Attention Bay Area: Save Fort Funston!

It’s time to spread the word: the Golden Gate National Recreational Area is trying to cut off-leash access by nearly 90 percent at local recreation areas. The GGNRA released a 1500-page proposal to eliminate off-leash dog areas in the Bay Area at Fort Funston, Crissy Field, Ocean Beach and elsewhere in Marin and San Mateo.

We, the dog public, need to fight back! Chair of SFDOG Sally Stephens is leading the charge against these changes. Join Sally and the SF Dog Connectors at Fort Funston Saturday, October 19 at noon to learn more about what you can do to help save the Fort!

For those of you unfamiliar with the story, the GGNRA released a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) in September for the proposed Dog Management Plan. They released a Draft EIS in 2011, which would have cut where you can go with your dog in the GGNRA by 90 percent. Public comment on the Draft EIS was overwhelmingly against the plan by a margin of 3-to-1. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution opposing the plan, in large part because it did not consider the impacts on city parks if the GGNRA made these cuts.

fortfunston
Yellow Dog and Sundown enjoying some off-leash time at Fort Funston. If the GGNRA proposal is implemented, we may not get to do this anymore.

Despite this opposition, the GGNRA has essentially not changed their plan. The Preferred Alternative in the SEIS is the same as the Draft EIS with some minor changes. It still cuts where you can walk with your dog, both on-leash and off-leash, by roughly 90 percent.

Continue reading →

When Dogs Need to Wear Shoes

Yellow Dog is a special creature. He’s got attitude and personality. He’s also got some twisted little feet. It’s probably a result of his mixed breed; we guess he’s a Dachshund-Jack Russell-Beagle mix.

“Yellow has chondrodystrophic legs, which just means the cartilage model his bones are made from didn’t form quite right,” Dr. Brandy Vickers of Avenues Pet Hospital says. “It’s normal for several breeds, including dachshunds and bassett hounds.”

Check out how his paws roll over:

dog bow legs

dachshund crooked legs

When Yellow walks, his nails grind directly on the pavement with every step. We never have to cut his front nails and in fact, we need to protect them and allow them to grow, otherwise he hits the quick when he walks.

Continue reading →

The Vaccines Your Dog Really Needs

Every year, you visit the vet and get a round of shots for your dog, along with an expensive bill. We all want to protect our pets, so we comply with whatever our vet or clinic recommends. But there is some debate over which vaccines are necessary and how often they should be given.

yellow dog getting shots
Yellow Dog is being a brave boy while he gets his rabies and bordetella shots.

Yellow Dog and Sundown were recently due for their shots, so we at YDB decided to get the low-down on vaccines. We consulted our vet expert, Dr. Brandy Vickers of Avenues Pet Hospital in San Francisco, to find out what’s best for each individual pet owner.

Continue reading →

What to Never, Ever Feed Your Dog

Just about everyone on the planet knows chocolate is toxic to dogs. But there are many other food items that are dangerous for your dog to consume.

Grapes/Raisins

Before we were aware of this one, we noticed Yellow was reluctant to eat grapes that fell on the floor. Good thing, too! dog avoids eating grapesGrapes have a toxin that can cause severe kidney or liver damage, even in small amounts. Also be wary of giving your dog human cookies that may contain raisins.

Continue reading →