Pets 646 results

FOLLOWUP: What the city plans for temporary off-leash area at Westcrest Park

October 28, 2019 11:07 am
|    Comments Off on FOLLOWUP: What the city plans for temporary off-leash area at Westcrest Park
 |   Highland Park | Pets | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

The temporary off-leash area planned at Westcrest Park next year will be the city’s first, according to Seattle Parks.

That’s part of what the project briefing at HPAC‘s October meeting revealed.

As first reported here in August, West Seattle’s only off-leash area will be closed for months next year while a persistent drainage problem is fixed. Earlier this month, Parks announced a plan to set up a temporary off-leash area north of the Westcrest P-Patch.

Parks’ Emily Griffith was at the HPAC meeting to talk about the plan and listen to community comments.

She said that the drainage project is important because “Westcrest floods pretty regularly” and that’s led to problems including erosion. Regrading will be part of the half-million-dollar project, as will fencing repairs and, while they’re there, accessibility improvements in the north parking lot.

As originally promised, the current “small/shy dog area” will remain open in addition to the planned temporary area, which is “open lawn” right now but will get temporary fencing. It will be restored to “lawn” after the six-months-or-so construction is complete and the regular off-leash area is reopened.

Questions and comments started with one attendee wondering whether the project will include lighting improvements. Answer: No.

What about using another area of Westcrest? Explanation: Much of the big grassy space atop the park is the lid of the underground reservoir (buried 10 years ago – here’s what it looked like, underground too, before that), a Seattle Public Utilities facility, and that can’t be used for an off-leash area. They can’t use trails, because those would have to be fenced.

Did you consider the city-owned Myers Way Parcels? asked HPAC chair Gunner Scott, especially if Camp Second Chance leaves that space in March? No, they hadn’t.

Dates aren’t finalized yet but the Westcrest construction is expected to last about half a year, “spring through fall” of 2020. The project webpage is here.

ADDED: Here’s what the city showed at the meeting, to pinpoint what’ll happen where:

FOLLOWUP: New plan for temporary off-leash area while Westcrest Park OLA is closed

(File photo)

Back in August, we reported on a months-long closure ahead for West Seattle’s only dog park, the Westcrest Park off-leash area, because of a drainage project. At the time, Seattle Parks was only planning to keep the “small/shy dog area” open as an alternative. Now they have a new plan, just announced:

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is investing in the maintenance of Westcrest Park and the Off-Leash Area (OLA). Over the past few years, the maintenance project has grown from a simple drainage improvement project to a $505,000 project that will address drainage, access and erosion.

To address the impacts to the community during construction, SPR is proposing establishing a temporary OLA north of the P-Patch at the park. SPR will present the construction project and temporary off-leash plan on Wednesday, October 23 at 7 p.m. at the Highland Park Action Coalition (HPAC) meeting. The meeting will be held at the Highland Park Improvement Club, 1116 SW Holden St.

Due to the scope of the project and the nature of the work, the north parking lot and the entire OLA will be closed for the duration of construction. After initial outreach and discussions with the project team, SPR is working to accommodate a temporary off-leash area during the 6-month construction window and will also keep the shy/small dog use area open for everyone’s use.

Please join us at the upcoming HPAC meeting to learn more about the proposal. SPR anticipates construction will begin in the spring of 2020 and will run through the fall of 2020.

For more information please visit https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/current-projects/westcrest-park-drainage-improvements

HPAC’s meeting also is scheduled to include SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe talking about the latest Highland Park Way/Holden safety-improvements plan.

Can you help with this Seattle Animal Shelter investigation?

Seattle Animal Shelter investigators are hoping someone who reads this might be able to help with an investigation. They explain that “a man was bitten by a dog that was living in a vehicle with some folks parked at Solstice Park by the tennis courts.” So they’re “hoping to find anybody who may have interacted with the people and the dog, or seen the dog off leash or not under direct control, on or prior to 9/30/19.” They’ve already talked with neighbors and haven’t had any luck. “The vehicle is a silver 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee, with one male and one female occupant, and a large tan and white pit bull. Anybody with information can contact the main Animal Control line at 206-386-7387.”

