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The Best Doggy Fun on the Mendocino Coast

We just got back from a lovely trip to Cleone, a quiet hamlet outside of Fort Bragg in Mendocino County. I’ve written before about dog-friendly getaways to Mendocino, but this pohttp://www.incirclepets.com/admin/articles/edit/256-the-best-doggy-fun-on-the-mendocino-coastst presents the nitty gritty – a short list of the best doggy fun activities on the Mendocino coast according to my dog Vinnie, a Mendocino-lovin’ mutt if ever there were one.

If you’ve never visited the Mendocino coast, now’s a wonderful time for a trip. It’s low season, there are no crowds, and lodging rates are discounted at many inns, B&Bs and vacation rental properties.

It was tough narrowing down this list. One of the best things about Mendocino County is the rugged unspoiled beauty that’s everywhere you look. If you’re a nature lover, a stroll down a country road will likely become a breathtaking hike for you and a delightful adventure for your dog. Dog- friendly fun lurks round every bend in this part of the state. That said, here’s Vin’s short list in no particular order:

MacKerricher State Park, Cleone. An enormous park right on the coast with dunes, bluffs, beaches, forest and miles of hiking and horse trails, many of which deposit you on a seemingly endless beach that stretches north for miles. Dramatic ocean views and humbling rock formations may inspire you to hike for hours.

Cowlick’s Handmade Ice Cream, 250 N. Main St., Fort Bragg. A divine local-made ice cream in scrumptious flavors and hefty portions! The Black Forest is magnificent. All dogs get a free dog-size scoop of vanilla!

Mendocino County Botanical Gardens, 18220 North Highway 1, Fort Bragg. These vast gorgeous gardens are an ever-changing living homage to the diverse flora of Mendocino County. In early spring, the rhododendron gardens will awe you. In summer months, the dahlia gardens dazzle. No matter how often you visit the gardens are always splendid and never the same twice. You can hike though the gardens all the way to coastal bluffs and heavenly ocean views. Leashed dogs are welcome throughout the gardens and on the trails. The café near the entrance features Cowlick’s Ice Cream and generously dispenses a free vanilla mini-scoop to all doggy visitors.

Mendocino Headlands State Park, Mendocino. Tourists and locals, humans and canines – everyone loves this hike. There may be no other hike that puts you smack in the middle of two such odd neighbors - the neat fairytale village to the east and ominous rocky arches, crashing waves and the endless Pacific to the west. It’s dramatic and unique.

Frankie’s, 44951 Ukiah Street, Mendocino. This cute spot in Mendocino has a cute outdoor patio with tables and chairs where patrons and their dogs can hang out and enjoy fresh organic pizzas, tasty sandwiches, salads, local beers and wines, and sometimes, live music. They serve Cowlick’s ice cream here too!

Noyo Beach, at the end of North Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg. Locals call this the dog beach because it’s officially leash-free. It’s not the prettiest beach, but it’s easily accessible and big. The dogs don’t care that the sand isn’t white and powdery. They love this beach. Vinnie likes to romp down the length of the beach, then hike north/northwest up and over the hill onto coastal bluffs for open ocean views.

Flickr Photo Credit: RovingMagpie, Kodisnonnie, &Lao_Ren100

Lisa-Anne Manolius is the multi- talented owner/trainer of Oh Behave! in San Francisco. A graduate of the S.F. SPCA's Academy for Dog Trainers and U.C. Berkeley's Boalt School of Law, she's available for dog behavior consultations, private training sessions, and to teach a variety of group classes. She can be reached at lisaohbehave@gmail.com.

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

Happy Pet Organics

It's not always the easiest choice to switch to an organic lifestyle. It can be difficult enough if there are only people in your household, but when you add pets into the mix, things become even more complicated. An organic life can be a healthy change, for sure, but for most people, it's more realistic to ease into it than to go cold turkey.

Happy Pet Organics is a small online company, based in San Francisco, that distributes organic pet treats, pet snacks, and other organic products both for pets and humans. They also supply an interesting array of specialty gifts, including pet Christmas gifts, clothing and accessories for people, and various spa and health products.

The pet cookies and treats seem to be the main attraction, and they have quite a few choices, from dried meats to dehydrated vegetables and fruits. You can choose from nationally known brands of treats, or locally-made specialities. The treats are very competitively priced, and although you probably will notice an increase from what you would normally pay for store bought treats, many people find the peace of mind worth it for knowing that you're feeding your pets natural foods full of nutrients.

It may sound strange to have other kinds of products mixed in with the pet treats, but nonetheless there have been quite a few things I found interesting on the Happy Pet Organics site, especially in the "Spa & Health" section. The organic bath products are of particular interest, and even thought it feels weird to be ordering dog treats in the same place as bath bombs... why not? I've certainly ordered stranger combinations from places like Amazon.

