Danielle Lazier

Archive for the 'For the Dogs' Category

Muttville’s Holiday Pop Up (Pup Up?) Adoption Shop !

I play favorites, I won’t deny it.  I have a favorite taqueria, pizza joint (one on the West coast and one on the East coast, of course), bar, a favorite donut shop and a  favorite Animal Rescue Organization.  Muttville Senior Dog Rescue is my favorite Animal Rescue Organization in San Francisco.  This Potreo Hill-based organization does fantastic work and their dedication to saving senior dogs is incredible.  I have been lucky enough to be the guardian for 3 Muttville Seniors and another one is on the way!

St. Francis of Assisi has looked fondly on our fair city by the Bay and has bestowed upon us an inordinate number of amazing and dedicated animal lovers in the rescue movement.  As I see it, Muttville Senior Dog Rescue is at the top of the list.  Go see for yourself at the Muttville Holiday Adoption Pop Up Shop!   This pop up, affectionately referred to as a “pup up”, is an adoption center, retail space and resource space all in one.

Hop on your sleigh, or spin your way on your dreidel, and get down to 1259 Polk St (the corner of Polk and Bush) every weekend in the month of December — you have 3  more chances — to see Muttville’s adorable pooches who are up for adoption.  The Pup-Up is open from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday. There are so many things to do once you’re there!  You can grab treats from Paw Patch Pastries, get your dog’s picture taken with Santa Paws by Nuena Photography or Chung Nguyen Photography,  or buy matching Muttville t-shirts for you and your canine best friend.  Don’t forget to check out Small Club: San Francisco small dog walking , a dog walking, daycare, and boarding service for small-sized dogs of all ages.  Personally, I like just hanging out and providing a warm lap for one of the Muttville mutts.

If you can’t make it to the Pup-Up Adoption Shop, maybe a Christmas Day walk at Fort Funston is more your speed. Meet at the parking lot at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday December 25th and join us for a leisurely stroll with the sweetest, most irresistible,  zaniest pack of mutts !

Holiday Evening Stroll in Bernal Heights this Thursday, December 9th!

A little Elf told me about this awesome event in Bernal Heights and I just have to pass it on to our faithful readers (hello!)… there will be the first ever Holiday Evening Stroll in Bernal Heights on Thursday, December 9th from 6 to 9pm!

30+ local business are participating, there will be music, hot cider, cookies, BBQ and (drum roll please) a Holiday Dog Costume contest at fit Bernal fit .  I can’t imagine any pooch looking cuter in their red and white Santa costume than our own Ms. GiGi,  aka Santa Pawz.

If you’re on Facebook,  respond to the invitation and spread the word, social media-style.

See you strollin’ on Cortland next Thursday

Tags: bernal heights evening stroll

Founder of San Francisco’s Muttville Senior Dog Rescue to receive the prestigious Jefferson Award!

Frances the Pomeranian is on summer holiday (not that she was ever a very prolific blogger), so I’m filling in as the blogger for all things canine in San Francisco and the Bay Area.  I wanted to share this wonderful news about Sherri Franklin, the founder of Muttville Senior Dog Rescue organization here in San Francisco that is very near and dear to my heart (we have 2 Muttville mutts at home!).

Ms. Franklin has been awarded the prestigious Jefferson Award for Public Service. I can’t think of a more dedicated, selfless, and hard working person than Sherri Franklin.  Just last weekend, we attended Muttville’s annual benefit, Moolah for Mutts.  We heard and saw first hand the incredible work she has done over the past few years by rescuing older dogs from all over Northern California.  Muttville has an amazing community of supporters, and I’m proud to count myself among them.

Here are a couple of snippets, straight from the dog’s mouth… err,  Muttville’s blog, that is  (thanks, Muttville!).

“We have wonderful news: Sherri Franklin, founder of Muttville, has been awarded the prestigious Jefferson Award for Public Service. The award is given to people who do outstanding good work and inspire others to do the same.”

“Sponsored by the national Jefferson Awards organization with media partners KCBS and CBS5, you can see and hear about Sherri’s award here:

On CBS5 television:
Wednesday, July 21, at 6PM on Eyewitness News
Thursday, July 22, at noon on Eyewitness News
Saturday, July 24 on CBS Early Edition (times vary, check listings)
Always on www.cbs5.com

On KCBS Radio 740 AM and 106.9 FM:
Wednesday, July 21 at 6:50 pm, 9:40 PM, 11:50 PM
Sunday, July 25 at 11:50 AM, 3:50 PM”

You can find out more about Sherri Franklin and the dogs of Muttville on their website www.muttville.org .  Don’t forget to check out their blog and upcoming event calendar.

Tags: muttville, sherri franklin

Where the Dogs At? Best SF Neighborhoods for Dog Lovers.

Whether you’re looking for a place to walk your dog in Bernal Heights San Francisco or are looking to avoid us avid (or is that rabid) dog lovers, this website is very helpful to find the best SF neighborhoods for dog lovers!

With a map and description of San Francisco’s local dog parks, you’ll be in the know when it comes time to walk Fido.

San Francisco Dog Park Information by Neighborhood:

Bernal Heights
Buena Vista Park
Fort Funston
Golden Gate Park
Glen Canyon
Alamo Square
Dolores Park

See you out in Bernal Heights or San Francisco’s other best neighborhoods for dog lovers!