New feature for canine visitors outside South Delridge’s Meat the Live Butcher

As mentioned in our West Seattle Saturday highlight list, Meat The Live Butcher (9432 16th SW) has something new – a walk-up window outside for dogs to get bones. It’s the latest community-spirited idea from proprietor Tom Salle.

It’s the grand opening celebration for the window until 3 pm today.

You’ll find the animal advocates from West Seattle’s own Furry Faces Foundation there too.

SUNDAY: Llama-petting at Alki UCC after Blessing of the Animals

It’s that time of year – several local churches offer Blessing of the Animals services around the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. One of them tomorrow will be followed by a special extra availability featuring three of the participants. As announced by Alki UCC:

Sugar, Mary, and Peggy … three llamas owned by Alki UCC member Charley Rosenberry, will be back by popular demand for Sunday’s Blessing of the Animals service. The 10:00 am service (as always) is open to everyone and the llamas will be available afterward for neighborhood kids to come pet.

Alki UCC is at 6115 SW Hinds.

Barking room only at Southwest Precinct launch for Paws on Patrol

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The meeting room at the Southwest Precinct was full almost to overflowing this morning as more than 50 people, accompanied by their very patient dogs, showed up for the Paws on Patrol launch.

The precinct’s Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner observed that she hadn’t seen the room that full in a long time. Assisted by her North Precinct counterpart Mary Amberg, Danner revealed to attendees what Paws on Patrol is all about.

It’s essentially a riff on Block Watch … Bark Watch, if you will. It’s based on a national program called Dog Walker Watch. The premise is simple: If you have a dog, you’re out walking it daily, no matter what the weather. So you might be first to spot neighborhood crime in progress. Pay attention while you’re out with your pup – don’t be head-down staring on your phone: “When you are walking, we really want you to be aware.”

Much of the presentation – which was accompanied by an outdoor resource fair involving local pet-related providers – involved training on how to deduce what’s suspicious (“you know your neighborhood best (and know) “what’s not normal”), and when to call 911.

“95 percent of all police arrests are the direct result of a citizen 911 call,” Danner noted. As has been repeated over and over and over at community meetings we’ve covered in the past 12 years, if it’s happening now, CALL 911. Don’t call the non-emergency number. You’re not “bothering” police. If the calltaker answering 911 determines what you’re calling about is not an emergency, they’ll transfer you. And if what you’re calling out turns out not to be a crime, “it’s OK to be wrong.”

Not only can you be a crime spotter, you can be a crime preventer, Danner said – the program is intended to let criminals know, “dog walkers DO REPORT suspicious activity.”

As the dogs continued patiently keeping watch, their people heard other advice and reminders, such as judging people by their behavior, not their appearance – and go with your “gut feelings”; if you think something is wrong, it may well be. Keep watch for suspicious situations involving vehicles as well as people – parked in an unusual location, full of what might be stolen property, etc.

If you feel safe doing it, you can speak to suspicious-seeming people, attendees were advised – say hello. And if they’re at your door and you don’t want them there, added Community Police Team Officer Nic Plemel. tell them to leave your property; if they don’t, call police, because then they’re trespassing.

A few more 911 tips – be succinct, calm, and clear; let the operator ask the questions; if you want to talk to the officer, tell them proactively you want contact. (That’s not required; you can also be anonymous.) If you are out and don’t know the exact address of something/somewhere you’re calling about, just look for the nearest street number as a reference. And don’t hang up until they tell you it’s OK too – they are dispatching officers even as they speak with callers, and might need to ask you more questions.

(Side note – 911 is the topic at the precinct next Tuesday, at the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meeting – 6:30 pm September 24th.)

Those in attendance today got special SPD-logo tags for their dogs.

If you couldn’t be there, Danner tells us, you’ll have another chance; another meeting will be scheduled at a TBA date. Questions? jennifer.danner@seattle.gov is how to reach her.

