April Favorites
I’m back on the blog to share a handful of things that I’m excited about right now. This small collection is something you can expect on the blog once a month from here on out. A lot of it will be dog related and a lot will be photography related, but some will be of a different nature: like a new San Francisco Bay Area cafe I’m loving or a great book I’m reading. I hope you enjoy them and discover something new!
GoDog Toys
I love GoDog toys and so does my dog, Minna. Their plush toys are fun, colorful, and most importantly long lasting. While Minna isn’t a big destructive chewer, she does tend to find ways to slowly rip little appendages on toys off or pull out any kind of fake fur or hair that it has. With GoDog she’s never been able to do that. I don’t have to worry about safety as they’ve done significant safety testing and even have a special chew guard lining and all seams are double stitched to ensure durability! Minna has three dragons and three dinosaurs of all different colors and shapes, but the bigger ones are her clear favorites. It’s pretty funny to watch her trod down the hall carrying a toy almost half the size of her own body. I should also note that while GoDog suggests their products be spot cleaned, you can put them in your washing machine on gentle cycle and let them air dry. It’s so nice to be able to collect her toys every so often and just pop them into the washing machine with a little bit of white distilled vinegar. Lastly, I was so excited to find out that they have a main office in Marin County! We will certainly be buying more GoDog toys for Minna in the future and I’m more than happy to support this local San Francisco Bay Area business.
Website: https://godogfun.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/godogtoys/
San Francisco Animal Care and Control’s New Shelter
Last month/recently, San Francisco Animal Care and Control officially opened their new shelter! SFACC houses and cares for all kinds of animals and welcomes them into their shelter regardless of species, medical, or behavioral condition and so I am elated they have received a major upgrade. The new 65,000 square foot facility in SF’s Mission District took over 6 years of planning and $77 million dollars to complete. Some of its features include significantly larger kennels (nearly double in size to their previous location), a larger and more modern vet suite, dedicated spaces to do dentals and grooms, a rooftop dog run, a bunny specific exercise area, and much more.
Website: https://www.sfanimalcare.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sfanimalcareandcontrol/
Pushing Daisies
We’ve all been watching a fair amount of television during the past year and a lot of the series we watch can tend to blur together after a while. Pushing Daisies, what I’m watching now, certainly stands out though. I’m currently on the second season of Pushing Daisies (streaming on HBO Max as it originally aired on ABC from 2007-2009) and loving its super quirky nature. It has a bit of a Tim Burton feel to it and is filled with incredible visual design. The story centers around a pie-maker who can bring dead things back to life with the touch of his finger. While this may sound like an incredible gift, it comes with some serious caveats and dilemmas. Another reason I enjoy the show is the inclusion of dogs! One of the main characters, Digby, is a dog and there’s even a whole episode centered around the suspicious murder of a dog breeder wtih four wives (all of which work in a different sector of the dog world: a dog therapist, a dog trainer, a dog clothing boutique owner, and a guide dog mobility specialist). Also, a lot of the lead actors have extensive theater backgrounds, which is another art form very close to my heart.
Gray Face Acres Senior Rescue
I am a senior dog enthusiast. I follow the stories of senior dog rescues all over the country on Instagram, and so I thought I would highlight one of my favorites today: Gray Face Acres. In 2016, Debbie and Bob Gretz founded this foster based rescue on the East Coast (MD, DC, VA, and WV) to save senior dogs by providing whatever support they need: that can mean getting the dog medical treatment, offering supplies or food to keep them in their current home, etc. They commonly take dogs with special needs (blind dogs seem to be the most common) and have so many cuties available for adoption. With their Instagram account, I feel like I really get to know each of the dogs’ unique personalities and I just love following them on their journeys.
Website: https://www.grayfaceacres.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grayfaceacres/
That’s it for April! I’ll see you back here next month for the next series of current favorites. Take care.
