Seattle City Buzz

Just how dog-friendly should the Rain City be? The Seattle Times recently profiled this growing doggy trend.

As a dog foster parent, I’d like to see dogs accepted in more places - beaches, parks, home improvement stores, etc. Though, there are should be limits such as inside restaurants and grocery stores.

Radford recalls a downtown seafood restaurant lounge where a man and his cocker spaniel were seated inside the dining area. “Toward the end of the meal, the guy was turning and feeding [the dog] off his plate.”

Last month the Seattle Animal Shelter held it’s annual Furry 5K Fun Walk & Run at Seward Park. The Furry 5K is the shelter’s principal fundraising event for it’s Help The Animials Fund which covers veterinary services for the shelter’s animals.

This year’s Furry 5K raised $118,400, an increase of $28,000 from last year.

The shelter depends on volunteers. The next volunteer orientation is August 26, 2006 at Seattle Central Community College. Call the shelter at 206-386-PETS to register. Some of the opportunities include:

• Dog walkers (only time shelter dogs get out of the kennel for play & potty)
• Foster Parenting
• 9 Lives - helping sick/injured cats
• Get Fit With Fido - run and hike with shelter dogs
• Matchmaker - assisting visitors at the shelter