West Seattle weekend scene: Second-to-last Dog Day swim

September 21, 2019 11:20 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle weekend scene: Second-to-last Dog Day swim
 |   Arbor Heights | Pets | West Seattle news

Along with everything on our highlight list, it’s also the second-to-last day for Dog Days swim sessions in Arbor Heights – until 1 pm today, and again 11 am-1 pm Sunday. (Thanks to Cori from Arbor Heights Swim and Tennis Club for sharing the photo by Brandon of Fetch It Media.) No humans in the pool, just dogs, as a fundraiser for AHSTC swim teams before the pool gets cleaned in the offseason. $10 donation per dog. The pool’s at 11003 31st Ave SW.

Another round of Dog Days ahead at Arbor Heights pool

(2017 photo by Jamie Kinney)

In case the extra-warm weather gets you wondering – yes, Dog Days will be back this year at Arbor Heights Swim and Tennis Club (11003 31st SW). It’s a fundraising tradition after the last human swimming days of the year, before the pool’s off-season cleaning; the admission fees benefit youth swim teams. This year’s dates will be Monday, September 16 through Sunday, September 22, and the various price options will include one for dog walkers, sessions on Tuesday and Thursday, $50 for up to 8 dogs. Questions? coriroed (at) gmail (dot) com

PAWS ON PATROL: New Seattle Police program for dogs (and their people)

ORIGINAL THURSDAY REPORT: In the spirit of Block Watch, you might call this Bark Watch. Seattle Police Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Danner sent this announcement that they are launching a new program called Paws on Patrol:

You can help prevent crime while you are walking your dog!

Paws on Patrol encourages dog walkers to serve as extra eyes and ears for the Seattle Police Department.

This program trains pet owners to prevent crime, as well as recognize and report suspicious activity.

Get a free SPD Paws on Patrol dog tag when you join (while supplies last)!

The SW Precinct will be hosting the Paws on Patrol launch event on Saturday, September 21st at 10 am.

So if you are interested – save the date!

ADDED FRIDAY: A clarification from CPC Danner: “I have received a lot of inquiries about Paws on Patrol (yay!). Thank you everyone for your interest! Just wanted to clarify- at this time there is no link to join, please plan to attend the launch event on Saturday, September 21st, to join! I will send out more details as we get closer to the event!” This will be the first precinct to test the program, by the way. And yes, you AND your dog will be welcome at the September 21st meeting.

SATURDAY: Your dog’s chance to be on CityDog Magazine’s cover

(Image courtesy CityDog Magazine)

Is your pup ready for her/his closeup? Saturday’s the annual Cover Dog Model Search event for West Seattle-based CityDog Magazine. In case you haven’t already seen it in our calendar, here’s the announcement from publisher Brandie Ahlgren:

Unleash your dog’s inner super model at the 14th annual CityDog Cover Dog Model Search. That’s right, West Seattle’s own CityDog Magazine is looking for its next top model (furry and four-legged, that is…) to grace the cover of the magazine and raising money for animals while they’re at it.

Big dogs, little dogs, young dogs, old dogs… ALL dogs are welcome to “compete” for the chance to be on the cover of CityDog Magazine. And, because they think ALL dogs are super models, each and every canine contestant will get their photo on the CityDog website and in the print magazine, distributed to thousands of fellow Fido lovers!

The cover dog model search at West Seattle Thriftway is Saturday, August 17; $10 per dog; 100% to benefit Doney Coe Pet Clinic. Stop by the CityDog booth any time between noon and 2 p.m. and photographer Tabitha Headrick with Halcyon Photo will take a photo of your pooch for the magazine and website, and your pooch will be automatically entered for the chance to be on the cover of CityDog Magazine!

And, be sure to pick up a copy of CityDog’s new book, the Doggone Travel + Adventure Guide, featuring the best places to sit, stay, and play with your pooch in the Pacific Northwest!

Thriftway is at 4201 SW Morgan.

