Recently, a neighbor out walking her dog encountered a large unfriendly dog that bit her dog so badly it required stitches. In the public interest, she would like this dog to be identified and asked me to put it here.
She writes:
Alfie was attacked by a grey Great Dane on January 24. His owner could not control him. When he finally got his dog off Alfie he left the scene showing no concern for my small dog.
If you know where the dog lives, please let me know – it will remain confidential. Animal Care and Control consider this a “bite and run.” We do not want it to happen to another dog, cat, child or adult.
If you respond in comments, we can pass it on to the neighbor.
[Edited to Add: She’s been found! Here’s the note from her people:
“We are happy to report Nina has been found, and is safe at home. She made her way to the SF Zoo, and the wonderful staff got in touch with us. Thank you for all of your support and help! Hanna and Nick” ]
Please keep a look out for the black dog Nina who got lost last night. She ran off from Crestmont Drive, Forest Knolls, San Francisco 94131 on New Year’s 2014.
Here’s another picture of her.
“She was spooked by the fireworks and ran off. Please help her come home. She has a blue collar with a Marin County dog license and an oversized leather teardrop tag. Nina is a 7 year old small/medium sized black dog with brown stockings and salt & pepper toes on her hind legs.
I got this comment on the ‘pets’ page, but am posting it here for better circulation. If I get a photo, I’ll post it here too. And if Nina comes home, please let me know!
Our dog, Nina, was last seen at 1am on New Years Eve in Forest Knolls on the hillside above Crestmont Drive.
She was spooked by the fireworks and ran off. Please help her come home.
She has a blue collar with a Marin County dog license and an oversized leather teardrop tag.
Nina is a 7 year old small/medium sized black dog with brown stockings and salt & pepper toes on her hind legs. She has two brown spots above her eyes and a white spot on her chest. There is some graying around her snout. We’re working on getting her photo posted here as well.
I was sent this note by two of our neighbors. Though I don’t personally have a dog, I believe that dogs and their walkers make areas safer for *everyone* to use.
Why? It’s because dog-walkers are around. In all weathers, every day of the year, dogs need their walks. Who else uses the parks? Joggers do, but they usually go by running, often with their music on. So do hikers and trekkers and parents with their kids – but they usually select nice weather and convenient times. Dog walkers are the eyes and ears of our parks.
Paws in our parks means eyes in our parks.
So I’m pleased that our neighborhood is dog-friendly, and I’m happy to post this – for the dog-walkers, and for people like me who benefit from their presence. I’ve made some minor edits and corrected the deadline date.
SAVE OFF-LEASH DOG WALKING IN THE GGNRA!
What’s the Deal?
This past September, the GGNRA released a revised version of its Dog Management Plan in the form of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, or SEIS. This document proposes eliminating 90% of off-leash dog access, and severely restricting all dog walking in 21 existing GGNRA sites in Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo counties, as well as in all future sites managed by the GGNRA.
Why Should I care?
If the GGNRA implements their preferred alternatives, Marin will lose off-leash access to the Oakwood Valley Trail, Muir Beach and almost all other GGNRA trails. The only off-leash opportunity in Marin would be Rodeo Beach, the one beach that is only reachable by car by any and all users. And most trails within the GGNRA in Marin would no longer allow any use by people with their dogs, leashed or unleashed. People and their dogs would go from having access to an already tiny 1 % of the GGNRA down to a mere .1 %, effectively removing an entire user group from the GGNRA.
Several years ago, when the plan was first unveiled, public comment ran 3-1 against the GGNRA’s preferred alternatives. But the GGNRA apparently isn’t listening. They’ve re-heated the same plan, with even more restrictions in many locations. And they are requiring new comments for the “new” plan. Even if you commented a couple of years ago, you need to do it again.
What can I do about it?
Comments close on 18 Feb 2014 at 11 p.m. [Webmaster; It’s been extended from January 11th, 2014]. You must submit substantive comments that directly address aspects of the SEIS. No form letters or petitions will be accepted or counted. The GGNRA is making it difficult for a reason. Comments mailed in the old fashioned way always carry more weight. We’ve tried to make it easy for you: key points/phrases to include in your comments are listed below. You may also comment on the NPS website, by clicking on the “Comment on Document” button. Here’s the link: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=303&projectID=11759&documentID=55416
HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT POINTS TO MAKE IN YOUR COMMENTS
Mention where you walk, how long you ‘ve walked there, and what impact this will have on you as a dog guardian and as a citizen.
