1. When we started FETCH more than 4 years
ago, we had a lot of energy and great ideas.
We also didn’t know how much the paper, and we,
would evolve.
Our first issue featured artists whose canine-
centered works were manifestations of their
advocacy and respect for animals. We then blithely
covered the joys of visiting dog friendly wineries.
The next thing we knew, Hurricane Katrina
hit the Gulf, and we found ourselves covering
Operation: Orphans of the Storm, where hundreds
of frightened and ill four-legged refugees found
their way to Bay Area shelters and rescue groups,
who nursed them back and relieved their panic
so they could join new families here, or wait to be
reunited with their old families.
Not six months later, the pet food recall that
killed thousands of pets in the US took its toll on
the Bay Area as well. We called
on local experts who provided
us with informative articles on
raw and home cooked diets. We
started cooking food for our own
dogs here.
Speaking of our own dogs, one month while
scanning the web site for Grateful Dogs Rescue we
saw Wylie, a senior dog with some issues who was
looking for a home after a whole year in rescue.
He’s still with us four years later, still as grumpy and
aloof as ever.
FETCH has been a lot about what we learned
and saw during our four year journey. We saw the
amazing passion of animal advocates who fight
against breed prejudice and dog chaining. We
heard from both sides of the contentious battle
to maintain the Golden Gate National Recreation
Area as a place friendly and open to dogs. We
watched the shelter battles in Sonoma County and
with the San Francisco SPCA heat up, die down,
and heat up again.
Our “Making a Difference” feature never ran
out of subjects to cover. Making a Difference
highlighted the local, often unsung heroes who read
to dogs, spay and neuter strays, train shelter dogs
to make them adoptable, transport rescues, provide
free medical care, and devote their hearts and
hands to making this cruel world a little safer for
companion animals. We have more than 40 of these
stories online at www.fetchthepaper.com/archives.
The Bay Area is truly wealthy with people who care
about animals.
We’ve had a lot of fun, too. Exploring dog friendly
eateries, parks and beaches to fill our pages and
web site with places where our canines can “take it
all off”—meaning their leashes of course.
We covered doggie DNA testing in “DNA Identity
Crisis” and lost and found dogs like Bernie Tucker.
We sponsored a contest to find an ambassador for
pit bulls, and Monte, a Katrina rescue, took top
honors. We brought readers into our kitchens,
where we make treats and “Bennie Burgers” that
help promote health and vitality.
Our happiest moments include meeting fans and
readers at the dozens of dog events we attended
each year. From the Golden Gate Kennel Club each
January, through Bay to Barkers, Howl-o-Ween
and Dog Days everywhere, we loved meeting you
and your dogs. We invited you to come celebrate
companion animals at the Bay Area Pet Fair, and
you did—by the thousands. And adopted them,
too—almost 750 dogs and cats found homes at the
Fair.
Although we will no longer be in print, we hope
you will follow us on our next evolution and stay
in touch with us online at www.fetchthepaper.com,
or on Facebook and Twitter. We have some great
things planned.
Gone to the dogs
TheBayArea’sfirstdog&cathealthfoodstore
ownedandoperatedbyhomeopath,HeidiHill.
1510 Walnut St., Berkeley
510-843-2133
info@holistichound.com
www.holistichound.com
LEADINGTHE PACK
▪ Raw,organic&human-gradefoods
▪ Nutritionalsupplementsandherbs
▪ Organictreatsandchews
▪ Homeopathy
▪ Floweressences
▪ Pesticide-freefleacare
▪ Eco-friendlytoys&beds
PLUS Special Focus:
Hope & Healing
Making a Difference 8
Meet Donyale Hoye,
steadfast friend to pit bulls.
Hope Springs Eternal 16
End of life is a bittersweet
time for you and your pet.
Columns
Scoop 4
Just what your newshound has been craving!
Well-Heeled Dog by Trish King 12
If you’re adopting an adolescent dog, you’ll
need Trish’s solid advice.
Health Matters by Christopher Forsythe DVM 19
Disk disease: how to recognize and treat this
debilitating condition.
Departments
Howl! 3
What’s Happening? 14
Mention FETCH Index 12
Pet Services Directory 19
Bulletin Board 22
Adoptable Pets 22
Bay Area
Calendar of Events
page 14
Making a Difference
Meet Donyale Hoye,
steadfast friend to pit bulls.
SNAPS! Great
Dog Pix
page 4
Vol 3 No 3 March 2007
Pick
Me!
Page 22
Hope Springs Eternal
End of life is a bittersweet
time for you and your pet.
iSTOCK
Advocates and
Adversaries
Continue the Fight
Editor’s Note: Last January we covered
this issue on the cover of FETCH, and
now, 14 months later, all sides (for there
are more than two) are still waging a
battle for the future of off-leash recreation
in the Golden Gate National Recreation
Area. San Francisco correspondent
Kris Larson offers this update.