HAPPENING NOW: Furry Faces Foundation’s ‘Paw-tee’ for people and pups

August 11, 2019 3:28 pm
|    Comments Off on HAPPENING NOW: Furry Faces Foundation’s ‘Paw-tee’ for people and pups
 |   Fun stuff to do | How to help | Pets | West Seattle news

Wondering what to do with the rest of your Sunday afternoon? You’re invited to bring your dog(s) to the lot outside Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) in Morgan Junction for Furry Faces Foundation‘s “Paw-Tee”! Activities include people-assisted paw painting:

Until 4 pm, Hands to Paws Animal Massage is there:

You can browse and bid at the silent auction until 5 pm:

And you can sing! Renowned karaoke host Christopher Mychael is there until 5:30 pm. Full Paw-Tee details are in our calendar listing.

VIDEO: 2nd annual West Seattle PAWrade precedes Grand Parade in tail-wagging style

July 20, 2019 2:12 pm
|    Comments Off on VIDEO: 2nd annual West Seattle PAWrade precedes Grand Parade in tail-wagging style
 |   Pets | West Seattle Grand Parade | West Seattle news

Between the Float Dodger 5K and the West Seattle Grand Parade, dogs and their people had a chance to stroll The Junction this morning in the second annual PAWrade. Creativity and whimsy abounded:

So did cuddliness:

The PAWrade was organized by Lora Radford of the West Seattle Junction Association (below left):

The PAWrade even had its own marching band – the Junior All-City Band.

If you lose or find a pet tonight (or any other time of year) …

A message approved by WSB mascot Miles, 19, adopted from a shelter cage at the original Junction Petco when he was 5:

The WSB Lost/Found Pets page is one of those things you might not know about unless you’ve needed it. For more than a decade, our site has had the only West Seattle-wide lost/found pets page, visible to all, no membership required, no charge to use, with hundreds of reunions resulting. We hope you won’t need it but every year, fireworks noise leads to an uptick in lost/found pets, mostly dogs bolting and cats hiding. If you have one to report, email westseattleblog@gmail.com or text 206-293-6302 with a photo if available, description, area where lost/found, and contact #.

COUNTDOWN: 5 days to Morgan Junction Community Festival – dogs welcome!

Just five days now until the first full day of summer brings the 2019 Morgan Junction Community Festival, 10 am-4 pm Saturday (June 22nd) in and around Morgan Junction Park (6413 California SW). Your dog is not just welcome, but encouraged, as the festival features the Bark of Morgan:

The Bark kicks off with the Pooch Parade through the Festival Grounds, followed by Canine Contests.

12:45 pm – Pooch Parade:

Leashed dogs and their human should line up by 12:40 pm north of Morgan Junction Park on SW Eddy Street. Costumes are encouraged. The parade will travel through the Festival Grounds back to Eddy Street.

1:00 pm – Canine Contests:

Contests take place north of Eddy Street after the Parade. Categories are:

Cutest Puppy
Loudest Bark
Smallest and Largest Dog
Best Trick
Best Costume

Three winners will be awarded for each contest. Contest winners are based on the audience applause-o-meter as certified by the Master of Ceremonies.

This year The Bark is sponsored by Ventana Construction, with prizes provided by Pet Elements and Puddles Barkery. We gratefully acknowledge them for their support.

Find more festival preview info in our calendar listing.

COUNTDOWN: Who you’ll see @ next Saturday’s Morgan Junction Community Festival

(WSB photo from 2018 Morgan Junction Community Festival)

West Seattle’s next summer festival is one week away! The Morgan Junction Community Festival takes over Morgan Junction Park (6413 California SW) and vicinity next Saturday (June 22nd). In this preview – the vendors!

The festival features more than 30 vendors this year, some new, many returning, who are mostly from West Seattle neighborhoods. They will be in the parking lots behind Zeeks and Whisky West and on Beveridge Place and Eddy Street (south and north of the park). Handmade jewelry and crafts by local artisans make up the majority of for-sale items. A variety of commercial vendors will be there to provide information on their services and/or products. Community and local government organizations look forward to informing festival attendees about their activities and how to become involved. Cal-Mor residents will be selling bottled waterm with proceeds going toward their recreation fund.