Tags: bernal heights, dog friendly, dog parks, dolores park, Duboce Park, glen park

Muttville Dog Adoption Fair at CitiPets – Sunday, October 18th – 11am-3pm – West Portal

Some of Muttville’s amazing pooches will be available for you to meet tomorrow, Sunday October 18th, 2009 from 11am-3pm. Consider fostering or adopting a senior dog. These dogs have a lot of spunk left in them and make fabulous companions! And you’ll feel so good about giving a dog the life he or she deserves.

View Larger Map

I’ve had my Muttvillle guy for almost a year now and am fostering another. And, no, you don’t need to foster or adopt a Pomeranian! Just because I’m obsessed with them doesn’t mean you need to be. There are big dogs, too.

Tags: dog adoption fair, muttville

Calling all San Francisco dog lovers!

Tags: Frances The Pomeranian, muttville

Are Homes the New Emotional Baggage? The San Francisco Home Sellers Dilemma.

In today’s NY Times, there is an article entitled, “Be It Ever So Illogical: Homeowners Who Won’t Cut the Price.”

It is very interesting. For example, take the description of how the real estate market compares to other markets…

“In most other areas of the economy, this combination of plummeting sales and stable prices would not happen. When demand for airline tickets drops, the airlines cut their prices until they have sold their seats. When stocks become less appealing, share prices fall, sometimes sharply.

Just try to imagine stock prices staying roughly flat over a three-year period while sales volumes sank because investors considered the market overvalued. Bear Stearns is still worth $150 a share, and I’m not selling until someone pays me $150!

Real estate, though, is different. For both economic and psychological reasons, there is no asset more conducive to hopeful overvaluation.”

Typically, we buy and sell our homes based on personal needs and decisions. Most of us don’t sell when the market’s hot just because it’s hot.

Rather, we sell because we have a new job in a new city, just got a raise and want a nicer pad, our kids left home and we’re ready for easier living, we are starting a family and don’t want to raise kids in a rental, etc etc.

Real estate is meant to appreciate slowly, over time. Certainly, here in San Francisco, we have benefited from spurts of outrageous appreciation. For now, those days are gone. Some homes are correcting in price b/c they became overvalued in the past 3–5 years, while others are staying stable. We are likely to see stable prices with moderate appreciation for the next long while.

Nevertheless, if you have owned your home in San Francisco for at least 3 years, you are likely to have done very, very well. It’s leveraged, tax-free money AND you got to live in it!! Please someone tell me what is a better investment than that.

Yet, as they article states, the valuing of one’s home for sale becomes personal rather than pragmatic.

Consider this:

“In the wake of the biggest housing boom on record, it’s understandably hard to accept a new reality. Robert Glinert, a real estate agent in the Los Angeles area, said he has recently been saying no to almost half the sellers who have asked him to represent them. Their initial asking price is just too unrealistic.

“People say, ‘I don’t care about the market — my home is still worth what I paid for it in 2006,’ ” Mr. Glinert told me. “And I say, ‘To you. Only to you.’ ”

Doing what Mr. Glinert is asking sellers to do — dropping the asking price below their purchase price — is especially difficult. It’s tantamount to admitting defeat.

David Laibson, a leading behavioral economist, categorizes this sort of behavior under the heading of “the principle of the matter.” His point is that people often go to great lengths to avoid taking a loss — or simply having to acknowledge one. “Even a small loss evokes a sense of frustration,” said Mr. Laibson, a professor at Harvard. “There’s something magical about ‘at least breaking even.’ ”

Often, this hurts no one so much as it hurts the would-be sellers. They stay in homes where they no longer want to live, rather than accepting their loss and moving on. Or they move but endure the hassle of renting out their old home, waiting, usually in vain, for the mythical buyer who understands its charms. All the while, their money is tied up in the house, and inflation is eating away at its real value.”

From personal experience, I know this is hard. Let me tell you a story.

My first home was a sunny condo in the Inner Mission. It was a great starter home & I had a great time living there. I could walk to my favorite bars and restaurants and it was a fun place to entertain. But then, I got a little doggie named Frances and my priorities shifted. I wanted to feel more comfortable walking her around the neighborhood. I wanted her to have a back yard. I wanted her NOT to live in the company of the many BIG dogs in my building. In essence, I wanted a single family home.

I decided to sell my condo and buy a little home for me and my dog. I know it’s crazy but hell, it’s true!  The problem was that the market had already turned. Selling my condo was not nearly as easy as I would have liked it to be. And, of course, you better believe it had the best marketing! Just like all of my listings do!  

I eventually sold it but not for as much as I wanted. I made a little money but not much. I longed for the experience many of my clients had where they made a killing in just 2 years! But alas, that was no longer the reality.

But you know what? I did good. I had a home. I got tax benefits. I even made some money tax-free in a short amount of time. As my CPA told me, I am lucky to live and own in San Francisco.

The best part? My little Frances has the most adorable home & backyard in a darling neighborhood. We got the house at a good price and I just love it. Lucky for me, Frances allows me to stay there with her. But that’s probably b/c I buy the dog food!

Consider your life in the BIG PICTURE. Go for what you want. Accept reality and move on so you can get what you want in the long run.

Check out the entire article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/business/26leonhardt.html?ex=1364270400&en=0b14a88f5032e300&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink