dog-Dog Aggression: Understand, Manage, Modify
Saturday, March 15 & Sunday, March 16, 9 AM to 6 PM
243 Alabama Street, San Francisco
The San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers presents a weekend seminar on dog-on-dog aggression, taught by Jean Donaldson, Janis Bradley and John Buginas. The two all-day sessions will cover topics including recognizing the difference between normal play behavior and aggression, resource guarding, leash manners and techniques for training and rehabilitation. Open to the public; no dogs, please. Registration is $200 ($175 for Academy alums and SPCA staffers and volunteers). Registration forms and agendas are available online.
Dog Day Mornings
Saturday, March 15, 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM & 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
12 Airport Blvd., San Mateo
Dog park too muddy? Too intimidating? Let your furry friend romp off-leash with other dogs, indoors, at this weekly supervised social hour sponsored by The Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA. The early session is open to all sorts of dogs (as long as they have basic obedience training and are up to date on shots). The second session of the morning is for small dogs only. Each session is $5. Get more info on the Society's website. Call to enroll: 650-340-7022, ext. 784.
North Bay Adoption Event
Saturday, March 15, Noon to 3 PM
The Village, Corte Madera
The Marin Humane Society brings adoptable animals to Corte Madera. For more adoption event dates and locations this month, visit the Society's events page.
San Francisco Adoption Event
Sunday, March 16, Noon to 4 PM
Bank of America, 501 Castro Street, San Francisco
The adorable pups of Rocket Dog Rescue will be out to steal your heart. For more dates and locations this month, visit Rocket Dog's events page.
Paws to Read
Wednesday, March 19, 3:30 PM
Orinda Library, 26 Orinda Way, Orinda
Kids in grades 1 – 5 can practice reading with a friendly, temperament-tested dog as their partner. This free event will take place every Wednesday through April 23. Sign up at the library or call 925-254-2184.
Pick of the Litter Donation Day
Friday, March 21, 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
12 Airport Blvd., San Mateo
Clear out your closets, garage and basement, and help the Peninsula Humane Society raise money to help needy animals. Drop off your gently used furniture, clothing, housewares, CDs, books and more to be sold at the Society's Ebay store. Pick-ups of entire estates or large lots of furniture can be arranged; call 650-344-1662 for info.
Sports Sampler Class
Fridays, March 21 through April 11, 6 PM to 7 PM
SF/SPCA, 2500 16th Street, San Francisco
Think your dog might enjoy rally? Maybe agility might be more his speed? This class, offered by the San Francisco SPCA gives you and your hound a taste of each. The fee is $90, and you can register online. Check out all the SPCA's innovative classes on the Society's website.
Berkeley Adoption Event
Saturday, March 22, 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM
George, 1844 Fourth Street, Berkeley
Home At Last Rescue will be on hand with dogs and cats galore, on the first, second and fourth Saturday of each month. For other dates and locations, visit their Mobile Adoption event page.
School Break Animal Camp
Monday, March 24 through Friday, March 28, 9 AM to 4 PM
SF/SPCA, SF/SPCA, 2500 16th Street, San Francisco
Kids in grades 1 through 3 can spend spring break learning about animal welfare, behavior and training -- all while caring for and playing with shelter animals -- at this week-long day camp run by the San Francisco SPCA. Registration is $400 and can be done via email.
1st International Symposium on Veterinary Hospice Care
Friday, March 28 through Sunday, March 30, 7 AM to Various
Gladys Valley Hall, School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis, Davis
Geared toward vets and other involved in animal health care, this conference explores the emerging field of veterinary hospice, which allows people to care for their companion animals at home -- guided by veterinary professionals-- during the animals' final days. Co-sponsored by The Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets and Assisi International Animal Institute. Registration fees for the three-day conference range from $150 to $625, with price breaks for students, non-profits and groups. Visit the UC Davis website for more info or to register.
Critter Crafts
Saturday, March 29, 10 AM to 11 AM
171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd., Novato
An hour of making crafts and meeting and learning about Delightful Dogs, for 4 to 5 year-old kids and their parents. Sponsored by the Marin Humane Society, it's the first in a series that includes Curious Cats and Beautiful Bunnies, too. The series of three costs $45. Visit the Society's events page for more info.
Winks & Wags
Saturday, March 29, 7 PM to 10 PM
2545 Broadway, Oakland
Singles mingle while their dogs romp (supervised by dog sitters) at this mixer to benefit the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society. Held at Just Pet Me Country Club, the event includes nibbles and drinks for both people and pups. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Visit the Society's events page for more info or to RSVP (by Tuesday, March 25).
People 'n' Pets Massage
Wednesday, April 2, 5 PM to 7 PM
Spa Solé, 2500 Clay Street, San Francisco
Lull your hound (and yourself) into blissful relaxation and support a great cause at the same time. Happy Hounds Massage offers People 'n' Pets Mini Massages, for $1 per minute, every first Wednesday of the month to benefit Pets Unlimited. Call Spa Solé at 415-929-6886 to make an appointment, or just stop by.