New Morgan Junction Business

Paper Boat Books

Community/Government Organizations

Seattle Parks and Recreation – will showcase draft plans for the park extension, based on feedback from a survey they conducted during last year’s festival
Seattle Police Department
West Seattle Democratic Women
34th District Democrats
Seattle Public Library
West Seattle Food Bank

Edibles (more food annoucements in a separate preview!)

Blue Bird Ice Cream
Dolcetta Artisan Sweets – handcrafted chocolates, caramels
Indulge Desserts – local cake and cupcake specialty bakery

For Kids

West Seattle Leaps and Bounds – Children’s therapy information
Counter Force – Takewondo Martial Arts information
Church of the Nazarene – games

Handmade Crafts/Jewelry

Ginger Jewelry Design
Penguina Designs
Lelia Rae Handbags
Perch Paper Goods
Rich and Pam Thompson
Wendy Sloneker, Green Gift Handkerchiefs

Pets

Puddles Barkery – dog treats
Mud Bay – pet food and supplies

Services/Lifestyle

Smith Brothers Farms
Intuitive Art Seattle
Just in Case – Disaster Preparedness Services
Nepenthe Massage and Boutique
Vibrant Magazine (Unified Outreach)
West Seattle Electric and Solar
Pathway Desigh & Construction
Wellness
Super Supplements
Good Med Direct Primary Care
De Sautel Chiropractic
Seattle Allergy Natural Solutions

District 1 City Council Candidates

Lisa Herbold
Brendan Kolding
Phil Tavel

As a festival co-sponsor, we’ll be there too, for as-it-happens coverage. More festival info in our calendar listing!

COMMUNITY GIVING: Girl Scout Troop 40149’s support for rescue pets

Thanks to Troop 40149 leader Jen Boyer for the photos and report:

Girl Scout Troop 40149, a troop of eight 5th-grade girls attending Arbor Heights and Alki elementary schools, donated $230, 10 percent of their cookie sale proceeds, to Emerald City Pet Rescue Saturday, May 4.

The funds will be used to cover veterinary needs of rescue dogs at the SODO location and rescue cats at the West Seattle location.

The troop elected to donate 10 percent of their cookie sales to Emerald City Pet Rescue prior to selling cookies. They worked hard throughout February and March, selling to friends, family, neighbors, and through multiple booth sales throughout the area. The troop sold 2,691 boxes of cookies. The troop received 65 cents per box sold.

Five girls from the troop were present on Saturday to deliver the check at the SODO location, learn about how their money will help the organization, and spend a little time getting to know some of the rescue dogs.

After delivering their check and getting some puppy love, the girls traveled to the West Seattle location on Harbor SW to buy snacks, of which 100% of proceeds again support the organization, and visit the cats they’re helping support.

BIZNOTE: Good Dog fetches new location

April 23, 2019 1:13 pm
|    Comments Off on BIZNOTE: Good Dog fetches new location
 |   Pets | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Another West Seattle business that’s being displaced by development has just announced it’s found a new location. Good Dog, on the southwest corner of California/Frontenac where rowhouses are about to be built, confirms it’s moving to 9064 Delridge Way SW. There’ll be a lag between their closure April 30th at the current location and the reopening at the new one. (Thanks to Anne for the tip!) Previous coverage of what’s happening on that block is here and here.

