Woof! SF Dog Rescue Roundup

San Francisco is one dog-lovin’ city.

One not-so-secret local secret is that, in San Francisco, dogs outnumber children. That’s right! According to a New York Times article, “. . . the number of canines, at least 120,000, is now greater than the number of children, whose ranks dropped to 107,000 from 112,000 in the past decade, according to 2010 census figures.”

Some people believe that San Francisco’s high cost of living and changing demographics are to blame. It’s true that dogs are cheaper than children, and many of our new residents are young singles who crave canine companionship and aren’t quite ready for kids.

Whatever the reasons for San Francisco’s doggie demographics, the results are clear. On the positive side, we have plenty of San Francisco dog parks and canine boutiques, and the doggie daycare business is booming.

On the down side, year-over-year, more San Francisco dogs are abandoned (upwards of 2,500 dogs annually) and, sadly, more dogs each year are euthanized. Reasons range. Not everyone understands the realities of taking care of dogs and, in San Francisco’s increasingly tight rental market, fewer rental units are dog friendly.

What You Can Do

Dog rescue can be an amazing and rewarding experience. This week, we offer an SF rescue dog roundup. Take a look at these five great dog rescue centers, below, and consider whether rescuing a dog is for you.

1. Muttville. Every day older dogs are euthanized, well, because they are older. Muttville aims to save lives and change the way people think about older dogs.
2. Grateful Dogs Rescue. Grateful Dogs Rescue, established in 1990, is the oldest dog rescue center in the Bay Area.
3. Northern California Family Dog Rescue. Family Dog Rescue’s tagline is dog + human = family because they believe that when a dog is adopted, a new family is created.
4. Copper’s Dream Animal Rescue. Copper’s Dream focuses on fostering as well as adopting. That way, even people who cannot have a dog full time can make a difference.
5. Wonder Dog Rescue. Wonder dog started out as a Boston Terrier specific rescue organization and has since branched out to serving dogs of all shapes and sizes.

Here are some reasons to rescue a dog today:

(photo credit: Wikimedia)

(photo credit: Wikimedia)

(photo credit: Wikimedia)

Danielle Lazier owns two beautiful Pomeranians and fully supports dog rescue. If you have questions about owning a dog in San Francisco, reach out.