Monthly Low-Cost Vaccination & Microchipping Clinic
Wednesday, April 2, 6 PM to 8 PM
12 Airport Blvd., San Mateo
The Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA offers vaccination for rabies, distemper and DHPP ($10 each), plus microchipping ($20). For residents of Belmont, San Mateo, East Palo Alto and the unincorporated areas of the county, microchipping is just $12.
Fort Funston Clean-up
Saturday, April 5, 9:30 AM
Upper Parking Lot, Fort Funston, San Francisco
Hosted by Fort Funston Dog Walkers, this monthly clean-up event includes free coffee and donuts. Dogs and kids are welcome, and all clean-up equipment and supplies are provided.
East Bay SPCA Volunteer Orientation
Saturday, April 5, 2 PM to 3:30 PM
8323 Baldwin Street, Oakland
Learn the ropes to volunteer for the East Bay SPCA. Monthly sessions are also held at the organization's Dublin site. Register online two weeks in advance.
Low-Cost Vaccination & Microchipping Clinic
Sunday, April 13, 10 AM to Noon
171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd., Novato
Vaccinations for $5 each, microchipping for $20, courtesy of the Marin Humane Society.
Fashion for Compassion
Sunday, April 13, 12:30 PM
Hyatt Regency, Burlingame
The 3rd annual luncheon fashion show to benefit The Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA. Four-legged models will be dressed by Bow Wow Meow, and their two-legged companions by Macy's. Tickets are $75; email or call 650-340-7022 x375 for more information.
Free Microchipping Clinic
Sunday, April 13, 1 PM to 4 PM
1200 15th Street, San Francisco
This drop-in clinic offers free microchipping for the pets of San Francisco residents, courtesy of The City's Animal Care & Control department. Non-residents pay only $15. No appointment necessary.
If there's an event you'd like us to mention in the next NewsHound, please email us.
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Find Fido with a High-Tech Dog Catcher. Got a hound who's a real Houdini? Soon, you'll be able to foil his wiliest escape attempts with a GPS unit that attaches to his collar notifies you (via email or text message) of his whereabouts when he leaves the safe zone you define. Called the Zoombak, the gizmo is slated to go on sale at pet supply outlets later this month for $199 (plus a $10 monthly service fee).
Make Trivia Less Trivial. Do you know what country the city of Varna is in? When women's basketball became an Olympic sport? The meaning of the word Trichoclasis? Tackle those and other questions on Experience Project's multiple-choice online quiz, and for every correct answer, the social networking site will donate a piece of kibble to Rocket Dog Rescue. So far, nearly 520,000 pieces of kibble have been earned by dog-loving trivia buffs, paid for by the site's advertisers.
Dog Fighting Finally a Felony in All 50 States. On March 4, the Governor of Wyoming signed a bill that makes dog fighting a felony crime in that state, the last of the 50 states to do so. The Humane Society of the United States calls the event "the beginning of a new era for dogs," and reports that some 23 states are currently considering legislation to increase penalties against those convicted of participating in the blood sport.
Nominate a Hero. Each year the ASPCA presents its Humane Awards to pets and people who've performed heroic acts. Beginning April 1, the organization will accept nominations for this year, in the categories of Dog, Cat, Kid, Firefighter and Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Last year's winners included a dog who performed the Heimlich maneuver on his choking owner and New York firefighter who rescued a dog and cat from a burning apartment. Got a hat to toss into the ring? Submit your nominations online. Nominees will be accepted until July 15, and the winners will be honored at a luncheon in October.
Partisan Dog Biscuits. We're a little unclear on whether you should proudly order the treats that symbolize your party, or get those of the opposing party and feed them to your hound with vindictive glee. Either way, these goodies (manufactured, appropriately enough, by the Capitol Dog Bakery, with a portion of proceeds going to the Washington Humane Society) seem particularly apropos for primary season.
DIY Guide to Greening Your Hound. The brand new book Eco Dog: Healthy Living for Your Pet by Corbett Marshall and Jim Deskevich provides step-by-step directions on making things -- from meatloaf to shampoo to natural odor absorbers to a recycled denim pet bed -- to help reduce your hound's carbon paw print.
What's On. Saturday evenings on Animal Planet are particularly hound-focused this month. The new reality show Groomer Has It premieres on Saturday, April 12 at 9 PM. Twelve groomers will compete for a $50,000 prize and a mobile grooming salon. At 10, Showdogs Moms and Dads follows five families who sacrifice everything to make their dogs champions. On Mondays, Petfinder, in which hosts Jarod Miller and Dina Zaphiris help match families with shelter animals, continues. On Saturday, April 5 at 8, the station airs the Animal Planet Dog Championships from Portland, OR. On Saturday the 12th from 8 to 9 PM, It's Me or the Fat Dog Update Special checks in with trainer Victoria Stilwell and the three generously-proportioned dogs she created a new regimen for seven months ago.
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All rights reserved.
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