BIZNOTE: CityDog Magazine’s West Seattleite founder gets ready to unleash travel book

April 9, 2019 11:53 am
|    Comments Off on BIZNOTE: CityDog Magazine’s West Seattleite founder gets ready to unleash travel book
 |   Pets | West Seattle books | West Seattle news

Got a dog? Enjoy traveling? West Seattleite Brandie Ahlgren, founder/editor of CityDog Magazine, is getting ready to publish a book you might enjoy – but first, a bit of crowdfunding:

after 13 years of digging up the best places to sit, stay, and play with your pooch in the Pacific Northwest, we’ve compiled it all into one place, a 200-page, full-color guidebook called the Doggone Travel+Adventure Guide. As you can imagine, printing a full-color book is not cheap, but worth it with over 350 photos shot by Northwest professional photographers! Anyway, we recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to cover half of the printing and with just nine days to go, we are 50% to our goal. One of the pledge levels includes a photo of your dog in the book.

Here’s a sneak peek at the book; if you want to help with the crowdfunding, go here.

HAPPENING NOW: ‘Santa Paws’ photos with pets – and people!

All dressed up for a pic with “Santa Paws”! Thanks to Don for sending the photo. Pets – and/or people – are welcome to come get free pics at Windermere West Seattle in The Junction (4526 California SW) until 1 pm.

READER REPORT: Dog attacked

11:16 AM: From Jennie, who says this happened near 48th/Walker (map) and hopes someone can help:

I’m writing to you ask for help as our 11-year-old basset hound was viciously attacked by another dog when we were out walking this morning. This was completely unprovoked so I put this out as a warning to the neighborhood as well.

It was a black with white pit bull mix of medium size being walked by a white woman in her 20s wearing glasses. She was walking it in the other side of the street and it got loose from its choker chain from her and came running across the street and immediately went for our dog’s neck and bit and wouldn’t let go. After wrestling with it and pulling its tail and prying its mouth open, our dog was very lucky and got away. He is in surgery now.

We do not have this woman’s name, but she said she was walking it for someone else. As it was an emergency situation and my husband ran home to get our car, we did not get her details. She asked if she could help, but I didn’t want her coming back near my dog with her dog so i told her to leave. I had both my hands pressing on my dog’s wound so there wasn’t much I could do anyway.

(We hope) that someone might call us to help connect us with the dog’s owner.

My name is Jennie – 206.949.2374. We are lucky it missed the jugular, but our dog is in surgery right now so we are still concerned. Who knows if this dog has attacked before or might again.

Please do NOT attempt to post IDs or guesses in comments – please contact Jennie *directly*. Thank you.

2:44 PM: Update from Jennie – not long after we published her report, she got a call that enabled them to find the dog/owner. Meanwhile, her dog is home from the hospital and recovering.

2 blessing events ahead for West Seattle pets

(WSB photo, 2017 Blessing of the Animals outside St. John’s)

Blessing events for pets and their people are traditional this time of year, around the feast day for St. Francis of Assisi, and we have received announcements for two in West Seattle in the days ahead:

THURSDAY: This one is new – Resting Waters (9205 35th SW) invites you to a “blessing of the pets” event tomorrow night, 6:30 pm, including in memory of those you’ve lost. Calendar listing with details is here.

SUNDAY: The traditional “blessing of the animals” presented by St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, in the parking lot next door at West Seattle High School (3000 California SW), 1 pm. Calendar listing with details is here.

READER REPORT: West Seattle cat found with two BB wounds

The photo and report are from Mel:

Horrible thing to report but we found last night that our cat had been shot TWICE by a BB gun somewhere near our house on 40th Ave SW and SW Brandon this week. See attached photo.

Our kitty is a very friendly cat with a gentle nature and is loved by our family including two small daughters.

Why anyone would do this astounds us. Please warn residents in our area to be vigilant with their pets and check them for puncture wounds. The vet says the shots could have happened over a period of time, so this could have been two separate incidents. We called the police so they are aware and filed a report with animal control.

SMOKE: Advice for protecting pets

With a little old indoor cat keeping us company here at WSB HQ, we’ve been wondering whether he’s feeling the effects of the smoky air too. No outward signs – he’s sleeping a lot, but well, he always sleeps a lot. Anyway, in case you also share your life with pets, here’s advice from the Seattle Animal Shelter on the best ways to protect their health while we’re blanketed in smoke.