Yapsie kicked off our first Howl-o-ween costume contest in Oakland’s Jack London Square this past Sunday and we had a great turnout on a beautiful day.  We enjoyed the company of over a dozen dogs in costume and, while everyone’s a winner with Yapsie, Dixie the iPoodle took home the top prize.  Check out more photos of Dixie and her friends on our Facebook page.

We’d love to thank Abby and Dane of Canine Comforts for donating the big prize basket, a cornucopia of treats and gift bags, and for being a wonderful sponsor and friend of Yapsie.  Drop by for all of your pup’s food, treats, toys, and more!

Sherli, mama to Brillo the hippie love van, donated gifts from Starbucks and our Vietnamese lunch was catered by enjoyed the Vietnamese sandwiches, rolls, and waffles from Cam Huong Cafe.  They’ve got several locations in Oakland so go check them out.

We had so much fun that we’re looking forward to the next event already!  Look for it in December and keep your eyes peeled for the cool new stuff that we’re building too.  Be sure to register at Yapsie.com and like our Facebook page to learn more.  See you next time!

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Hello Yapsie Bay Area!

You're invited to our Howl-o-ween costume bash in Jack London Square on Sunday, October 30, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.  We would love to see you there!  There will be treats, there will be tricks, and it will be fun for the whole family!

Does your pup look great in costume?  Awesome!  Strut your stuff on our dogwalk to win fabulous prizes in the *costume contest*!  Debut their skills in our *Trick-for-Treats Showoff* and you can take home even more great prizes for pups and people alike.

We will be serving refreshments at Canine Comforts before parading over to Jack London Square for a picnic lunch prepared by Cam Huong Cafe.

  Tickets for the event are only $20. Get them, andmore information at http://yapsie.eventbrite.com.

Wanna win two free tickets?

 Send us a photo of your pet in costume by Wednesday, October 19.  The most popular photo wins the big prize!  Voting starts on Thursday, October 20.

We look forward to seeing you on October 30 for a very special Howl-o-ween.  Register now!

~The Yapsie Team

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Halloween is a month away and you don’t have your pet costume ready? Gasp… Bay Area pet parents can be cut throat when it comes to animal costume contests. Think “Toddlers & Tiaras” but with fangs, not flippers.

Josie poodle and I combed the Internet to find these fun costumes to spur your creativity.

Be sure to send us a photo of your pet’s costume at sf@yapsie.com by October 15^th and we’ll enter it into the Yapsie Halloween costume contest. Details coming soon!

Bad Boys

“Big Daddy Pimp Dog” from Costume Craze 

“Big Dog Red Neck” from Fright Catalog

“Tattoo Dog” from Buy Costumes

Naughty Girls

Renaissance Corset Dress from Pet Halloween Costumes Shop

French maid from Brands on Sale

Folsom Street Fun

“Biker Dog” from Buy Costumes

“Doginatrix” from Fright Catalog

Celebrities

“Sarah Palin” from Wiggles Dog Wigs

“Marilyn & Joe” from Wiggles Dog Wigs

“Donald Trump” from Halloween Blogspot

“Carmen Miranda” from Barkin Woofer 

 Bay Area costumes

“Monterey Bay Sea Dog-tter” posted on Flirty Guide

“iPug” posted on Chuba & Co.

“Beach Blanket Babylon” posted on LiveSoma  

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YapsieSF is curated by Kim Legocki, social media director at a Bay Area university, and mama to Josie Poodle! Follow them @kimlegocki and @josiepoodle.

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YapsieSF is curated by Kim Legocki, Director of Social Media for a Bay Area university and mama to Josie Poodle! Follow them @kimlegocki and @josiepoodle.

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A recent study by a UK pet insurance company found that one in ten pets have an account on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.  While my poodle may tweet, some Bay Area yappers take it one step further by authoring a regular dog-loving blog.  Here are five sites that you must sniff out:

Going West

What started as travel blog to document their cross-country drive from Boston to San Francisco has now become the adventures of Lima Bean the greyhound around her new ‘hood of Bernal Heights.  “I started the blog to document our big move/drive across the country. But then it just evolved to capturing a lot of how we were discovering our new city and since Lima Bean is such a big part of my life, she pretty makes up most of the blog's content,” writes Rally,  Lima’s human. Oh, yes, how these pups rule our lives! Follow Rally and Lima Bean at http://rallyp.tumblr.com. Our favorite post is “Relaxation is taken seriously around here” where Lima Bean demonstrates her favorite napping positions.