For more information: http://www.happypetorganics.com/

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

Help Save Petaluma's Shollenberger Park

Petaluma’s Shollenberger Park, a 165-acre wetland and nature preserve is beloved by Bay Area nature lovers. Bordered by Adobe Creek and the Petaluma River, this park offers hiking trails, ponds, open fields and a plethora of plant life. Over 100 species of plants have been identified at the park, which is by all accounts a lovely place to jog, ride your bike, walk dogs and get away from it all. On an average day, over 400 people walk the parks trails. Visits to the park are made even more enjoyable and educational thanks to tours led by park docents.

But the park’s star attraction is its birds. An amazing variety of birds – over 200 species -- flock to this park seasonally. They include cormorants, egrets, sparrows, loons, herons, geese, mockingbirds, thrushes, turkey vultures, and hundreds more. You can check out a comprehensive list of the park’s avian species at http://www.petalumawetlandspark.org/Bird_List.pdf.

Unfortunately, the birds’ future and that of Shollenberger Park have been and continue to be the source of much controversy. A new asphalt plant is planned to be built on the west bank of the Petaluma River at Haystack Landing across from the park. The proposed site of the asphalt plant is less than 300 feet from one of the park’s trails. The plant site is the local nesting colony for herons and egrets.

According to environmental review documents for the proposed plant, Dutra Company plans to produce 650,000 tons of asphalt and aggregate products per year, and to operate the plant round the clock, seven days a week. In peak plant operation times, an estimated 750 diesel trucks will enter and exit the plant every day.

The Sonoma County community is in an uproar over the proposed plant because of how it’s likely to pollute the park, air and river water quality, and the plant’s potentially disastrous effects on wildlife, their habitats and humans’ quality of life. Dutra Company, which would build and operate the plant, does not have a good track record on environmental matters and pollution.

The proposed asphalt plant faces stiff opposition from local residents; the Sierra Club, the Petaluma Wetlands Alliance and other environmental groups; as well as the cities of Petaluma, Sebatopol, Santa Rosa, Cloverdale, Healdsburg, and Sonoma. However, the final decision on whether to allow the asphalt plant to be built rests in the hands of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, which will hear the matter in early December 2009.

Save Shollenberger Park, a group of concerned citizens who oppose the asphalt plant, has rallied around this issue and is urging community members to voice opposition to the plant. Their website www.saveshollenbergerpark.com, contains lots of information about the park, the effects of the proposed asphalt project, Dutra’s environmental record, and how to get involved. The Petaluma Wetlands Alliance’s website, www.petalumawetlandspark.org, has in-depth park information about docents, wetlands, the park’s birds, and driving directions.

If you care about this park, please visit these websites soon and help spread the word!

Flickr Photo Credit: Max F Williams, ingridtaylar, Len Blumin, Billy Verde

Lisa-Anne Manolius is the multi- talented owner/trainer of Oh Behave! in San Francisco. A graduate of the S.F. SPCA's Academy for Dog Trainers and U.C. Berkeley's Boalt School of Law, she's available for dog behavior consultations, private training sessions, and to teach a variety of group classes. She can be reached at lisaohbehave@gmail.com.

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

Happy Friday + Our Photo of the Week

Happy Friday!

Today we leave you with this photo taken in Mendocino. Now that its November, there are great deals on weekend escapes in Mendocino, Sonoma and Napa. If you're planning a little getaway with your pet, take a look at our loding section or "escapes" articles for ideas. We hope you have a great weekend!

Have an interesting or funny photo of an animal? Want to see your pet featured here? Send us an email with a photo, the name of your pet and his/her hometown. We love seeing new faces and featuring all types of animals!

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

San Francisco's All Creatures Holistic Healing Network

Of course we all take our pets' heath seriously - we schedule them in for regular vet visits, and get them the medical treatment they need. But sometimes chronic conditions can be tricky to control with pills or injections, or your pet may suffer from things like depression that don't have a clear medical solution. Or perhaps you're just interested in learning how you can keep your pet healthy in a natural way, thus minimizing the frequency with which you have to put them through the trauma of a vet visit.

All Creatures Healing Network aims to help match you and your pet up with holistic healers and vets who are open to the ideas of alternative medicine and natural healing. Many people are skeptical of what is often termed "pseudo-medicine," as it is difficult to know which approaches and techniques are actually based in fact. All Creatures Healing Network will meet with you and your pet, discuss your concerns, and talk about solutions to help return your animal to optimal health. Your pet will be under the supervision of a veterinary professional, and you will receive all the information you need to help you make an informed decision based on what you think is best for your situation. There's no hocus-pocus, and the treatments available come from established alternative therapies.

It's worth having a consultation if you think that your pet has a condition that could be helped by holistic healing. So many pets have gone down the road of natural treatments and come out better for it.

For more information: http://www.allcreatureshealingnetwork.com/

You will also find All Creature Healing Network in our resource directory.

