Fetch the Paper: Digital Dog Edition

Another Buffy saves the day

Fans of Buffy the Vampire slayer will be glad to hear that at least one of her namesakes has carried on the tradition of heroism and crime-fighting. An East Oakland German Shepherd named Buffy was recently named Valor Dog of the Year by the Humane Society of the United States. In January of 2007, Buffy rose to her person's defense when a man was engaged in robbing him in his own home. Buffy was shot in the leg while defending her guy, and died of complications the following month, but her memory lives on in the Valor Dog award and in the gratitude of her people.

Read the full story here.

Three Years Later: Are Your Pets Ready for Disaster?

Three years ago this week in 1995, Hurricane Katrina blew through the Gulf states with disastrous results. This year, we sit and watch helplessly as Hurricane Gustav does his business in the same region. 

One big difference: this time, more people are ready to safely evacuate their pets, and rescue workers are more prepared to deal with the special task of caring for animals who are either lost or left behind.

In 1995, hundreds of thousands of family companion animals were left behind and found themselves in a horrible crisis. More than 6,000 of those left behind made it to makeshift rescue. About 100 times as many – yes, more than 600,000 – died.  Oregon film maker Mike Shiley documented the rescue – and our society’s failure to adequately deal with the staggering task of saving those left behind – in his film Dark Water Rising.

Today, as Gustav gains force and heads for Louisiana, there is one thing you can surely do. Make sure you think about, document, and prepare your own disaster plan, and include your pets.

Californians must prepare for, and do encounter flooding and earthquakes. In the last three years winter storms have caused serious flooding throughout the Bay Area, so it’s not just the more easily disregarded “Big One” earthquake for which we need to prepare.

I am willing to guess that many of you don’t even have an adequate disaster kit for yourselves, much less your pets. (My own kit is a small box with a smattering of useful things: a hand-crank radio that I got as a premium for my last donation to KQED; some rations I got for going through a disaster training workshop; batteries; and dog food; I still have more work to do.)

To make sure your pets are ready, research and then put your plan into action. Start by collecting everything you need for your evacuation and first aid kits. San Francisco Animal Care & Control provides a useful guide that includes checklists for your pet’s first aid and other needs, as well as making sure your neighborhood has a plan to help animals if residents are not able to return home during a disaster.

If you really want to dig into this topic, the American Veterinary Medical Association has a comprehensive disaster preparedness and response guide on its site. By the way, while there I learned that California is one of about a dozen US states and territories that do not yet have a state disaster plan, so you might want to contact your favorite state legislator and find out why. Another great asset on the AVMA site is their Saving the Whole Family brochure (PDF). 

Well, off to the store now… need to stock up!

Liveblogging ARF's Animals on Broadway

This is FETCH's second year at ARF's Animals on Broadway, which is very well attended with many dogs of all shapes and sizes strutting down Broadway Plaza. This is truly a unique event. This high-end shopping area of Walnut Creek closes off the street for day, and the dogs (and their people) wander in front of Nordstrom, Sephora, Bebe, Macy's and other shops. And it's all for a good cause, the fine programs and services of Tony LaRussa's Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF).
I'd post a photo but I don't have my digital camera's card reader with me... so maybe I'll post something later.
We're here til 4 if you want to come and check it out! -The FETCH Team

Off Leash Proponents: Last GGNRA Committee Meeting

SF Dog just sent this; please make sure you attend or send your comments as instructed.

FINAL MEETING OF GGNRA NEGOTIATED RULEMAKING COMMITTEE

Saturday, October 27, 2007
9 am to 3 pm
Building 201, Upper Fort Mason
San Francisco


Beginning in March 2006, a Negotiated Rulemaking Committee has been meeting to see if any consensus could be reached about a Dog Management Policy for the Golden Gate National Recreational Area. The Committee is composed of representatives from a variety of dog groups (including SFDOG), local environmental groups, equestrians, the SF/SPCA, and other "stakeholders". The October 27 meeting is the final scheduled meeting of the Committee.