Off-Leash
Tug of War
T
he past few years, Ocean Beach and Fort Funston have been the rope
in a giant game of tug of war between environmentalists and dog
owners. Environmentalists claim that off-leash dogs in these parks are
threatening the habitat of the snowy plover, a small, wren-like bird that nests
in both areas. Dog owners claim that the city’s dogs need these large spaces
for off-leash play. Park officials recently closed both parks to
off-leash dogs, and many dog owners are up in arms
over the decision.
These areas of the Golden Gate National
Recreation Area (GGNRA) have been open to off-
leash dogs since it was made a federal park in 1975.
At that time, the federal government signed an
agreement with the City of San Francisco, declaring
that federal control over park lands was contingent
on allowing normal recreational use. In 1979, and
again in 2005, the courts ruled that off-leash play was
included in that definition.
However, in September of 2006, the park service
ordered an emergency closure of Ocean Beach and
Fort Funston to off-leash dogs. Dogs on leash are still permitted in the areas.
The GGNRA ordered the closures in an effort to protect the snowy plovers
who were returning to their winter habitat in the parks.
But the snowy plovers are not the only ones with a stake in this conflict.
Steve Sayad, co-founder of an off-leash group called Ocean Beach Dog,
has expressed concern over the closures. Sayad says Ocean Beach and Fort
Funston offer unique opportunities for off-leash play because of their location
and size. “Many [dog play areas] are adjacent to busy streets [...] and the
likelihood of dogs playing [...] in the streets is far too great a risk,” Sayad
says. He also points out that “San Francisco has very small off-leash
areas, and almost no place where a dog can adequately be run, unlike a
beach.”
Snowy plovers at risk?
Though environmental groups such as the Center for Biological
Diversity (CBD) claim off-leash dog play threatens the snowy plovers,
many dog owners are skeptical. Some have suggested that the snowy
plovers are not an endangered species at all. Both sides have cited
reports which support their claims.
The CBD cites a US Geological Survey (USGS) report showing that
off-leash dogs harm the snowy plover habitat. The USGS studied
snowy plovers on a Santa Barbara beach, and stated that “each snowy plover
was disturbed, on average, once every 27 weekend minutes and once every
43 weekday minutes. Dogs off-leash were a disproportionate source of
disturbance.” continued on page 10
Who has the
greatest right
to the beach?
The snowy
plovers?
Off-leash dogs?
Vol 3 No 5
May 2007
Editor’s Note: Whether you feed your dog discount store brands, premium kibble
or canned, or an organic, homemade raw diet, you need to understand what
makes for a healthy choice. We’ll be featuring more articles on healthy feeding in
the months to come.
the recent massive pet food recall has everyone questioning the foods they
feed their dogs. As someone who maintains a web site that recommends pet
foods, my first thought upon hearing of the recall was whether any of the
foods on my site were affected. As it turns out, none of the foods I recommend
were included in the initial recalls, though one of them was later recalled due to
contaminated rice protein.
I choose foods to recommend based primaily on the quality of their ingre-
dients. There is no guarantee that pet foods that use high-quality ingredients
will never contain anything that might harm your pets, but I think it’s less
likely. The contaminated wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate that caused
the current crisis are cheap sources of incomplete protein found primarily in
lower-quality products. Wheat gluten and corn gluten meal are two ingredients
I specifically avoid in the products I recommend (rice protein has now been
added to that list). Better foods will use animal protein rather than these low-
quality plant proteins that provide inferior nutrition for dogs.
What to look forSo, what should you look for when trying to find the best products to feed
your dogs? First, try to find foods that use human-grade ingredients. It’s not
always easy to tell which foods use such high-quality ingredients, as pet food
manufacturers are not allowed to use the term “human grade” on their labels (the
only exceptions are a couple of brands that actually are manufactured to human
standards, such as the new Natural Balance “Eatables” line). continued on page 8
We Are What We EatPLUS . . .
The Fight for Truth
10
Toward a greater understanding
of off-leash politics
A Legacy of Firsts
12
Marin Humane’s anniversary
is a time to look forward, too
Put Me In, Coach!
18
Performance sports bring out
the best in dogs
Making a Difference
22
Meet Ellyn Jaques Boone, creator of Paws for Love
Columns
Scoop
4
Just what your newshound has
been craving!
Well-Heeled Dog
23
by Trish KingRough play-is it good or bad?
Health Matters
24
by Christopher Forsythe DVM
Dr. F lets loose on the subject of diarrhea.
DepartmentsHowl!
3
What’s Happening?
16
Mention FETCH Index
20
Pet Services Directory
21
Bulletin Board
26
Adoptable Pets
26
Survey
Results
Page 9
The Fight for TruthToward a greater understanding
of off-leash politics
A Legacy of Firsts
Dogs on
the Street!
