About SFDOG
Founded in 1976 by a group of friends, SFDOG organized in 1997 in reaction to the closing of Ocean Beach in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area to off-leash recreation. While continuing to work for off-leash recreational opportunities for responsible dog owners/guardians and their companion animals, we have expanded our mission to include a variety of programs designed to educate the people of San Francisco about dogs and their place in our culture. We work with dog owners/guardians about what it means to be a responsible dog owner/guardian. We help non-dog owners understand dog behavior to alleviate any fears or misconceptions they may have. We educate elected and appointed officials about dogs and the benefits of off-leash recreation. We share the "joy of dog" with others, and provide a central clearinghouse of information about neighborhood dog groups, responsible dog ownership/guardianship, and off-leash recreation.
SFDOG is working with officials from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) and other stakeholders in a process called negotiated rulemaking to decide where dogs will be allowed off-leash in the GGNRA. We also monitor the way the SF Recreation and Parks Department (RPD) administers its dog policy, which requires dogs to be on-leash in City parks except in designated off-leash areas. We continue our efforts to change RPD's dog policy.
SFDOG has quarterly membership meetings with speakers on topics such as emergency medicine for dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, positive approaches to controlling barking, and other topics of interest to dog owners/guardians. We publish a periodic newsletter "The Wag", and help with park clean-ups and other special events. SFDOG is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Donations to SFDOG are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
