Happy Dogust

The Dog Days have arrived! Named for the dog star Sirius, the term is often shorthand for those sluggish, heat-drenched days of late summer. But you’d never know it here in the Bay Area where crisp temps and perfect blue skies are making walks with our pups a pure delight. Sorry, rest of the country.

Bay Woof’s open-themed August issue is packed with a plethora of dog news, training tips, and shelter reports, along with some important notes from local activists and dog pros. Author and animal advocate Jill Tucker of CalAnimals has generously allowed us to reprint her timely call to create a state bureau for companion animal welfare that could help prevent future tragedies like the ongoing Miranda’s Rescue case in Humboldt. We’ve also included some brief updates on that case as reported by our friends at Redheaded Blackbelt and other outlets.

In cheerier news, Shelby Hinte of Compassion Without Borders shares a heartfelt tale about how low-cost vet clinics keep people and pets together. Dawn Kovell with Marin Humane provides a great follow-up to last month’s piece about a local pair who were then headed to the World Agility Championship in Germany. (How’d they do? Read it and find out). Let longtime HSNB volunteer Karen Connelly’s story of Sky, a rescue dog turned therapy dog, bring a smile to your face.  And a fresh-faced high schooler gets her first Bay Woof byline for an article about a program she started to collect gently used and unused dog supplies and redistribute them to Bay Area shelters. It seems the kids really are all right.  

If you’ve got a Velcro® dog (yes, that is a trademarked term), you won’t want to miss Ren Volpe’s Good Dog! column about why clinginess isn’t always cute and what you can do about it. If you’re stuck in town, you can travel vicariously with Dan Perdios as he recounts plane rides and road trips with his beloved Golden Retrievers. And all dog lovers should check out Dr. Kate Kuzminski’s handy notes for dog water safety, including what to watch for at the beach, pond, or pool. 

Finally, take a minute to catch up on important local animal issues with Council Tails (formerly Commission Tails), reflecting the new name of the former SF Animal Commission. Then finish up with the usual suspects - Nose for News, Mr. Smarty Pants, and Red and Howling - the perfect antidote to any August angst.

Wherever this month finds you, we hope you’ll enjoy the last of the summer’s Dog Days and keep good company with the dogs in your life. See you on the trails!

-Rocket and the Bay Woof pack

cover photo: Macho More! by Randy Parker