(Photo used courtesy of Going West)

Spot that SF Pup

Josie Poodle and I discovered this site when blogger Meagan asked to take Josie's photo for her site. Her clever blog is an ode to random dogs seen on the streets of San Francisco. She writes, “I’ve always wanted a dog of my own, but sadly, my apartment is a way too tiny for an extra little guy.”  Most photos are taken around her Marina neighborhood so check and see if you if you recognize any pups on http://spotthatsfpup.com/ 

(Photo used courtesy of Spot that SF Pup)

It's a Vizsla Thing

This fun blog highlights the adventures of Captain the vizsla around the Bay Area. He is apparently quite the runner and helps to train his people for half-marathons. Captain also enjoys play dates and eating homemade frosty paws. Lucky pup! No, he’s not named after the booze but after his people’s fondness for “The Dead Poet Society.” Check out the photos of oh Captain, my Captain at http://vizslathing.blogspot.com/

(Photo used courtesy of it’s a Vizsla Thing)

cainbot & canine

Life can be challenging with a bossy pup. Her human describes Dixie as a three-year-old standard poodle “whose mission in life is to break the world record for fetching while simultaneously driving Allison [her human] to the brink of insanity.” Allison shares her daily trials and adventures with Dixie the poodle in true “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” fashion. Her photos and captions may sometimes be offensive, but are always funny. Watch Allison pull her hair out on http://cainbot.com/.

(Photo used courtesy of cainbot and canine)

Deano Got Drunk

Winner of the “Only in SF” prize is… Deano the French bulldog!  His person, David, posts photos of Deano with various discarded booze containers on their way to work at Room 4 vintage (www.room4.com) in San Francisco where Deano works as the official greeter.  “The very first photo was Deano with a tiny Jagermeister bottle that I just thought was funny,” said David. “After that, it just sort of happened: we'd see bottles on the streets every day and boom: a blog was born. We've started picking up the bottles and recycling, so Deano's not just getting drunk but cleaning up his neighborhood, too!”  As SOMA residents, Josie poodle and I extend a tip of the bone to this creative blogging duo for embracing the peculiarities of the city. Our favorite is when this Frenchy scored two six-packs! Check our Deano's adventures at http://deanogotdrunk.tumblr.com/ or better yet, stop by and meet him at Room 4.

(Photo used courtesy of Deano Got Drunk)

Does your Bay Area dog, cat, bird… tweet, blog or Facebook?  Leave the link below and we’ll be sure to include it in an upcoming story.

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If you were one of the 30 lucky people to get tickets for last week’s Pupcrawl, you know how much fun it was!  There were so many lovely people and well-behaved pups of all sizes, everything from chihuahuas to great danes (and everything in between), as we visited some of the pet-friendliest places in SOMA.

We began our journey at The Creamery where we enjoyed some of their signature sandwiches and cookies.  It’s a great place to get Ritual Coffee too!  Little Skillet was our second stop where we sampled their famous fried chicken.  Their weekly lunch line is super long and a favorite for all of the local startup folks.  At South Park we learned some new tricks and tips from Brenda C. of Dog In Training (we learned how to spin!) and sampled the delectable handmade happiness of Simply Mochi.  Did you taste s’mores, red bean, or strawberry cheesecake?  Next stop was Traci Des Jardins’ patio at Public House where we sampled their famous corn dogs as well as plenty of Trumer Pils and Racer 5 beer.  Lastly, we visited Furry Tales for a bit of shopping and gifts provided by the boutique and The Honest Kitchen.

Photos of the event are posted on our Facebook page, as well as on Yapsie.  To those who attended, we hope you enjoyed the event and join us again on the next.  If you missed out, please register on Yapsie.com to receive updates on the next Pupcrawl or Yappy Hour events!

See the full gallery on Posterous

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By Kim Legocki

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My favorite cartoon shows a diner asking the server to wait while he checks into Yelp, FourSquare, Facebook, etc…  Like saying grace, I’m unable to eat a meal until I have checked in. We love our apps, but do you have any favorite dog apps?  We’ve compiled a list of free apps to test with your pooch. If we missed your fave, post a comment so that we may include it in a future story.