Page 5
Pick Me!
Page 26
Well-Heeled Dogby Trish KingRough play-is it good or bad?
we
are
what
we
eat
Put Me In, Coach!Performance sports bring out
the best in dogs
Scoop
Just what your newshound has
been craving!
wewewewe
May 2007
May 2007
fetchTHE PAPER
FOR BAY AREA PETS & THEIR PEOPLE
A Practical Guide to Choosingthe Healthiest CommercialFood for Your Dog
by Mary Straus
by Mary Straus
fetchTHE PAPER
FOR BAY AREA PETS & THEIR PEOPLE
TAKE ONEEast Bay EditionVol 4 No 2 February 2008
Feature: DNA Testing for Dogs
DNA Identity Crisis! 1
Bennie and Toast get their DNA test results and
they were quite surprised. Is DNA testing for dogs
really worth it?
Making a Difference 14
Virginia Handley’s Animal
Switchboard serves people
and pets 24 hours a day.
Columns
Scoop 4
Just what your newshound has been craving!
Kids Corner 5
by Beth Karzes
Teaching children about pet overpopulation.
Well-Heeled Dog 17
by Trish King
Can cats and dogs be buddies?
Departments
Howl! 3
What’s Happening? 12
Bay Area Calendar of Events
Pet Services Directory 15
Adoptable Pets 18
Bulletin Board 18
Pick Me!
pages 18-20
SNAPS!
p. 4
a Samoyed mix?
Turns out Toast is so unique, they can’t get a read on him.
Mutts often have mysterious or
spotty back sto- ries, and their
human companions like to know as
much as they can about their dog’s breed composition.
But those of us who have gotten our mutt from a shelter or rescue are
often left wondering what that dog labeled a “Hound X” really is.
But now, thanks to the wonders of modern science, we have an option. A simple
blood test (and a few dollars) later, and you can hold in your hands a report that
Mutt owners who are anything like me have probably made some guesses about
their dog’s breed composition. With Bennie, I was told by San Francisco SPCA that
he was a “Lab X.” But that didn’t explain his brindle paws and muzzle, and it certainly
didn’t explain why he was totally averse to playing fetch or swimming. Very early
on, a friend who was partial to Great Danes assured me that Bennie was part Dane,
head. And if he was part Dane, what else was he? continued on page 8
RECIPE FOR A MUTT:
DNA
Identity
Crisis!by Sandy Lurins
D.ELROD&N.BURNS
Editor’s Note: San Franciscan Daneen
Akers regularly posted Pali’s adventures
on FETCH’s Bay Area Dog Blog (blog.
fetchthepaper.com) where you can find
the complete entries and more photos
under the Travel category.
Bonjour from Paris. We are
here, somewhat settled in,
quite jet-lagged, and enjoying
exploring this most gorgeous city.
Having Pali with us has made
this experience in Paris unique.
We were here nine years ago as a
newly engaged young couple, acting
the typical tourists. This time, in
addition to snapping our fair share
of photos, we’re always on the
Howlidays Special Issue
FETCH’s Holiday Gift Guide 21
Something for Naughty OR Nice Pets!
An American Dog in Paris 1
SF’s Pali Shares Her Adventures in Gay Paris
Making a Difference 11
Mary Quinn: Seeker
of Lost Dogs
Recipe for a Mutt 16
Join FETCH’s Dogs In Their
DNA Discovery
Columns
Scoop 4
Just what your newshound has been craving!
Well-Heeled Dog 17
by Trish King
Five Canine Behavior Myths
Health Matters 20
by Laura Adams, DVM
Bioresonance Therapy:
Everything Old Is New Again
Departments
Howl! 3
What’s Happening? 14
Bay Area Calendar of Events
Mention FETCH Index 17
Pet Services Directory 19
Adoptable Pets 22
Bulletin Board 22
Kid’s
Corner
Page 6
Pick
Me!
Page 22
fetchTHE PAPER
FOR BAY AREA PETS & THEIR PEOPLE
TAKE ONENorth Bay EditionVol 3 No 12 December 2007
Holiday
Wish Lists
Page 5
An American Dog in
AttheLouvre
Agreatleisurelylunch
Parisby Daneen Akers
AttheEiffelTower
ALLPHOTOSCOURTESYDANEENAKERS
Paris
lookout for good grass—and I’m afraid
I don’t mean that euphemistically! The
great irony of Paris is that it is one of the
greenest cities in the world with over 400
parks, but, sadly, almost all of these parks
are off-limits to dogs.