Flickr Photo Credit: la faju

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

A Bay Area Angel – The Maddie’s Fund

If you adopted a pet from an animal shelter in the SF Bay Area, there’s a pretty good chance Maddie had something to do with it.

Maddie was the beloved miniature schnauzer for whom the Maddie’s Fund was named. She brought so much joy, light and love to her humans Dave and Cheryl Duffield, that Dave made Maddie a promise. If he and Cheryl ever made money, their first priority would be to give back to animals so that other people could be as happy as they were with Maddie.

To say that the Duffields kept their word is an understatement. Since 1999 Alameda-based Maddie’s Fund has been a giant angel in the animal welfare cause. To date,the fund has awarded over $71 million in grants to animal welfare organizations and universities.

The mission of this benevolent foundation is simple – “to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals.” Maddie’s Fund has given generously to veterinary schools for shelter medicine programs; to spay/neuter programs in California and other states; to community coalitions of vet clinics, shelters, rescue groups and animal control agencies working to end killing of otherwise adoptable animals; and to expand and upgrade veterinary equipment at shelters.

In April 2009, the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society received a Maddie’s Lifesaving Award. This award honors organizations that have implemented an adoption guarantee for all healthy shelter pets or that have achieved no-kill status for healthy/treatable shelter pets and are likely to keep meeting that goal.

Maddie’s Fund has been a leader in the no-kill movement, more recently known as the adoption guarantee movement. The movement aims to save and adopt out all healthy and treatable shelter dogs and cats by reducing shelter intake through spay-neuter programs, and increasing shelter adoptions. Euthanasia would be limited to pets that are unhealthy and untreatable. The Fund’s end goal is for the U.S. to be a no-kill nation by 2015. Though this may sound unreachable, the Maddie’s Fund team has an impressive can-do attitude which is borne out in inspiring statistics. In 1970, 115 cats and dogs were killed for every 1,000 Americans. In 2000, 16.8 cats and dogs were killed for every 1,000 Americans.

One of Maddie’s current projects is the Shelter Pet Project, a partnership with the Ad Council, the Humane Society of the U.S., and the animal welfare community to encourage people to adopt from shelters and rescues first, before considering acquiring animals from breeders. Again Maddie’s Fund is undaunted. The project’s goal is lofty and laudable – to find homes for the 3 million healthy and treatable dogs and cats who are killed every year in shelters.

According to the campaign, three primary obstacles to shelter adoption exist. People are overly-concerned with a shelter animal’s presumed bad history. People view the pet overpopulation crisis as an animal problem instead of a people problem. People sometimes have negative experiences at shelters.

One strategy central to the Shelter Pet Project is myth busting – dispelling stereotypes about shelter animals through informative, clever and funny Public Service Announcements on TV, radio, on-line, in print, and social networking sites. Check out a couple of the PSA’s at the links below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SKerU-PkbA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Bx4EK15W4&feature=related

Shelter Pet Project wants people to know that there’s nothing wrong with shelter animals. Purebreds account for a quarter of shelter pets. 6 to 8 million pets brought into shelters each year are healthy and/or treatable. Many pets are surrendered to shelters for reasons unrelated to their behavior such as allergies, divorce, death of the owner, or financial issues. And in most instances, a shelter pet is adopted with up-to-date vaccinations, spayed or neutered and microchipped.

We would like to give a paw up for Maddie, her human guardians and Maddie’s Fund! They’ve saved the lives of cats and dogs all over the country, brought happiness and love to countless Americans, and no doubt will continue to do so for years to come.

To learn more about the Shelter Pet Project, go to www.shelterpetproject.org.
To learn more about Maddie’s Fund, its amazing projects, and grant application guidelines, go to www.maddiesfund.org.

Flickr Photo Credit: nanadebmomstretch, Troy Snow

Lisa-Anne Manolius is the multi- talented owner/trainer of Oh Behave! in San Francisco. A graduate of the S.F. SPCA's Academy for Dog Trainers and U.C. Berkeley's Boalt School of Law, she's available for dog behavior consultations, private training sessions, and to teach a variety of group classes. She can be reached at lisaohbehave@gmail.com.

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

Join the Fun at the 5th Annual Fur Ball Event

You may have heard of Hopalong and Second Chance Animal Rescue, an adoption service that helps to relieve the pressure animal shelters face when they are at 100% capacity (which is pretty much all the time). Hopalong does not have an intake facility of its own - instead what it does is immediately set abandoned dogs and cats up in foster homes, until they can find permanent homes of their own. The program is made possible by a strong network of foster carers who help bridge the gap for pets between shelter life and having a new home.

Every year, Hopalong hosts their annual Fur Ball fundraiser to help get some much-needed income into the program. This year the Ball, hosted in Emeryville, promises to have some fantastic events, including live entertainment and wine tasting. It's in the afternoon, from 1pm to 5pm, so you could do that in the afternoon and still have your evening free. It's bound to be a good time, and of course the proceeds go toward finding animals good and loving homes.