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Fido Factor (free)

A local SF company offering a quick and easy way to locate dog-friendly places, parks and services while on the go. Coverage is still limited to about 24 metropolitans regions but their database is growing quickly thanks to a dedicated community of users.

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Dog Friendly (free)

Users of dogfriendly.com or readers of their books know that they are a great travel resource for finding dog-friendly hotels, B&Bs, vacation rentals, campgrounds, attractions, outdoor restaurants, shopping centers, stores, beaches, parks, off-leash parks, ferries and transportation.

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Squeaky Fun Time (Android -free) or Dog Toy Prank (iTunes – free)

Need a quick way to distract your barking pup? Quick… download a squeaky toy app. I swear by the Squeaky Fun Time which offers dozens of different squeak toy sounds.  Not only does it get Josie to stop yapping, but it’s a great way to get her attention when taking a photo.  Dog Toy Pranks for iPhone takes it one step further.  Use the countdown timer,  hide your phone and let hilarity ensue.  During the prank, your iPhone looks as if it’s innocently turned off.

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Tick Finder (free)

Download this app before your next hike. Created by Schering-Plough Animal Health, this app provides a simple interactive map which displays tick infested areas reported by others users. You can also warn others about tick infestations that you uncover in your area.

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Off Leash (free)

Created by Eukanuba, Off Leash can pinpoint the five parks closest to you. Select the park you want and the app will map the driving directions.  They update the database every 2-3 weeks.

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iPetFinder

Ok – this one isn’t free but it does search the petfinder.com database with over 300,000 animals including dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, reptiles and birds. You locate animals near your location. This one hits close to home because we adopted Josie poodle through petfinder. The app creators donate a portion of the proceeds from each sale to a national, non-profit 501(c) (3) foundation.

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Hungry Pet

We know chocolate is bad for fido but did you know that raisins and Macadamia nuts could also be trouble? This app allows you to look up the health impact of common foods on both dogs and cats.  The best part is the automatic location detection (via GPS) for fast access to nearby veterinary and animal hospital.

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Did I forget your favorite dog app? Comment below and I’ll be sure to give it a shout out in a future blog or newsletter.

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SOMA resident Kim Legocki works as a social media director at a local university to pay for dining and city adventures with her hubby and poodle, Josie.  She and Josie are also the new SF community “yappers” for Yapsie.com, a new start-up focused on bringing together dog lovers and locally-owned businesses. Register on the site to receive their bi-weekly SF dog newsletter and join them at the Yapsie SOMA Pupcrawl on August 13^th.

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 Originally posted by our friends at LiveSOMA!

By Kim Legocki

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Yapsie is hosting a neighborhood “Pupcrawl” around SOMA on Saturday, August 13 from 1:30pm – 4:30pm. This dog friendly event will meet at the Caltrain Station located at 4th Street and King.

Pupcrawls are designed with the goal of introducing a new audience to locally owned pet-friendly businesses around San Francisco. Dog people who meet online can meet and establish an off-line relationship with other pup parents.

“Our Pupcrawl is kind of like a pub crawl, but with our dogs,” explains Joe Mahavuthivanij ,CEO and Co-Founder of Yapsie.com. “It’s a creative way to showcase local businesses in a fun, informative walk with our best friends. People like doing things with their dogs, and they like meeting other like-minded individuals.” An inaugural Pupcrawl was held in the Mission district in June 2011. (View Photos Here.)

 

Pupcrawl!

The Yapsie Pupcrawl will take a leisurely route around SoMa with stops at 4-6 businesses for pup and people to sample local fare. To ensure accurate servings, people must buy tickets in advance through EventBrite.

Yapsie.com is a new online community of pets and their people sharing experiences with local pet-friendly places. Discover new pet-friendly vets and services, restaurants, hotels,parks, and events on Yapsie. SOMA resident Kim Legocki and her poodle, Josie, serve as the San Francisco community “yappers.” Register on Yapsie.com to receive a bi-weekly dose of doggie news or read it online at the Yapsie blog.

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Originally posted by our friends at LiveSOMA!