The GGNRA has restricted the sites that the Committee can consider for off-leash recreation to 12:

1. Ocean Beach (north of Stairwell 21 and south of Sloat Blvd, excluding the Snowy Plover area
2. Baker Beach
3. Lands End Trail
4. Crissy Field (excluding fenced tidal marsh and dune areas, and the Wildlife Protection Area on west beach)
5. Upper Fort Mason Great Meadow and Parade Ground
6. Muir Beach (excluding tidal lagoon, Redwood Creek, wetland and dune habitat areas)
7. Rodeo Beach (excluding Rodea Lagoon, and fenced habitat protection area)
8. Homestead Valley
9. Fort Funston (excluding fenced and/or signed areas closed for protection of endangered species, habitat restoration, erosion control and public safety)
10. Oakwood Valley trails (Marin)
11. Cattle Hill (San Mateo)
12. San Pedro Point (San Mateo)

Eight areas are under consideration for on-leash only access:

1. Mori Point Trails (San Mateo)
2. Sweeney Ridge trails, excluding the Notch trail (San Mateo)
3. Milagra Ridge trails
4. Ocean Beach Snowy Plover Management area between Stairwell 21 and Sloat Blvd
5. Sutro Heights Park
6. Alta Avenue trail (Marin)
7. Fort Baker (excluding fishing pier and Chapel Trail)
8. Other areas with threatened or endangered species (if potential adverse impacts can be mitigated)

This meeting will be the first time that the Committee will discuss the specific sites under consideration and where dogs can be off-leash at each site.

If you care about off-leash recreation in the GGNRA, you should try to attend this meeting.

There will be a period for public comment at the end of the meeting. This is your chance to let the GGNRA and the Committee know that you support off-leash access in the GGNRA. Let them know which of the sites under consideration you use and how many years you've been using them. Let them know that there are few problems with off-leash dogs at the sites you frequent. Support continued off-leash access at these and other sites.

Unfortunately, at the urging of representatives of some of the environmental groups, the Committee voted in one of its first meetings to limit the total length of public comment to 20 minutes. Bring a written copy of what you want to say and give it to GGNRA staff and tell them you want it included in the public record as your public comment. You can also write a comment down on forms available at the meeting. You can submit written public comment if you are denied the chance to speak because of the time limit.

If you cannot attend the meeting, you can submit the public comment you would have said at the meeting to:

Public Comment for 10/27/07 NR Committee Meeting
c/o Chris Powell
Golden Gate National Recreational Area
Building 201
Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94123

Be sure to indicate you are submitting public comment for the meeting, and that you want your comment to be included in the public record for the Committee meeting.

Sally Stephens
Chair, SFDOG

Please feel free to post this notice to other pro-off-leash listserves and websites.

Which Pit Will Be on the Cover of FETCH?

Wow! Pit bull lovers from all over the Bay Area sent us essays and photos for the September FETCH the Paper cover contest. One of these lucky pups will be featured. Check out the great photos!

The judges are judging and the FETCH team has pulled together some great prizes for the winner and runners up, too.

Two Great Events this Weekend

Well, there are probably more than two, but these are notable because FETCH will be there, and anyone in the East Bay or City who loves dogs and pets and cares about supporting local shelters will want to be there, too.

• Sunday, 9am-1pm, Bay to Barkers. Held at Cesar Chavez Park in Berkeley, and benefits the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society.
• Sunday, 6pm. SF ACC's 18th Birthday Party. Cool jazz, food & drink, auction. More info at the SF ACC  web site.

Come say hi to us, maybe we'll SNAP your pooch. We'll also have FETCH gear & wear, and special price on FETCH subscriptions.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

Both the Oakland As and the San Francisco Giants have 'Dog Days' on tap in their August schedule.

