Family Dog Rescue 2018

Black and brown dog at Family Dog Rescue

San Francisco's Family Dog Rescue's guiding philosophy is "We believe that when you adopt a dog, a family is created" — and they exist to help create and sustain those families. From their new headquarters in the Bayview, Family Dog offers a safe haven to dogs in need — puppies, adults, mixed breeds, purebreds, and dogs with disabilities — whether they're stuck in shelters, wandering the streets, or rescued from abusive situations. Funded entirely by donors, Family Dog provides necessary medical care and supportive foster homes, allowing each dog to reveal his or her true personality — and the kind of family they're meant to be part of. Read more.

Stay a night or three

If all that hiking, eating and drinking makes it unwise to drive home, why not put paws to pillow? The standout dog-friendly Oakland hotel, perhaps, is the Waterfront Hotel in the Jack London Square dining, shopping and entertainment district. Fittingly for a hotel with water frontage, the décor at this boutique Joie de Vivre property is nautical. It’s affordable as big-city hotels go and there's never an extra charge for dogs Read more.

There’s always something dog-centric going on in Oakland

Jack London Square, named for the California author who spent his boyhood on the Oakland waterfront before taking off for the Klondike (his relocated cabin is a local landmark), is Oakland’s vibrant social and historical nucleus, home to dozens of shops, restaurants, retail outlets and inviting lawns where many an event is held. It’s only fitting that a public space named for the author of “Call of the Wild” is dog-friendly, too! Read more.

Chow down with your Oakland chowhound

If your dog’s like ours, she doesn’t care much for sitting still for long periods of time. Fortunately, Oakland’s environment is so stimulating she won’t have to, especially if you head to a venue like Plank, a new addition in Jack London Square sporting a huge, dog-friendly beer garden with bocce court. Also on the waterfront, Brotzeit Lokal Biergarten has a dog-friendly deck and Read more.

Raise a toast to Oaktown beer and wine

Paxton at Drake’s Dealership in Oakland. Photo by Rima Shahin.

Local flavor is what Oakland is all about, and the city’s urban wineries and craft breweries, many housed in renovated warehouse spaces, warmly welcome patrons with well behaved dogs. Read more.