By Kim Legocki

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Asking me for my favorite dog-friendly eatery in SOMA is like asking me to pick my favorite travel destination…it can’t be done! Rather, I’ve compiled a list of places from coffee shops to swanky dining that I’ve personally visited with my poodle, Josie.  For a good time, pair one of these restaurants with a dog-friendly walk.

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Radius Cafe - SOMA

Radius

Where: 1123 Folsom St

Outdoor tables, hip vibe, and locally sourced foods make this one chic place to dine with your dog.  We’ve enjoyed both brunch and happy hour with Josie Poodle. They procure all ingredients within the radius of 100 miles – hence their name.

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Bloodhound

Address: 1145 Folsom St.

Such a terrific neighborhood bar…almost like Cheers, but with a Folsom Street vibe. For some reason, dogs make it easier to meet people. Most patrons have turned out to be neighbors, living   within a few blocks of us. Lots of unusual beers on tap, but I’m a sucker for anything with Campari, so I stick to the signature drink – theBloodhound.

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Axis Café and Gallery

Address: 1201 8th St at Irwin

One of my absolutely fave places for brunch. Easy parking, terrific service, great food, and a dog friendly patio.  I order the Eggs Benedict with hard yolks – ick, no runny yellow stuff for me – and they are always perfect. Bottomless mimosas are never empty. Total hidden gem. Take a walk over to the Mission Creek dog park afterwards.

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Chavo’s Mexican Restaurant

Address: 595 Bryant St at 4^th Street

We come here when we’re too lazy to walk to Chipotle in Union  Square. I’ve only had the chicken burrito which was cheap and filling. There is never a line so service is fast, which is good because you need to leave your dog outside when you order. We have always had the dog-friendly patio to ourselves. FYI – if you don’t want the cheese, guacamole and sour cream, the burritos are a buck cheaper.

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The Creamery & Iron Cactus

Address: 685 4th St at Townsend

Nice place to come for coffee, salads, sandwiches, and gluten-free desserts. Looking around during my last visit, I believe MacBooks may be a requirement. Dogs have to be left outside when you order. I’m always worried that someone will make off with my poodle if I leave her outside, so I only stop here when there’s no line.

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Blush

Address: 219 King St near AT&T Park

Finally! Fro-yo in SOMA with outdoor seating. They tout their organic yogurt as being non-fat and low calorie with lots of active live cultures.  They also offered shaved ice which is frozen yogurt atop a bed of shaved ice and fresh fruit. I have personally tried most every flavor and like their signature, Blush, the best. This is not sweet fro-yo but rather tangy and “yogurty.”  You’ll need to leave the dog outside to order but they are always happy to give me a sample of vanilla for Josie.

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MoMo’s

Address: 760 2nd St. at King St.

We love eating at MoMo’s for lunch or dinner whenever the Giants are NOT playing. Ask for a table along the edge of the patio so your pup will keep itself entertained watching the sidewalk action.

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SB 40

Address: Pier 40 at the Embarcadero

Their dog-friendly patio and fabulous views makes this a great starting point for a walk along the South Beach Harbor. Like MoMo’s, avoid this place pregame! It has a pleasant divey atmosphere with $3 happy hour pints and $1 oysters.

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The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen

Address: 1 South Park (at 2nd St.)

Gluten-free bread and a dog-friendly patio…need I say more? Very popular at lunch with local workers. We love their breakfast grilled cheese sandwiches with egg – super filling. Mushroom Gruyere with a side of tomato soup is a perfect lunch on a cold day. The downside is limited seating and a growing reputation so try to avoid the popular 12pm time slot. Or better yet, get it to go and walk to South Park with your dog for a picnic.

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Did I forget your favorite dog-friendly place? Drop me a note at sf@yapsie.com and I’ll be sure to give it a shout out in a future blog or newsletter.

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SOMA resident Kim Legocki works as a social media director at a local university to pay for dining and city adventures with her hubby and poodle, Josie.  She and Josie are also the new SF community “yappers” for Yapsie.com, a new start-up focused on bringing together dog lovers and locally-owned businesses. Register on the site to receive their bi-weekly SF dog newsletter and join them at the Yapsie SOMA Pupcrawl on August 13^th. You can also follow her on Twitter @kimlegocki.

