Gone to the Dogs
a four year journey from print to pixels

by Sandy Lurins

When we started FETCH more than 4 years ago, we had a lot of energy and great ideas. We also didn’t know how much the paper, and we, would evolve.

Our first issue featured artists whose canine-centered works were manifestations of their advocacy and respect for animals. We then blithely covered the joys of visiting dog friendly wineries.

The next thing we knew, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf, and we found ourselves covering Operation: Orphans of the Storm, where hundreds of frightened and ill four-legged refugees found their way to Bay Area shelters and rescue groups, who nursed them back and relieved their panic so they could join new families here, or wait to be reunited with their old families.

Not six months later, the pet food recall that killed thousands of pets in the US took its toll on the Bay Area as well. We called on local experts who provided us with informative articles on raw and home cooked diets. We started cooking food for our own dogs here.

Speaking of our own dogs, one month while scanning the web site for Grateful Dogs Rescue we saw Wylie, a senior dog with some issues who was looking for a home after a whole year in rescue. He’s still with us four years later, still as grumpy and aloof as ever.

FETCH has been a lot about what we learned and saw during our four year journey. We saw the amazing passion of animal advocates who fight against breed prejudice and dog chaining. We heard from both sides of the contentious battle to maintain the Golden Gate National Recreation Area as a place friendly and open to dogs. We watched the shelter battles in Sonoma County and with the San Francisco SPCA heat up, die down, and heat up again.

Our “Making a Difference” feature never ran out of subjects to cover. Making a Difference highlighted the local, often unsung heroes who read to dogs, spay and neuther strays, train shelter dogs to make them adoptable, transport rescues, provide free medical care, and devote their hearts and hands to making this cruel world a little safer for companion animals. We have more than 40 of these stories online at www.fetchthepaper.com/archives. The Bay Area is truly wealthy with people who care about animals.

We’ve had a lot of fun, too. Exploring dog friendly eateries, parks and beaches to fill our pages and web site with places where our canines can “take it all off”—meaning their leashes of course.

We covered doggie DNA testing in “DNA Identity Crisis” and lost and found dogs like Bernie Tucker. We sponsored a contest to find an ambassador for pit bulls, and Monte, a Katrina rescue, took top honors. We brought readers into our kitchens, where we make treats and “Bennie Burgers” that help promote health and vitality.

Our happiest moments include meeting fans and readers at the dozens of dog events we attended each year. From the Golden Gate Kennel Club each January, through Bay to Barkers, Howl-o-Ween and Dog Days everywhere, we loved meeting you and your dogs. We invited you to come celebrate companion animals at the Bay Area Pet Fair, and you did—by the thousands. And adopted them, too—almost 750 dogs and cats found homes at the Fair.