• Oakland A's fans, mark your calendar for Thursday, August 2, and get in the swing at the A's Dog Day at the Park. For $15, you and your dog can watch the game from the pet-friendly Plaza Reserve section. There's also a pregame "pup rally" with games and prizes, and each dog will get an A's bandana and goodie bag. Tickets are limited and only available by pre-registering through oaklandathletics.com by Monday, July 16. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Dogs4Diabetics.
• SF Giants Fans will want to join in the fun with their dog on August 11th when the Giants take on the Mariners. Special ticket required, call 415-972-2356. This event is sponsored by Wag Hotels.  See the Giants web site for more info.

The Real Villain: Puppy Mills

Just about everyone wants a cute, pure-bred puppy, right? And who can afford the price of even a "pet quality" dog from a show dog breeder? So many people set out to find the perfect Bichon, or Jack Russell, or Golden Retriever by following a link on the internet, or ad in the local paper, for the dog of their dreams.

I know that people who get their dogs from puppy mills and back yard breeders love their dogs the same as everyone else. It's not their fault that these breeders (ignorant at best, but many just plain greedy) exist--except, in a way, it is, because the market demand means they can make good money. And the puppy purchases are often ignorant of the generations of poor breeding and filthy conditions, and the potential problems that can surface later in their cute, cuddly new puppy.

SF Gate columnist and sometime FETCH writer Christie Keith has a great article on a recent rescue of puppy mill dogs from Oklahoma. Inspired by seeing sick puppy mill dogs brought into her for care, Fremont veterinarian Helen Hamilton and others took on a small truckload of liberated puppy mill dogs and are caring for them until they can be adopted to new homes here in the Bay Area. Great photos, too. Check it out.

And think about opening your home to one of these deserving dogs. You can contact Dr. Hamilton at (510) 657-9151.

Bay Area Youth Winner in Humane Contest

The American Humane Association announced that Clay Ferguson, a San Leandro resident, was one of the six winners in the National Be Kind to Animals Kid Contest. Clay, 11, along with the two grand prize winners and three other runners up, are all devoted to helping animals in their communities.

“We are proud to recognize these kind kids for their compassion, their commitment and their accomplishments,” said Marie Belew Wheatley, president and CEO of American Humane. “These children ably demonstrate the qualities that help create a more humane and caring society. They are inspiring examples and role models for children and adults alike and are proof that strong humane values continue to translate from generation to generation.”

Clay won this award by volunteering with Friends of Fairmont Animal Shelter, a non-profit group that works directly with the staff and animals at the Fairmont Animal Shelter in Alameda County and Fix our Ferals (www.fixourferal.org) , a local group dedicated to Trap Neuter Return of feral cats.
About four years ago, he and his mom, Ann, started fostering kittens from the Fairmont shelter.   He cares for and socializes these underage kittens to help them become more adoptable. Clay loves playing with the kittens, feeding them with bottles and letting them crawl all over him.  Clay has also helped at the Fix Our Ferals spay neuter clinics.  He recently created a display board showing the process used at the clinics that will be used at their annual fundraising event.  Amy Chovnick, Clay’s mother, also said the board will be entered in the Alameda County Fair to help educate people on Trap, Neuter, Return. 

She is very proud of Clay and his involvement with the animals.  Congratulations Clay! —Rachel Long

Get SNAPPED!

The FETCH team will be taking SNAPS at the following upcoming events... if we SNAP you and your dog, you'll be featured in FETCH and on the FETCH web site in our SNAPS section! Come see us and support the following events:

• Petchitecture, May 4 - benefiting PAWS
• Dog Day on the Bay, May 6 - benefiting SF SPCA
• Animals on Broadway, May 20 - benefiting ARF
• Marin Humane Centennial, June 3 - benefiting Marin Humane
• Hats Off Fashion Show & Luncheon, June 6 - Benefiting SF SPCA medical fund

See the Featured Events listing, left, for more info and links.