Tickets for the Hopalong Fur Ball are $40 per person, but you can get a $5 discount by ordering your ticket in advance. Considering how much fun past years have been, and how they have gotten progressively more spectacular every year, this event is sure to be one not to miss.

For more information: http://www.hopalong.org/news_events/events.shtml

You will also find Hopalong Animal Rescue in our resource directory.

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

Getting a Jump on Holiday Pet Care

It happens every year. A week before Thanksgiving and again a week before Christmas, I get a call or an email from a frantic person in search of holiday pet care. Try though I might, I’m usually unable to help the person find available pet care.

It’s a real gamble to wait until the last minute to find holiday pet care. Blessed as we are in the Bay Area with abundant pet care options, pet sitters and boarding facilities book up surprisingly early. It may only be early November, but it’s not too soon to make plans for holiday pet care. Contact your favorite pet sitter or boarding facility now to make reservations for your pet.

If you’re planning to use a pet care option you’ve never tried before, make time now to interview the staff to be sure the facility is a good safe fit for your pet and to tour the facility. Helpful questions include:

Where will your pet sleep?
Will your pet have private accommodations?
Will your dog be walked?
Will your dog have off-leash play time, and if so, where, how much and in what size and type of off-leash space?
Are there options for cats to have one-on-one play or cuddle time with a human?
Is a human caretaker with the animals at all times?
What’s the staff to pet ratio at the facility?
Are the training/handling methods force and pain-free?

If your pet has special dietary or other needs, discuss the specifics with the sitter or boarding staff to make sure they can accommodate them.

If you plan to board your pet at a facility new to you or if you’ve never boarded your pet before, it’s a good idea to do a test run and leave your pet with the facility for one night well in advance of your holiday plans. Many boarding facilities require pets to do a test stay before agreeing to board the pet for a longer time. A test stay allows you to find out if the staff will actually care for your pet the way you’d like, eases your pet into the boarding facility, and will alert you to any potential problems your pet may have being boarded for a longer period.

Pets that have a difficult time with changes in routine or with boarding are better off with an in-home pet sitter. The boarding experience can be traumatic for some animals. For dogs that don’t get along well with other dogs, an in-home pet sitter is a much wiser and safer option than boarding. Having a trusted pet sitter stay in your home has other advantages besides reducing your pet’s anxiety. In addition to spending one-on-one quality time with your pet, many pet sitters will collect mail and water plants. There’s also the added security of having someone stay in your home while you’re away.

If you’re at a loss about which pet sitter or boarding facility to use, our directory is a good place to start! Be sure to check out articles in our database in which specific pet care facilities are reviewed and described.

Flickr Photo Credit: candleshoe, aliywilly

Lisa-Anne Manolius is the multi- talented owner/trainer of Oh Behave! in San Francisco. A graduate of the S.F. SPCA's Academy for Dog Trainers and U.C. Berkeley's Boalt School of Law, she's available for dog behavior consultations, private training sessions, and to teach a variety of group classes. She can be reached at lisaohbehave@gmail.com.

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

Happy Friday + Our Photo of the Week

The Dogs of Pacific Heights

Me: Awwww. . .look at the cute dogs. Hey, look over here! Smile for the camera.

Audi Dogs: [Bodies forward, eyes roll back to see where commotion is coming from]. Can’t be bothered.

Me: I’m surprised they don’t jump out of the car!

Audi Dogs: Um, hello?! Genuine Milano leather seats, three zone automatic climate control, Bang and Oulfsen sound system. . .

Me: Ok, I get the picture.

Have an interesting or funny photo of an animal ? Want to see your pet featured here? Send us an email. We love seeing new faces and featuring all types of animals!

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

Sierra Robbins' See Spot Run!

Exercise is an important factor of any animal's life. If you're a pet owner, walks are probably already part of your daily routine, maybe several times during the day, or perhaps you even employ a walking service to help out.

Still, some animals have a greater energy threshold than others, and they just need that extra intensity in their exercise that walking doesn't provide. For those dogs, running can be a great option, but of course not all of us are runners ourselves, and it's difficult to keep up if you're on a busy schedule and all your dog wants to do is go for a run.

This is where Sierra Robbins comes in. She gave up a promising corporate career to combine her two passions in life - running and dogs. The resulting company, See Spot Run, gives dogs that chance they crave to really stretch their legs and push their exercise capabilities to the limit. Sierra runs both recreationally and competitively, and is experienced both in fitness and dog handling.

The setup at See Spot Run is really cool - Sierra takes the dogs for private or small group runs, depending on your preference, in your own neighborhood where your dog will have familiar surroundings. You can purchase either individual runs or package deals, and here's the best part: Sierra uses GPS trackers to track mileage for each of the dogs, so you'll know just how far your dog can run. It's an amazing service, and great for your dog's physical and mental well-being.

