Archive for the ‘Animals’ Category
Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Presidio Trust Executive Director Craig Middleton today announced a new partnership that will guarantee a long-term stewardship of the Yelp-rated Presidio Pet Cemetery.
All the deets, below
R.I.P. Tiger and Buddy Bird:
via prawnpie
SWORDS TO PLOWSHARES VETS TO HELP CARE FOR PET CEMETERY. VOLUNTEERS WILL TEND GRAVES OF BELOVED MILITARY PETS
Presidio of San Francisco (March 18, 2010) — The Presidio Trust and the Swords to Plowshares Veterans Academy, located on the Presidio, are kicking off a new partnership that will ensure long-term stewardship of the Presidio Pet Cemetery. The agreement provides for Trust staff to work with residents at Swords to Plowshares’ permanent supportive housing facility, the Veterans Academy, to maintain and improve the cemetery. Activities will include pulling weeds, removing invasive plants, picking up trash, trimming shrubs, and eventually restoring individual grave markers.
Located at the foot of McDowell Avenue, beneath Doyle Drive, and bounded by a white fence, the 450-square foot cemetery is the final resting place for hundreds of loyal animals owned by families stationed at the Presidio. The cemetery’s official record is spotty but, by most accounts, it dates to the 1950s when upwards of 2,000 military families lived on the base. There are numerous legends surrounding the cemetery, which some believe was originally a burial ground for nineteenth-century cavalry horses or World War II guard dogs.
“The pet cemetery gives us insight into family life at the Presidio. It is part of the fabric of the park and former military base,” says Craig Middleton, the Trust’s Executive Director. “We are grateful that the veterans of Swords to Plowshares have offered to care for this important part of the Presidio’s legacy.”
All the deets, after the jump.
(more…)
Tags: 18, 2010, animal, avenue, birds, Buddy Bird, cemetery, Craig Middleton, dogs, doyle drive, Executive Director, goldfish, graves, hamsters, headstones, horses, invasive, lizards, march, markers, McDowell, Michael Blecker, military, national park, partnership, pet, Pet Cemetery, plants, presidio, Presidio Trust, stewardship, supportive housing facility, SWORDS TO PLOWSHARES, tiger, trash, trust, Veterans Academy, VETS, volunteers, weeds
Posted in Animals, parks | No Comments »
Friday, February 26th, 2010
A laser beam-enabled giant walrus is depicted on this mural in the Lower Haight.
Enjoy:
Click to expand
Tags: art, cable car, destroying, fillmore, giant, Golden Gate Bridge, haight, lower, lower haight, mural, painting, red, steiner, street, upper playground, walrus, Window
Posted in Animals, art | 2 Comments »
Monday, February 22nd, 2010
The aging sea otters of Monterey Bay Aquarium, The Golden Girls - Maggie, Toola, Rosa and Joy, will soon have three-month old Kit to play with.
Here’s Kit. She lost her mom a couple months back down in Morro Bay but now she’s hanging out with her new BFF Mae in Monterery.
Click to expand:
Here’s video of Kit’s first day on display.
All the deets, after the jump.
(more…)
Tags: 2010, adorable, Associate, baby, Bay, california, camera, Chris DeAngelo, Curator, cute, display, golden girls, Joy, kit, Mae, maggie, mammals, Mike Harris, monterey, monterey bay, monterey bay aquarium, morro, orphan, otter, Otter Cam, OtterCam, overload, pup, rosa, sea otter, Toola
Posted in Animals | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
This afternoon, the Purina ONE Tour for Heroes will drop by the San Francisco SPCA in the Northern Mission / Potrero Hill area at 250 Alabama Street betwixt 15th and 16th. Purina is going to set up a temporary food bank to give out more than 1,000 bags of pet food to Bay Area pet owners from 2:00 to 7:00 PM, while supplies last. It’s the debut of their national tour:
Temporary Food Banks – Throughout the tour more than 63,000 pounds of Purina® ONE® dog and cat food – equaling 11,000 bags of food – will be given out to help pets in need. Every pet owner who visits an event will receive a free 8-lb. bag of Purina® ONE® brand dog food or a 3.5-lb. bag of Purina® ONE® brand cat food as long as supplies last.
Pets Available for Adoption– Adoptable dogs and cats from the San Francisco SPCA and Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation will be available to meet and greet. Also, every pet lover who adopts a pet will receive a coupon for free Purina® ONE® brand dog or cat food. Every little bit helps to make a difference in a pet’s life.
So get on out there. Deets below.
Martha Stewart wants you to attend this event today:
Don’t miss out on the tons of free food and/or the adorable adoptable pets:
And while you’re there, ask the SPCA about the upcoming Bark & Whine Ball.
Anyway, here are the deets for today’s tour stop. See you there!
February Events at the SF/SPCA
The Purina ONE Tour for Heroes is partnering with Martha Stewart and shelters across the country to help pet lovers be heroes in pets’ lives.