The SEIS lacks scientific data. Instead, it makes assumptions and assertions with absolutely no peer reviewed site-specific studies as required by law. Without these studies and corresponding data, there is no legitimate or legal foundation for these policy changes.
The plan doesn’t differentiate between impacts caused by humans or other animals. It just assumes all the negative impacts are caused by dogs.
If the GGNRA further limits dog walking as recreation, what few surrounding parks and trails that do allow off-leash will become overcrowded and overburdened. We need more access, not less.
A well-exercised dog is a well-behaved dog. The SFSPCA and Marin Humane Society, as well countless other dog behaviorists are opposed to GGNRA’s preferred alternatives.
There is no federally designated critical habitat in the GGNRA. Yet they cite possible impacts on critical habitat as a reason to ban dogs or restrict access to dog owners.
The GGNRA is an urban park, not a wilderness area. It’s critical recreational open space for a densely populated urban area. By severely reducing off leash dog walking, the GGNRA is in violation of its enabling legislation that allows different user groups -it specifically mentions off-leash dog walkers -to recreate.
Oppose the GGNRA’s preferred alternative and tell them you support the NO ACTION alternative.
Tell the GGNRA to enforce the existing (and adequate) rules to manage dogs.
For more info, visit saveoffleash.com
Send comments to: Frank Dean, General Superintendent Golden Gate National Recreation Area Fort Mason Building 201 San Francisco, CA 94123-002
SPREAD THE WORD! TOGETHER WE CAN KEEP THE GGNRA DOG FRIENDLY!
Sadly, Oskar the dachshund who was poisoned by the strychnine-laced meatballs, has died. The veterinary clinic did their best to save him, but lost the battle.
Oskar in veterinary hospital – photo credit: AIMSS Facebook page
The poisoner/s remains at large. There’s a $5,000 reward for information leading to their arrest. This dastardly crime could affect almost any animal or bird or even human – the police determine there was so much strychnine they advised against handling the meatballs without gloves. [Edited to Add: If you have information, call the police at (415) 242 3000 – Lieutenant Pengel or Inspector Nannery – or the Animal Legal Defense Fund at (707) 795-2533, ext. 1010]
Meanwhile, Oskar’s treatment was hugely expensive. Already facing the tragic loss of her pet, his owner shouldn’t be left holding the bill for a crime that hits all of us as a community. I’m not a dog-owner, but I am using my donation to protest this horrible act. If you would like to do the same, here’s the Paypal link.
The veterinary clinic, Animal Internal Medicine and Specialty Services, notes on their Facebook page: “Donations can be submitted through the paypal site, as well as in person at the hospital via credit card. We regret that at this time we cannot accept checks. “
[Edited to Add: They’re at 1333 9th Avenue, San Francisco, California 94122; the phone number is (415) 566-0540 and they’re always open.]
[Edited to Add 2: In response to some questions from readers, I asked AIMSS what the target amount was, whether the funds would go directly to reducing the liability of Oskar’s owner, and what would happen to excess donations if the target was crossed. Here’s what AIMSS said:
“Hey, Thanks for helping Oskar’s mom! So Oskar’s bill was capped by the hospital when it reached $26,000. All funds raised go directly to Oskar’s medical cost. If we go over the target amount we will donate any additional funds to SF Aid for Animals.” ]
The San Francisco Park Station Police have put out an alert. There’s a poisoner loose who’s apparently trying to kill dogs. One dog is still seriously ill, and some wildlife has died. This message has been going out on the Yahoo Group, NextDoor and Facebook, but here is the official alert.
Any questions please contact the Park Station Investigations Team at 415-242-3000.
Someone sent this to me, and I thought that dog-friendly Forest Knolls would be interested!
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MILLION DOG MARCH
Sunday, June 2, 2013
McLaren Park, San Francisco
We can’t break the world record without you and your dog!
San Francisco Bay Area dog lovers have worked hard to make the Bay Area the most dog friendly place on earth. Yet there are threats to many of the gains we’ve made—from Muir Beach to Montara, Oakland to San Francisco. That’s why dog people are planning to gather one June 2nd at McLaren Park in San Francisco to stand up and be counted, once again, for our dogs and our community—and to have a whole lot of fun at the same time as we try to break the Guinness World Record for largest dog walk.