For more information: http://www.happyhealthyhounds.blogspot.com/

You will also find See Spot Run in our resource directory.

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

Keeping Critters Safe During Howl-O-Ween

Halloween’s a season in itself in the Bay Area. Half Moon Bay’s pumpkin patches are heaped with orange orbs. Grocery stores tempt shoppers with gleaming displays of candy and costumes. And lots of homes are already adorned with ghostly decorations.

As much fun as we may have celebrating Halloween, the festivities can be unsettling for some pets and downright scary to others. While you’re rocking out your inner ghoul, following these tips will keep pets safe:

•    Keep candy, chocolate and anything with the artificial sweetener xylitol well beyond paws’ reach. Chocolate and xylitol are toxic to pets, and large helpings of sugary treats aren’t good for critter tummies.

•    Hang ‘em high – decorations that is. When making your home look haunted, take care to secure electrical cords, lights, streamers and other adornments in spots where pets can’t reach them. Accidental ingestion of any of these objects could result in a choking or seriously sick pet. Even if your pet won’t chew on decorations, he could get tangled or strangled in them.

•    Keep pets indoors on the night before Halloween and on the 31st. It’s fine to take your dog for a walk or some dog play, but don’t leave him or your cat unattended in a yard. This holiday invites pranks and unattended pets can be tempting and easy targets for some tricksters.

•    Having a party? Keep pets confined to a quiet secure spot room where they can’t dart out the door when people come and go. Make sure there’s fresh water and a comfy sleeping spot in the room. Cats should have easy access to a litter box. Dogs can have at a food-stuffed Kong or other food puzzle toy to keep them happy and busy.

•    Party throwers with pets should keep all alcohol and other intoxicants far from pets’ reach. Alcohol and marijuana are toxic to pets.

•    If you have a cat, especially a black one, keep a close eye on her during October, and keep her indoors on the nights leading up to and the night of the 31st. Some people kidnap black cats to use them as Halloween props or as the spotlight in unkind tricks.

•    If your pet doesn’t enjoy wearing costumes, don’t force him to wear one. If you’d like your pet to feel comfortable in costume, invest time now to train him to get used to it gradually using positive training methods. For dogs a Halloween-themed bandanna can make a perfectly adorable costume. Most cats would probably prefer not to wear a costume apart from a wicked Halloween collar.

•    For pets who like dress-up make sure the get-up is pet-safe. There shouldn’t be any dangling objects/pieces that your pet might be tempted to chew or eat. Your pet should be able to move freely in the costume. The costume shouldn’t restrict critter limbs or impair their ability to see, hear, drink water or eat.

•    Don’t leave your pets unattended in costumes and remove them before pets’ bedtime. Either scenario could pose a safety risk for pets. Many pet costumes are alarmingly easy for pets to get tangled in.

•    Lighted candles or jack-o-lanterns become fire hazards when cats are around or if dogs or their wagging tails can reach the burning objects. Keep any decorations involving burning candles far away from pets.

•    Lots of dogs find pumpkin tasty and so do some cats. But pumpkins can start to harbor bacteria within days of carving, and too much pumpkin can upset pets’ tummies. If you have a carved pumpkin, display it where critters can’t get to it.

•    If you’re handing out candy on Halloween, keep your pets in a safe secure spot away from the door. Many pets might be tempted to run out the door or could do so from stress/fear. Lots of critters find a constant stream of masked costumed visitors alarming and stressful.

•    Make sure your pet’s wearing appropriate ID at all times and is microchipped just in case she does escape, despite your best efforts.

Here’s to a safe and happy Howl-o-ween!

Flickr Photo Credit: anadelmann

Lisa-Anne Manolius is the multi- talented owner/trainer of Oh Behave! in San Francisco. A graduate of the S.F. SPCA's Academy for Dog Trainers and U.C. Berkeley's Boalt School of Law, she's available for dog behavior consultations, private training sessions, and to teach a variety of group classes. She can be reached at lisaohbehave@gmail.com.

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

The East Bay Pit Fix - Free Spay or Neuter for Pit Bulls

Despite the best efforts of animal shelters and control facilities to get pet populations within reasonable numbers, one breed seems to be multiplying by leaps and bounds: pit bulls. If you are the owner of a pit bull or pit bull mix, then you know what loving and kind animals these dogs are, but unfortunately for the thousands of abandoned and stray pit bulls living and dying in shelters across the country, they may never know what it's like to have a home or family of their own.

The best thing you can do to help bring down the numbers of unwanted pit bulls is to act responsibly and have your own pit bull spayed or neutered. In order to encourage pit bull owners to have the procedure done, SPCA branches all around the Bay Area offer free spay/neuter surgery appointments to pit bulls living within certain areas.