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Originally posted by our friends at LiveSOMA!

By Kim Legocki

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What do you love about SOMA? Weather? Tech vibe? New housing? Location?

Here’s what I love … dogs! Except for maybe the Castro, I challenge any district to call itself as dog-friendly as SOMA.

Since our condos don’t come with backyards, I compiled a list of great places to walk your dog and meet other pup parents.  Josie poodle and I have personally checked these out on your behalf.  Couple a visit to one of these parks with dinner at a dog-friendly restaurant for a yapping good time!

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Rincon Park

Rincon Park

Where: The Embarcadero & Folsom

Its FourSquare description (because we all check-in at dog parks, right?) says it’s “pet friendly” and a “dog run”.   I concur that it’s a doggie haven, but it’s not what I consider a true dog run, because it’s not fenced. Beautiful views of the bay, Bay Bridge, “Cupid’s Span”, but right beside traffic-laden Embarcadero. Take care if you let your dog off-leash.  Locals bring their pups after work for an informal ‘yappy hour.’ No bags available so bring your own.

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Mission Creek Dog Park

Mission Creek Park and Dog Run

Where: Mission Creek (at Berry St.) between Fourth and Seventh Streets

For a nice route with your pup, take a walk down 4^th Street towards the Caltrain depot. Grab a cup of coffee at Philz at 4^th and King Street, go past the library and turn right when you reach the water. Take a shady stroll along the water to see birds, kayakers and houseboats.  Despite the temptation, dogs must be kept on leash until you reach the fenced dog park where your pup can play off leash.  A friendly little group assembles on Friday evenings. Say hey if you see Josie and me! Bags available.

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Victoria Manalo Draves Park

Victoria Manalo Draves Park

Where: At Folsom between 6^th and 7^th

A rare oasis that is both kid- and dog- friendly!  The park is named after a local San Francisco Olympian who won two gold medals at the 1948 games in London. The playground area is fenced off to help ensure poop stays on the dog side. Dogs are supposed to remain on leash but… Keep in mind that the park has 2 or 3 entrances so dogs could run out into traffic. Great dog community helps keep the park clean and sociable. No   bags available so bring your own.

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South Beach

South Beach Harbor

Where: Near AT&T Park

Do yourself a favor, and take a walk along the harbor during the next Giants game. The vibe and energy are contagious! There’s a large dog friendly green space from the stadium to almost the Bay Bridge. The only exception is the grass in front of the Yacht Club (you can’t miss their “no dog signs”).  Bags available.

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South Park

South Park

Where: Bryant/Brannan between 2^nd/3^rd Street

Another kid- and dog-friendly place! This park is beautifully located among businesses and residences with a colonial meets contemporary feel. No surprise, since SF sugar and iron magnate George Gordon proposed in 1854 to create “ornamental grounds and building lots on the plan of the London Squares …” We like to pick up spicy pork kimchi burritos from HRD (521 3rd St at Bryant) and walk around the corner to picnic here with our dog.  Nicely landscaped and generally pretty clean.  We’ve seen more homeless people here than at other parks. No bags available so bring your own.

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303 Second Street Plaza

Where: Second Street between Folsom and Harrison

It’s officially an office park, but it has several coffee places, outside tables and enough draw from local dog people that it’s worth a mention. No bags available so bring your own.

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Did I forget your favorite dog-friendly park? Comment below and I’ll be sure to give it a shout out in a future blog or newsletter.

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SOMA resident Kim Legocki works as a social media director at a local university to pay for dining and city adventures with her hubby and poodle, Josie.  She and Josie are also the new SF community “yappers” for Yapsie.com, a new start-up focused on bringing together dog lovers and locally-owned businesses. Register on the site to receive their bi-weekly SF dog newsletter and join them at the Yapsie SOMA Pupcrawl on August 13^th. You can also follow her on Twitter @kimlegocki.