On February 3, the event will kick-off at The San Francisco SPCA from 2PM to 7PM on our campus. We will give away over 1,000 bags of Purina ONE dog and cat food. And feature adoptable cats and dogs.
Please come to our campus entrance at 201 Alabama Street (at 16th St.) to participate.
From February 3-26, the Purina ONE mobile unit is traveling to 11 cities from San Francisco to New York and stopping at local animal shelters to set up temporary food banks and adoption events.
More than 63,000 pounds of Purina ONE dog and cat food – equaling 11,000 bags of food – will be given out to help pets in need during this national tour.
Purina ONE is also supporting adoption events at each of the Tour for Heroes stops to help save pets and find them a forever home.
A lot of people are going through tough times right now, but one source of constant companionship to help them get through is often their dog or cat. Purina ONE wants to help pets in need, and by assisting their owners who may need a little extra help these days, we help their pets, too.
Whether you’ve lost your job, have large veterinary or medical bills or are struggling to pay your mortgage, no one will be turned away at any of the Purina ONE Tour for Heroes events. Purina ONE is helping save pets lives by helping people in need.
For more information and tour destinations:
tourforheroes.marthastewart.com/
You can also take part by sharing profiles of adoptable pets in your area. Every time a photo is shared, Purina ONE will donate $1 – up to $50,000 – to benefit local shelters across the country.
Sharing a photo is easy. Start by searching for an adoptable pet in your area by clicking on tourforheroes.marthastewart.com anytime after January 20.
Choose a pet you want to help and click to share his or her profile with friends on your Facebook page. Pet lovers can share photos until April 1, 2010.
Tags: +3, 2010, 250 Alabama, adopt, bus, cats, dogs, February, food, for heroes, heroes, martha stewart, mobile, one, pets, Pets Available for Adoption, Purina, Purina ONE Tour, Purina ONE Tour for Heroes, San Francisco SPCA, SFSPCA, Temporary Food Banks, tour
Posted in Animals | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
I always thought that it might be against the rules to feed animals in Golden Gate Park, but I never really knew for sure. These days, there’s a movement afoot to amend the San Francisco Park Code to prohibit feeding animals “wild by nature and not customarily domesticated.”
Here’s the rule as it stands now:
“SEC. 5.07. FEEDING ANIMALS PROHIBITED It shall be unlawful for any person to feed or offer to any animal in any park any substance which would be likely to be harmful to it. (Added by 603-81, App. 12/18/81)”
Does it hurt a duck to feed it bread? No se. Is it against the rules to feed a duck in Golden Gate Park under the existing rules? Even our Lawgivers seem to be uncertain as to how this would all work.
The operator of the Stow Lake Boat House has this sign up at the snack bar, not that the birders would approve.
Here’s a sign at San Francisco Botanical Garden (nee Strybing) inside of GGP. The people at Strybing, they say stuff like “we don’t feed the animals” but I don’t think they have any special rules just for them because their signs only cite existing section 5.07:
Irregardless, lots of people think its their right to feed San Francisco’s ducks, so I’m not sure that Park Rangers would relish handing out enough citations to get people to change their behavior.
It’s probably not a good thing for you to feed the ducks but I don’t think anybody will try to stop you if you put your mind to it. (Although if you’re around state or federal authorities, they might have a whole set of different rules for you to obey.)
Of course Park employees used to carry around cans of cat food to feed the red foxes of Strybing, but they’re no longer around.
And coyotes, some guy started bringing raw meet into GGP to feed coyotes a while back, but that caused issues so the state of California sent in a man to execute all the coyotes he could find, including this one.
Oh well.
Our supes will hash this issue out and let us know I’m sure.
Tags: 5.07, amend, Animals, arboretum, baothous, birds, botanical garden, bread, code, coyotes, ducks, elsbernd, feed, feeding, foxes, geese, golden gate park, goose, illegal, lake, law, ordinance, ordnance, parrots, popcorn, rangers, San Francisco, stow, strybing, Supervisor
Posted in Animals, parks | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
San Francisco’s method of handling feral cats might be affected by a recent ruling down in L.A., where Judge Thomas McKnew just suspended the entire county’s Trap-Neuter-Return program. So people can still bring in feral kitties for sterilization at various clinics but the county can’t subsidize or promote any such program now.
Do we have a similar TNR program in San Francisco? Oh yes. If you call the SPCA about a feral cat in your backyard, they’ll help you trap it, they’ll perform the operation and then they’ll release the kitty right back in your backyard.
Judge McKnew didn’t like that fact that there was no CEQA Environmental Impact Report done and then he read up on county reports stating that TNR was ineffectual. I don’t think San Francisco supports TNR the way Los Angeles did, but certainly it works with the SF SPCA on some issues, anyway.
This feral cat in Golden Gate Park has a notched right ear – a sure sign that it’s been through a TNR program – that’s how they mark “graduates.”