For example, the East Bay SPCA will be happy to set up a free spaying or neutering for your pit bull if you can provide proof of residence in either Alameda or Contra Costa counties. Other counties may have similar services; check with your local SPCA to verify what these services might be. You will have to make separate appointments for each dog you have, the offer applies only to pit bulls and pit bull mixes, and there can be a waiting period of a month or more.

Spaying and neutering are very simple operations that can save a world of trouble and heartache later if your dog should happen to have some accidental contact with other dogs. There are many other benefits to having this procedure done, and the people at the SPCA will be more than happy to advise you if you're feeling apprehensive about having it done.

For more information: http://eastbayspca.org/vetservices/pitbullspayneuter.cfm

Flickr Photo Credit: yokviv

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

The Spooky Presidio Pet Cemetery

Hidden away under Doyle Drive in the heart of San Francisco’s Presidio lies an odd and unexpected relic – the Presidio Pet Cemetery.

Wait a minute - why am I writing about a graveyard for pets? Good question.

Well, for one thing, it is October, that time of year when all things spooky take center stage in San Francisco. For another thing, I happen to find graveyards interesting jaunts into history, and this particular graveyard is no exception. It’s a unique though somewhat mysterious foray into the Bay Area’s past. And finally, pet resting places while sorrowful, are also moving testimonials to animals and all the wonder, happiness and love they bring to our lives.

Surrounded by a white picket fence and nestled under trees and fog, the cemetery was a burial ground for pets of military families stationed at the Presidio. All sorts of critters have been laid to rest there – dogs, cats, birds, rats, hamsters, goldfish and even lizards.

No one knows exactly when the pet cemetery was established. Some sources state that the site was a burial ground for Spanish soldiers and settlers in the Presidio in the late 1700’s. Legend has it that the site was once the final resting place for 19th century cavalry horses and later, for World War II guard dogs. The pet cemetery has been around for a long time. Some of the grave markers date as far back as the 1900’s.

While some of the pet tombstones are marble or stone and just as fancy as those used in human cemeteries, many are rustic and homemade-looking with hand-lettered inscriptions and drawings. Sophisticated or not, the grave markers make a couple of things clear. Pets were an important part of military families’ lives, and the pets buried here were loved, and deeply so.

Doyle Drive is about to undergo a major improvement project starting this month. Some locals have been concerned that the Presidio Pet Cemetery will be destroyed in the process. However, according to project planners, special measures will be undertaken to preserve the cemetery and protect the graves.

Though the Presidio Pet Cemetery has been officially closed to new interments for some time, some determined people have managed to sneak in and bury their pets anyway.

The Presidio Pet Cemetary is located under the Doyle Drive approach to the Golden Gate Bridge, just above Chrissy Field.

If you’re curious about the graveyard but not sure if you want to visit, here’s a link to a photo essay of grave markers at the cemetery: http://honan.net/PetCem.

Flickr Photo Credit: methinkin & methinkin

Lisa-Anne Manolius is the multi- talented owner/trainer of Oh Behave! in San Francisco. A graduate of the S.F. SPCA's Academy for Dog Trainers and U.C. Berkeley's Boalt School of Law, she's available for dog behavior consultations, private training sessions, and to teach a variety of group classes. She can be reached at lisaohbehave@gmail.com.

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

Happy Friday + Our Featured Bay Area Pets

Happy Friday! Featuring photos by C&M Photography.

Today we leave you with these photos, which feature the following Bay Area dogs. Thanks again Hiromi at C&M Photography for sharing these wonderful images of local pets. We hope they put a smile on your face. Have a great weekend!

Want to see your pet featured here? Send us an email with a photo, the name of your pet and his/her hometown. We love seeing new faces and featuring all types of animals!

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

Preparing for Winter Walking Schedules

With the nights drawing in quickly, and the time change soon upon us, more and more people are going to have to face the realities of walking the dog in the dark. It's not ideal for anyone, but if your chief dog-walking times are before and after work, and you work a standard 8-hour daytime schedule, it just might be a fact of life that during the winter months, some or maybe even most of your walks will happen in less than full light conditions.

With that in mind, you'll want to start taking some extra precautions just to give yourself and your dog a safety boost. You probably already have some reflective clothing for yourself, and your walking shoes may even reflective strips built-in, but have you taken the same care in choosing clothes and accessories for your dog? Reflectors help everyone from car drivers to other dog walkers recognize that you're not out for a walk alone, which can help avoid unpleasant social situations, or even accidents.

So what's the best way to make sure your dog is seen at night? Well, you can certainly find a wide range of collars and even flea collars with reflective properties, but if you're going to have to start wrapping up in the cold anyway, you may as well kill two birds with one stone and go for a reflective jacket or fleece. I'm sure there are plenty of places out there that carry them; Petco has a basic selection, but since the point is to be seen at night, it's the reflector that matters, not the look of the jacket itself. Better to go with something simple and very reflective, than to go with something fancy and cute, but less visible.