We hope you’ll join us for the first-ever Million Dog March, a fabulously large dog walk and festival of fun and games, and help us:
Break the world record for largest dog walk
Show the size and passion of the Bay Area dog community
Stand up for our right to walk with our dogs in city parks, federal recreation areas and other public spaces
Raise money for Friends of SF Animal Care and Control
Enjoy a great time in one of San Francisco’s most beautiful yet underutilized parks
The Million Dog March will be a beautiful three-mile walk in McLaren Park, through grassy fields, around scenic lakes, under redwoods, over charming wooden bridges, and along trails with some spectacular views of San Francisco. After the walk, there will be a festival with music, vendors, information tables and games and activities for you and your dog. Have a photo taken of you and your dog. Let your dog try her paw at some agility equipment, go bobbing for tennis balls to win a prize, or see his furry face as a caricature.
The cost of the event is $25 in advance/$30 on the day of the event, which includes registration for one dog and its human family members as well as one t-shirt for you and a bandana for your doggie. Any proceeds from the event will be donated to Friends of SF Animal Care and Control, to benefit city shelter animals. Because of the number of participants, we ask that you keep your dog on leash during the walk.
Event sponsors: Zynga, Pet Camp, K9 Scrub Club, Pet Food Express, Yelp, San Francisco SPCA, the Park Cafes, Citipets. Media sponsors: The Bark, 7 x 7, Bay Woof, San Francisco Bay Guardian.
Hosted by SFDOG. Endorsed by Crissy Field Dog Group, DogPAC of San Francisco, Ft. Funston Dog Walkers, Grateful Dogs Rescue, ODOG-Oakland Dog Owners Group, Ocean Beach DOG, Marin Unleashed, McLaren DOG, Montara Dog Group, Muttville, Point Isabel DOG, the Professional Dog Walkers Association, Save Off Leash Dog Walking, Wonder Dog Rescue.
We have new neighbors on Christopher Drive Crestmont, (Welcome to Forest Knolls!) and they sent this picture of Phoebe, a springer spaniel/ poodle mix. Of course it’s going on the Pets page, but I couldn’t resist putting it out here first. She’s looking so thoughtful.
Edited to Update (July 27, 2012): He’s been found! Here’s what I heard from Tess:
“Great news! My niece, the original owner, went with me to look on Christopher Street. She called his name several times and he ran out of the woods and into her arms.
“Thank you for your help in my search.” I am so pleased to be able to report another happy ending.
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This picture’s been posted on lamp-posts in our area. It’s a missing two-year-old male Yorkie, lost on Tuesday at Devonshire and Oak Park in the Forest Knolls area. If you see this little dog, please call Tess at (415) 640-1975.
(I just spoke with her July 25th at 8.30 p.m., the dog is still missing.)
Nola posted this alert on the neighborhood Yahoo Group, and I’m giving it a signal-boost because it could be important:
On Saturday, June 30, Mars Petcare announced the voluntary recall of some of its Pedigree canned dog food products due to a potential choking risk. Affected products may contain small pieces of blue plastic.
To learn which products are included, please visit the following link:
If you’re giving your dog this product, you might want to follow the links for the details. It links to the website dogfoodadvisor.com has an alert system to warn dog-owners who sign up with them about recalled dog foods.
I’ve posted here before about Joel Engardio, one of the candidates for Supervisor for District 7. (Sean Elsbernd is termed out this November.)
At the time, it was because of his forest-friendly video. (Click on the owl picture to watch the 2.5 minute video.)
He’s made another 2-minute video, this one about dogs in San Francisco. I’m not a dog-owner, but I am pleased our neighborhood is dog-friendly. As I said in In Praise of Dog-Owners — paws on the street mean eyes on the street.
Click here for Joel Engardio's dog video
If you’d like to find out where this candidate stands – clicking on the picture above will take you to the video.
Xena is all-black, smooth coat, about 25 lb., pointy ears. She was last seen at the edge of Safeway Park in Diamond Heights. She’s very, very shy and won’t come near you, so please just call [ETA: Removed phone number, no longer needed.]
(Information and photograph provided by Avrum Shepard of the West of Twin Peaks Council.)
Please keep a lookout for this dog, especially if you’re walking your dogs anywhere near here.
Glen Canyon Park — both the canyon itself and the flat “Safeway Park” above it and adjacent to the Diamond Heights Safeway parking lot — is many things to many folk. Kids play on the grass and the play structure, there’s a ball-field, I’ve seen police cadets training by running around the paved trail of the Safeway Park. It’s a gopher haven — and a de facto dog play area where off-leash dogs run around and socialize and chase each other in circles.