This feral kitty from the West End of GGP has yet to be trapped:
Learn more about this issue from the Chinatown Pet News Examiner (yes, the Chinatown Pet News Examiner!) and then bone up on San Francisco’s Feral Fix Program here, and below.
So, Will a Recent State Judge Ruling Affect San Francisco’s Feral Cat Neutering System? I don’t know. Just asking.
Anyway, the system in place now is about as convenient as it could be:
“Free Feral Fix Program (http://www.sfspca.org/veterinary-services/feral-fix)
In most cities, there is no care available for feral cats. But since 1993, The SF/SPCA has teamed up with feral cat caregivers to control, monitor, feed and provide veterinary care to feral cat populations — and even help adopt some into loving homes.
We provide spay/neuter procedures for San Francisco’s feral cats for free on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays — no appointment necessary.
Read the Adoption Pact between The SF/SPCA and ACC.
The new Leanne Roberts Center dramatically increases our capacity to care for and treat feral cats. See the tips below for how you can help.
How Our Feral Fix Program Works
We accept trapped cats Monday, Wednesday and Friday (excluding major holidays).
Drop off time is between 7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
Bring a trapped cat to the Leanne Roberts Center Feral Cat Department Entrance at 220 Florida Street. Be sure to cover the trap with a towel or sheet.
No need to park your car! We offer a curbside drop-off service. Simply pull up between 7:30 – 8 a.m., and a staff person will assist you.
You will be offered the option of purchasing a Feline Leukemia Test ($27.50) and/or a one-time treatment of Revolution ($8) or Advantage ($7) for fleas. If interested, please be prepared to pay by credit card or check.
Same-Day Feral Cat Pick-Up Information
Feral cats must be picked up the same day between 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.
We offer curbside pick-up at the Feral Cat Department Entrance, 220 Florida St.
Recovery Information
A recently altered feral cat must remain indoors for recovery for two to three days.
If the cat is semi-social, you can use a garage space or bathroom.
For cats that cannot be handled, plan on keeping the cat in the trap. Ask us for advice on cage cleaning and feeding during the recovery period.
If you want to rent a trap from The SF/SPCA, contact us at 415.522.3539.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a feral cat?
A: An unsocialized “community cat” that cannot be safely handled and must be trapped to be transported.
Q: How young can a feral cat be to be spayed/neutered?
A: Feral kittens can be altered at 2 months of age and/or 2 pounds.
Q: What if I have found a feral mother cat and kittens?
A: If possible, trap the mother and kittens and provide in-home care and daily socialization of the kittens until they are eight weeks of age. At that time, the kittens can be surrendered to The SF/SPCA for adoption. The mother cat will be spayed at no charge and returned to you for release.”
Tags: "kitty", cat, cats, CEQA, county, court, Environmental Impact Report, feral, golden gate park, injunction, Judge, kitties, la, los angeles, neuter, operation, program, release, ruling, San Francisco, SF, sf spca, spca, superior, Thomas McKnew, tnr, trap, Trap-Neuter-Return
Posted in Animals | No Comments »
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
Pretty sure these critters are dolphins and not porpoises. Anyway, sometimes you can see dolphins having fun from San Francisco.
Click to expand:
The view from Fort Funston:
As promised, baby dolphins, avec maman:
And here they are swimming south, off to sample the yummy seafood in the waters off San Mateo County:
Have a great 2010!
Tags: 2009, 2010, Animals, baby, district, dolphin, dolphins, fort, ft, funston, happy new year, ocean beach, park, porpoise, porpoises, San Francisco, sunset
Posted in Animals | 2 Comments »
Friday, December 25th, 2009
Try not to eat too much, even if your meal is 100% vegan.
A plump American Robin (Turdus migratorius) in San Francisco:
Have a great 2010!
Tags: american robin, berries, bird, christmas, red, San Francisco, Turdus migratorius
Posted in Animals | No Comments »
Friday, December 11th, 2009
I don’t know, these polar bears at first looked to be part of some art installation, but it turns out that that’s just the way the managers of the buildings at 555 and 575 Market Street decorate for Our Winter Holiday.
O.K. fine. But Chevron’s an oil company, right? Most of the employees shipped out to San Ramon a while back, but are there a few left up there?
Oh well. Presenting the Bear of the Decade and Symbol of Global Warming, Ursus maritimus:
This one looks a bit weasly (or ferret-ty), huh?
Enjoy your polar bears, workers at Chevron Towers….
Tags: 2009, 555, 575, bears, chevron, christmas, climate change, company, december, decoration, global warming, holiday, market, oil, petroluem, polar, white
Posted in Animals, environment | 1 Comment »
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
Hey, why not try all three solutions at the same time?
As here, on Judah, near 19th Avenue:
Click to expand
The flying rats are everywhere. When will they leave us?
Tags: 19th, ave, avenue, district, fake, judah, middle, mylar, net, netting, owls, plastic, San Francisco, shiny, street, strips, sunset
Posted in Animals | Comments Off