For more information on jacket with reflective collar strip.

Flickr Photo Credit: abby.seymour

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

Celebrate the Hearing Dog Program's Newest Hearing Dog Graduates

October 24th marks another milestone for a remarkable Bay Area organization, the Hearing Dog Program. On that date, the program will graduate its second class of hearing dogs. Any graduation of hearing dogs is cause for celebration but in my opinion, this graduation and fundraiser is extra-special. It’s a testament to the commitment, resourcefulness and spirit of the Hearing Dog Program staff, volunteers and the dogs they train.

In 2008, the SF SPCA abruptly terminated its successful hearing dog program and the staff was let go. Since 1978 that program -- the third of its kind in the nation -- had trained, graduated and placed 812 shelter dogs to be special assistants to deaf or hard-of-hearing people. Resilient and undaunted, a team of former SF SPCA hearing dog staff and volunteers rallied and re-grouped to found the non-profit Hearing Dog Program to continue the important work of training and placing hearing dogs.

The Hearing Dog Program is a boon and blessing to shelter dogs and people everywhere who need hearing assistance. Dogs selected for the program come mainly from California shelters and rescues, with some “career change” candidates coming from San Rafael’s Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Entrance into the program and placement with a human afterwards ensures the former shelter/rescue dogs a second chance at a happy healthy life. The dogs are trained to alert people to sounds they can’t hear such as doorbells, telephones, and alarms. Because the dogs are trained through positive reinforcement, they enjoy their work.

The program has only three part-time staff, so it relies heavily on volunteers to foster and help train the dogs, a process which can take anywhere from 4 to 8 months. Not all dogs are good candidates for the program, so the staff selects candidates carefully. The best candidates are dogs that are friendly, stable, easy to train, and show a natural positive reaction to unusual sounds. The dogs are screened to be sure they don’t have significant fear or aggression issues.

Once the dogs enter the program, Training Director Martha Hoffman, assesses them and chooses a foster home for each. She visits the homes frequently to instruct foster trainers in what skills to train the dogs, and tracks each dog’s progress carefully.

The wait for a hearing dog can be as long as two years, depending on the applicant’s needs and abilities, and the availability of the “right” dog for that person. The program takes great care to match individual dogs to applicants, a process that takes time, experience and skill. Glenn Martyn, the program’s Executive Director and Martha, excel at making good matches.

By all accounts, hearing assistance dogs vastly improve recipients’ quality of life. Once matched with a hearing dog, people report increased confidence, security and enjoyment of life. Recipients of hearing dogs are able to navigate more of the world and to do so safely. In addition, recipients benefit from the special joys that accompany the life-long friendship and companionship of a pet.

There is no fee for an applicant to be matched with a trained hearing dog. The program relies on donations from the public, and apart from a nominal application fee, the hearing dog is basically free. The program provides continued support to hearing dog recipients in the way of suggestions on applying for government assistance, follow-up training for the hearing dogs, and placement of successor hearing dogs. As if all that weren’t enough, this organization now offers two new programs geared specifically to senior citizens and veterans.

The Hearing Dog Program graduation and fundraiser will take place on Saturday October 24, 2009 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Deaf Community Center, 1550 San Leandro Blvd, San Leandro. The celebration will include entertainment, food, raffles, a silent auction, prizes, hearing dog demonstrations, awards, a doggie costume contest and more. Everyone is welcome to attend the celebration with a suggested donation of $25.00. (Discounts are available for those who qualify.) The celebration will be co-sponsored by the Deaf Counseling Advocacy and Referral Agency. Costumes are encouraged but the program requests that people refrain from wearing masks/costumes that may frighten the dogs.

If you’d like to attend the graduation celebration and fundraiser, please RSVP by email at toliver@hearingdogprogram.org or call 415-321-1762.

To learn more about this invaluable program and/or to make a donation, please visit the website at www.hearingdogprogram.org.

Happy Graduation Hearing Dogs and paws up for the Hearing Dog Program!

Flickr Photo Credit: electra-cute, jonesaz

Lisa-Anne Manolius is the multi- talented owner/trainer of Oh Behave! in San Francisco. A graduate of the S.F. SPCA's Academy for Dog Trainers and U.C. Berkeley's Boalt School of Law, she's available for dog behavior consultations, private training sessions, and to teach a variety of group classes. She can be reached at lisaohbehave@gmail.com.

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

Bay Area Hiker - A Great Resource for Dog Lovers

Daily walks are a necessity for dogs, of course, and even just walks around the neighborhood or in the park are fine to keep their fitness and health at a reasonable level. But if you and your dog are the energetic type, having a couple of planned weekend hikes can add that little bit of excitement and extra challenge that some dogs really crave.

