San Francisco County
OK, so where to we start? If there’s a more dog-friendly big city than San Francisco, we certainly don’t know about it. An abundance of open space is one thing that makes the City by the Bay so unique, and the fact that so much of it is open to dogs adds considerable appeal for visitors with canine companions.
San Francisco residents are known for harboring laid-back attitudes about a lot of things, and that goes for leashes. Well behaved pooches are allowed to exercise and socialize in about two dozen places within city limits, including several—Alamo Hill, Bernal Heights, Crissy Field, Fort Funston—with views that make visitors from less glam urban areas go green with envy.
Some of San Francisco County’s designated dog-play areas are fenced, some aren’t; some require leashes, some don’t. From any of them, though, you won’t have to walk far to find a sidewalk table where you can rest and recover from working the crowd, or a hotel where both you and Fido are as welcome as that briefcase-toting guy coming straight from the airport.
Sadie is one of almost 1,200 senior dogs rescued by Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, but she’s also one of kind. She spent her first 10 years with a family, giving them all her love. But when the family moved, they took the furniture and locked the doors, leaving her behind. Sadie was all alone, heartsick and starving.
When authorities finally came by, all that was in the house was Sadie and an empty box of oatmeal. It was clear she had been abandoned for weeks. She should have weighed 60 pounds, but had dropped to a skin-and-bones 28.
When Muttville Senior Dog Rescue heard about this sad girl and knew no one was coming back for her, they gladly took her in.
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Friday, December 9, is the last day to weigh in with public comments on the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Draft General Management Plan, which will affect, among other things, Fort Funston, Muir Beach, Rodeo Beach and other spots beloved by DogTrekkers for many years. (This is not the same thing as the dog management plan about which the GGNRA solicited comments earlier this year.) Ocean Beach Dog offers an excellent summary of the issues and suggestions for your own comments. For those in a hurry, Save Off-Leash has handy copy-and-paste comments! more »
'Tis the season for family gatherings, and that includes Daisy, of course. If you’re visiting kin in San Francisco and would rather avoid toss-and-turn nights on a pull-out couch, check out the seasonal deals offered by pet-friendly hotel brands such asPersonality Hotels(Hotel Union Square, Hotel Diva, Kensington Park Hotel), Kimpton Hotels (dogs are welcome at all of the brand's nine San Francisco properties, and there’s never a pet fee) or Joie de Vivre, with seven pet-friendly, no-fee properties in the city and eight others elsewhere in California.
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Tree lightings are always fun to attend, as much for the smiles on children’s faces as for the visual feast itself. Entertainment is always part of the picture, and there’s no need to leave Fido at home or in the hotel during these fairly brief events taking place at dusk. more »
Many San Francisco residents consider September and October to be the best times of year to enjoy outdoor pursuits and Golden Gate views. With wind and fog at a minimum, it’s also the best time of year to walk across the iconic bridge—an activity that, alas, no longer is legal to enjoy with dogs. But that doesn’t mean that you and your four-legged companion can’t get an eyeful of the city’s most enduring symbol. If you’re visiting the city with four-legged family members, or are hosting someone who is, here are four good Golden Gate Bridge vantage points: more »