This has been my greatest
disappointment so far. While dogs seem to
be allowed at most indoor establishments,
much of the grass is prohibited. My guess
is that this ban is a direct result of the
Parisians’ famous disinclination to pick
up their dog’s excrément. A survey I saw
said that 95% of dog owners say they pick
up after their dogs, but in reality it’s about
65%, hence, no doggie privileges on grass
used by humans.
continued on page 8
I
kiddingly tell police officers that they provide the tough dogs for the
criminals and we provide the fluff dogs for the victims,” says Nancy
Pierson, manager of the K-9 Support Programs at Santa Rosa’s
Assistance Dog Institute (ADI). She’s joking because her Crisis Response
teams’ “fluff dogs” and their victims’ advocate handlers perform difficult,
even wrenching work when called in by the Santa Rosa police department.
She describes the dogs as soft and mellow. “They provide stress relief,
bringing down blood pressure and stabilizing heart rate. It helps the victim
get to a state of mind where they can answer the questions the police need
them to answer.”
The teams also provide a nonthreatening counterpoint to the presence of
police. Pierson, who volunteers with her dogs Peyton and Little Bit, notes
that the victims’ advocates who work with the dogs are volunteers. “We
don’t wear uniforms. We’re average citizens, just like the victim.”
Top row, left to right: Linda Louis, Santa Rosa Police Chief Edwin F. Flint, Alex Laudel, ADI
K-9 Support Programs Manager Nancy Pierson & Little Bit, Renata Fassbender, Janet Butcher,
Laura Deane & Minnie, SRPD Victim Advocate Program Coordinator Nadine Reyes, Bea
Melville. Dogs, left to right: Denise & Joker, Xiana, Peyton, Max, Bo, Yoyo & Rocky
All Promise
and Hope
Raising a service
dog.
Pick Me!
Need a new
friend? Loyalty
and love await.
Call of the Wild
Can a wolf hybrid
make a good pet?
All in the Family
Cute, crepuscular,
cuddly: the house
rabbit.
1816 2212
Vol 2 No 5 May 2006
by Natascha Bruckner
M
ariah Mountanos would have an impressive resume. She has exhibited her
photographs, started a web site, won an award from the American Humane
Association, and helped save the lives of dozens of dogs and cats. But she
doesn’t have a resume. She’s only 14.
Mariah’s calm and self-confident demeanor, strong handshake, and levelheaded outlook
reveal a person who is mature beyond her years. You are in good hands when Mariah
shows you around the Mendocino County Animal Care and Control shelter in Ukiah,
where she volunteers. She is clearly at home there and gives a comprehensive tour,
introducing almost all of the dogs and cats by name. Not only has she named a lot of
them herself, but she has also befriended, trained, and photographed them. And she has
built a website dedicated to finding each of them the perfect home.
How did a 14-year-old girl become such a seasoned animal advocate? Like many
children, Mariah, an only child, developed a love
for dogs when her family got a puppy. At age six,
she bonded with Lucky, a German Shepherd,
and later with their second dog, a Jack Russell
“terrorist.” The family has since added two cats to
the household. When Mariah’s home-school teacher,
Sage Mountainfire, adopted an energetic Lab puppy
and began volunteering at the Humane Society, she
introduced Mariah to her newfound interests. The two
have been a dynamic dog-saving duo ever since.
“I wanted Mariah to have a passion that would
make a difference in the world,” Sage explains. As a
home-school teacher, she had freedom and flexibility
to adapt the curriculum to her student. When Mariah
showed a love of dogs and a knack for photography, “it
felt like a match in the making.”
Mariah says, “I started taking pictures of the dogs,
and I loved it. It’s so much fun
A Passion for Saving Lives
One young animal advocate is a best friend to animals in need
NATASCHABRUCKNER
continued on page 8
Top: Mariah’s web page at www.
pawstoadopt.com showcases animals
needing homes, with photos and content
by Mariah. Right: Mariah and Youwho,
outside the Mendocino County shelter
“Assistance Dog Institute (ADI). She’s joking because her Crisis Response
teams’ “fluff dogs” and their victims’ advocate handlers perform difficult,
even wrenching work when called in by the Santa Rosa police department.
bringing down blood pressure and stabilizing heart rate. It helps the victim
get to a state of mind where they can answer the questions the police need
them to answer.”
police. Pierson, who volunteers with her dogs Peyton and Little Bit, notes
that the victims’ advocates who work with the dogs are volunteers. “We
don’t wear uniforms. We’re average citizens, just like the victim.”
“
ADI’s K-9 Crisis Reponse Teams Provide Support for VictimsADI’s K-9 Crisis Reponse Teams Provide Support for VictimsWhen Crisis Calls
by Kerry Bleskan
COURTESYNANCYPIERSON
continued on page 9
Mariah’s latest
challenge is
Youwho, a two-
year-old, heeler/
pit bull mix who
is blind and deaf.
Mariah’s latest
challenge is
Youwho, a two-
year-old, heeler/
pit bull mix who
is blind and deaf.
a four year journey from print to pixels
4 fetch THE PAPER October 2009