It’s also part of the territory of a pair of coyotes. I’d posted about an encounter I saw between a dog and the coyotes recently. (This picture is from that event.)
DOG CHASED OFF
Yesterday’s encounter didn’t go so well. I wasn’t there, but heard about it from someone who was. Around 10 in the morning, two dogs being walked in the park spotted the coyotes. The “dogs chased after the coyotes — who then turned around and chased back. The dogs ran off and away.” Spectators helped hunt for the dogs; one was found, but the other is still missing as of this post. [ETA: Found!] Quoting from a message we received from Avrum Shepard of the West of Twin Peaks Council:
Xena is all-black, smooth coat, about 25 lb., pointy ears. She was last seen at the edge of Safeway Park in Diamond Heights. She’s very, very shy and won’t come near you, so please just call … [ETA: Phone number removed, not needed now].
I really hope Xena gets back unscathed and in good shape. [Edited to Add: She was found the following morning, around 3 a.m., according to Avrum.]
KEEPING YOUR DOG SAFE
Coyotes don’t have much interest in people, unless someone is feeding them — and that, thankfully, doesn’t appear to be happening in San Francisco. I actually saw a coyote one night in the park. It was hunting gophers. I was taking a walk. I caught it in the beam of my flashlight, and yelled. I needn’t have bothered yelling; the moment I flashed my light on it, it was gone.
However, coyotes are very aware of dogs, which are from the same animal family. (They’re canis latrans, dogs are canis lupus familiaris.) Dogs are potential rivals, potential enemies, even potential friends (though it’s probably not a good idea to permit or encourage such friendships).
What this means is, Glen Park shouldn’t be treated as an off-leash area, even in the day time. The easiest way to keep a dog safe is to keep it leashed; it won’t be tempted to chase after the coyote pair even if it spots them, and a coyote is not going to chase a dog that’s up close to a person.
Rec and Park have put notices everywhere, saying there are coyotes around. They’ve put big notices saying it’s not meant to be an off-leash area for dogs. I can see why people ignore the signs. Dogs need a place to play, and this is convenient and friendly. It’s a delight to watch them romp, and one of the reasons I like to walk there.
But it’s not a good idea. If it goes on, it’s only a matter of time before it ends badly for the dogs or the coyotes or both.
Out for a walk around 7 p.m. this foggy evening, I heard someone urgently calling his dog. I looked round, and saw a coyote bounding uphill above the trail. Another coyote lay low in the bushes, observing the situation below.
The dog followed along the trail after the coyote, happy tail and curious nose; it was in an investigative and playful mood. Fortunately, it obeyed the summons and rather reluctantly returned to its people, who promptly leashed it. The coyote watched it leave.
The people with the dog stood on the steps a little, watching the coyotes, then left. A jogger came up the trail; I stopped him and told him about the pair of coyotes. He nodded, turned around and went back the way he’d come.
I also retraced my path to avoid disturbing them, and found a place where I could watch them from the road above. It felt amazing — here I was, in the middle of a city, watching coyotes in the same way as I’ve watched the Deccan Dhole in a sanctuary in India, or a hyena in the Masai Mara. The coyote hung around the path for a while, sniffing and marking, probably to reclaim its turf from the dog. (Coyotes really notice dogs; they recognize them and react to them.)
Suddenly, it bounded from the path into the brush, and I knew someone must be coming. Sure enough, a jogger ran past on the same trail. Not sure whether he noticed them or not, but he kept going, and nothing happened. (He was dogless.)
I was surprised the coyotes were out so early and stayed so visible. Before this, I’d only ever seen them late at night, and people have reported seeing them early in the morning. (I posted about that, with guidelines for Coyote Caution.)
COYOTE CAUTIONS
I guess what this means is — if you’re taking your dog into coyote terrain (which is pretty much all the Natural Areas around here, as well as Golden Gate Park) — it makes sense to keep it leashed, even if it’s not early morning or late at night. This dog was sensible and obedient and returned when called. Some dogs would want to engage with the coyote, which could end badly for one or both.
Janet Kessler, who is the Jane Goodall of San Francisco’s coyotes, has recommendations for dog-walkers in coyote territory:
IF COYOTES FASCINATE YOU…
If you’re interested in coyotes, I highly recommend Janet Kessler’s brilliant blog, Coyote Yipps. Scroll down for some neat video; I loved the one of the coyote hunting some underground critter — a gopher? It has a surprise ending.
