Hundreds of dogs and their human uprights spent a beautiful Dog Day on The Bay aboard the San Francisco Belle, largest of the seven vessels operated by Hornblower Cruises & Events on San Francisco Bay. The 7th annual fundraiser for the San Francisco SPCA included a two-hour cruise, doggie buffet (humans had their own delectable buffet as well), live entertainment, water bars, stunning bay views—and a sod-covered poop deck. All pups received two color photos of themselves with their humans in the background.
This year’s fundraiser specifically benefited the Puppy Dog Tales reading program, part of the SPCA’s 30-year-young Animal Assisted Therapy program. Puppy Dog Tales promotes literacy and works closely with school and library staffs to engender a love of reading in at-risk children. Volunteers and contacts report that children who could not read a sentence in the first meeting quickly warm up to pets, subsequently feeling safe and supported enough to meet reading challenges.
DogTrekker readers can learn how to become pet-therapy volunteers by downloading an application and signing up for an orientation session. Donations to support the great work being done on daily basis by SPCA staff and volunteers can be made at San Francisco SPCA.