If you're bored with all your old hangouts and are looking for a new place to play and explore, Bay Area Hiker has been very kind to do all the hard work for you. They've compiled a list of Bay Area hiking facilities, organized by location, where you and your dog can enjoy anything from a nature walk to a strenuous hike.

Obviously every location has different rules and regulations that can change from time to time, so of course you'll need to check each specific place you're interested in to see what restrictions apply before you head out on the road. But even so, Bay Area Hiker has provided links to all the relevant sites, and even a fair amount of information that they know to be accurate, so finding a place that matches what you're looking for should take very little time at all. The most important thing is to be aware of leash restrictions, and where exactly you're allowed to take your dog under voice control.

For more information: http://www.bahiker.com/doghikes.html

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue Center

Reading about the recent unnecessary slaughter of coyotes in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park got me pondering again the ever-growing problem of wildlife habitat loss. As human populations continue to expand, we inevitably encroach on the natural habitats of wildlife. When wild species show up in our backyards, we’re often at a loss for humane solutions.

Yggrdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue Center in Oakland, CA takes the guesswork out of the problem. This non-profit volunteer-run organization is dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of injured, sick and orphaned wildlife, and to education on the importance of urban wildlife, and how to humanely and peacefully co-exist with the wild creatures in our midst.

Yggradrasil is a mythological term for “World Tree,” a legend which celebrates the ecological interconnectedness of all species and life forms on our planet. In that spirit, the rescue group accepts sick, orphaned or injured wild mammals such as squirrels, raccoons and baby skunks, nurses them to health, and releases them back to the wild.

The group’s website is an invaluable source of detailed humane information concerning urban wildlife including how to deter wild things from visiting homes and yards; what to do if you find orphaned or sick wildlife; what to do in the event of a wildlife emergency; how to make yards more wildlife-friendly; how to get rid of skunk odors; and how to discourage wildlife from digging in yards.

In addition, Yggradrasil provides contact information for wildlife exclusion experts. If wildlife has taken up residence in your home or yard, a pest control company is not the only solution. Wildlife exclusion experts provide humane alternatives to trappers and pest control companies, and offer no-kill solutions for evicting wild guests permanently.

At this time Yggradrasil is able to accept only wild mammals and baby skunks, the website provides contact information for local rescue/rehabilitation groups that will accept birds, water birds and adult/juvenile skunks.

To learn more about Yggradrasil, make a donation or volunteer with the organization, visit their website at http://yuwr.org/.

Photo Credit: The Moss Family from Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue Website

Lisa-Anne Manolius is the multi- talented owner/trainer of Oh Behave! in San Francisco. A graduate of the S.F. SPCA's Academy for Dog Trainers and U.C. Berkeley's Boalt School of Law, she's available for dog behavior consultations, private training sessions, and to teach a variety of group classes. She can be reached at lisaohbehave@gmail.com.

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

Happy Friday + Our Featured Bay Area Pets

Happy Friday! Featuring photos by C&M Photography.

Today we leave you with these photos, which feature the following Bay Area dogs. Thanks again Hiromi at C&M Photography for sharing these wonderful images of local pets. We hope they put a smile on your face. Have a great weekend!

Gustav

Bruno

Princess Lucy

Kiko and Cookie

Sexy and Serpico

Lucy

Want to see your pet featured here? Send us an email with a photo, the name of your pet and his/her hometown. We love seeing new faces and featuring all types of animals!

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.

Help Out With Free Kibble

A lot of times you really want to do everything you can to help out animal charities, but it just isn't possible to donate to as many causes as you would like. The cost of taking care of your own animals can be pretty steep, and the economy isn't helping much in terms of giving you that extra cash just at the moment.

But there's still something you can do.

Everyone loves a good internet time-waster (come on, admit that you're addicted!), and if you want to spend a minute or two having fun online for a good cause, check out Free Kibble. Basically it's a a daily dog-related quiz question, and your participation allows Free Kibble to donate dog food to animal shelters all over the country. And there's no pressure on you - you don't even have to get the answers right for your participation to count. All you have to do is answer the question, and regardless of how well it goes for you, somewhere a hungry dog will get fed.

You can even set up a daily e-mail reminder so that you don't forget to go and do your daily duty. It literally only takes a minute, the questions are challenging and fun, and anything you can do to help dogs eat has got to be worth that minute of your time everyday.

If you're more of a cat person, no worries - Free Kibble Kat works on exactly the same concept, but they donate cat food instead of dog food. If you like equal opportunity, there's nothing stopping you from participating in both quizzes every single day.

For more information: http://www.freekibble.com/ or http://www.freekibblekat.com/

About InCirclePets.com: We highlight locally-owned pet businesses, non-profits and organizations as well as pet-friendly activities. We think the Bay Area is an amazing spot in which to have an animal, yet we know that many hidden gems go unnoticed and local spots may not get the attention they deserve. We hope to fill in this gap. If you think we could be doing things better, send us an email . Click here to learn more about us.