Some of you already know there are coyotes living in the area: one, maybe two families are somewhere around in the Twin Peaks/Glen Canyon/Golden Gate Park habitats. We’d posted about it on the Sutro Forest website, here.
Today, someone on our neighborhood group described an encounter with a coyote on Twin Peaks while out running with their dogs, early in the morning… in which the coyote chased them off the hill:
I spotted a coyote running up the street… I would stop and yell at him and tell him to go away (as if), and he would briefly stop but continued coming…..we finally got away…must be protecting his cubs.
It ended with a warning to people going up there with small unleashed dogs. (The coyote picture here isn’t of that coyote; it’s a public domain photograph.)
[ETA 25 May 2011: I personally saw a coyote a couple of days or rather, nights, later. It was around midnight, on the other side of Twin Peaks, near Panorama. Possibly the same animal.]
I’d like to refer everyone to the brilliant Coyote Yipps blog. It’s kept by Janet Kessler, the “Jane Goodall of San Francisco’s coyotes.” It minutely observes and documents the behaviour of a family of coyotes she watches (and also another family of coyotes in Los Angeles, observed by Charles Wood).
However: It also posts a warning.
More importantly, if you go with dogs into coyote areas (most open parkland in San Francisco or its surroundings): What concerns coyotes is dogs. Here are the special guidelines for dog-walkers. (Note that the person who originated this warning did the right thing by yelling at the coyote.)
[ETA: However, Janet Kessler added in a private communication: “…it is best never to run away from a coyote, but rather to walk away slowly. Running away sparks an instinct to chase.”]
Here’s a link to a Coyote Yipps post with more detailed pointers for dog-walkers. I’d recommend them to everyone. Janet Kessler’s been watching coyotes and their interactions with people and dogs for some years now. She’s deeply knowledgeable.
Edited to Add: PETS page is up and running. Send pictures of your pets to fk94131 at yahoo.com if you want them there. (Permission to publish will be assumed if you send pictures.)
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I don’t have a dog.
Nevertheless, I think that a neighborhood is richer for having dog-owners in its midst. Specifically, Forest Knolls is richer for being a dog-friendly neighborhood.
If it weren’t for dog-walkers, there’d be very few people out and about. People have busy lives, and go elsewhere for exercise. Our homes are built with garages at street level, and gardens in the back: Great for privacy, not so good for community.
It’s the dog-owners who are out there. Many of them know each other, or at least know each other by their dogs. They care about each other and each other’s pets.
That’s the kind of thing that builds community.
There’s the charm of the dogs themselves. Big ones, little ones, pure-bred or mutts, they’re a friendly tail-wagging presence and give life to our neighborhood.
I asked a few dog-owners I met around Forest Knolls to let me take pictures of their dogs. They were willing; so far, no one has said no. The dogs, too, were mostly willing – except when they were trying to get close enough to lick my face.
Shouldn't happen
(Only one request, dog-owners – please clean up after your doggies. I know nearly everyone does nearly all the time…)
They are also an obvious presence in our neighborhood; they see what’s going on. Night or day, rain or shine, the dogs need walks, and their people take them. Paws on the street means eyes on the street.
It keeps us all a little bit safer.
Rain or shine...
Some years ago, someone I know lived in a restored brownstone in Brooklyn. They had two large dogs, which occasionally barked. The neighbors grumbled, as some neighbors will. After five years, the apartment was too small, and the dogs and their folks moved out.
Two weeks later, the building was broken into. And then a week after that, it was broken into again.
“Too bad you guys moved out,” the formerly grumbling former neighbor said. “Seems like your dogs were a deterrent.”
Probably true.
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I’m thinking of starting a Pets page on this website, if people are interested and would like to contribute. Just pictures of our cats and dogs and birds and whatever other animals are in peoples’ lives. Leave a comment if you think it’s a good idea.
One of our neighbors on Warren Drive found this dog. It has a collar but no tag and is frightened. If you know whose it is, please email the finder at vass42004 at yahoo.com or the webmaster of this site at fk94131 at yahoo.com
[Edited to Add: This just in. “Thank you soooo much..The owners came by..]
Recently, a neighbor out walking her dog encountered a large unfriendly dog that bit her dog so badly it required stitches. In the public interest, she would like this dog to be identified and asked me to put it here.If you know where the dog lives, please let me know – it will remain confidential. Animal Care and Control consider this a “bite and run.” We do not want it to happen to another dog, cat, child or adult.
FOREST KNOLLS NEIGHBORHOOD 