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If you missed the live broadcast yesterday, here's a link to the 7Live episode with appearances by our wonderful Yapsie Pupcrawl supporters.  One of our pals even won tickets to see Michael Buble perform live in concert!

http://7liveonline.com/episodes/See-the-full-show-or-individual-segments-from-the-August-10-2011-7Live-show/8300285

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Yapsie's SoMa Pupcrawl is going down this Saturday, August 13, and we would love for you to join us!  If you've never attended one of our events before, a Pupcrawl is kind of like a pub crawl, but with your dog, and all tastes are included with your ticket.  You will discover and enjoy some of the area's most pet-friendly cafes, restaurants, bars, desserts, boutiques, parks, and more on our journey through this super hip neighborhood and it's surroundings.  You'll also get to meet and mingle with some of the Bay Area's friendliest pet people on our trip!  Check out photos of our Mission Pupcrawl on Facebook and Yapsie!

We're looking forward to some beautiful weather as we parade through the neighborhood, in the shadow of AT&T Park, home to your world champion San Francisco Giants! Our event leads up to the Giants' annual Dog Days of Summer so keep an eye out for that event in the weekends following our Pupcrawl!

I hope you got a chance to check out the photos and see how much fun everybody was having.  Now it's your turn to join in the excitement of our tour of SoMa. Join us on the Pupcrawl, meet new friends and their best friends, and have a fantastic day!

This event will begin by meeting in front of the Caltrain station at 4th and King. We will being our parade promptly at 1:30pm so please arrive for check-in at approximately 1:15pm.

Purchase your tickets on Eventbrite and we hope to see you there!

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The group met up at the Roxie Theater for check-in and badging (did you see our cool Pupcrawl pins?).  We got things kicked off next door with some delicious wraps at Truly Mediterranean for the peeps and treat bags for the pups.  The affable owner even paused to say hello and hang out with us.  It was a great opportunity to mingle and learn names before setting off to our next location.

In transit to our next stop, we sampled some uniquely delicious flavors from Dynamo Donuts including Lemon Pistachio, Strawberry Earl Grey, Bacon Maple Apple, Spiced Chocolate, and Caramel De Sel.  There were even mini donuts for the dogs!  Sound like a pretty sweet day right?  Well, it was about to get sweeter at our next stop, Xanath Ice Cream.  They encourage all of their guests to try every flavor which is just fine by me!  They import their own vanilla and saffron, much of which goes right into their custom flavors.  They’ve got some nice benches out front where we enjoyed the beautiful summer afternoon with our cold ice cream.

Group photo in Dolores Park

Next stop was Jeffrey’s Natural Pet Food Company where we learned all about the benefits of a raw diet for our pets.  Everybody got a goodie bag with some all-natural treats, samples of their frozen meals, plus 10% off anything in the store (including their truly irresistible doggy accessories and toys).  With Heart By Elaine donated some beautiful bandanas for our Pupcrawlers too!

When the shopping was done, we cruised over to Dolores Park for some relaxing on the grass, playtime, and a lesson from our knowledgable dog trainer Rose, of Dog Gone Good!  She answered behavior questions and showed off some basic obedience techniques.

Meanwhile, Rocky of Rocky’s Fry Bread served up made-to-order Navajo eats.  One was topped with beans, cheese, tomatoes, and sour cream while the other was served with gooey local honey and powdered sugar.  I couldn’t help but try both as Rocky entertained us with his humorous stories.

It was a fabulous day at our very first Pupcrawl and I think everybody had a wonderful time!  Thanks to all who came out.  Keep an eye, ear, and nose out for our next Pupcrawl coming to another pet-friendly neighborhood in San Francisco.   Join us with your best friend(s) and make new friends all over the city!

For more photos from the Pupcrawl, head over to our Facebook page!

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Yap with pride in the Castro!

We’re yapping this week about the Castro district in honor of the SF Pride Celebration taking place this weekend, June 25-26. While San Francisco is known for being dog friendly, Castro just may win the prize. GayTravel.com summarizes this district on their Web site, “[The Castro district is the] mecca of all gaylands, the Castro is queer and very dog friendly.” Woof to that!

Who to read:

My Castro is the “guide and voice of the San Francisco gay and lesbian community.”  They don’t specifically call out dog friendly places but the site offers an exhaustive list of restaurants, events, and so on.  If you and Fido are looking to move to this area, check out airbnb.com’s pet friendly apartment list.  Curbed SF is highlighting the great outdoors of San Francisco and wants to know the location of your favorite doggie hang out. Send them your photos and dog-friendly endorsements.

Where to eat and drink:

It might actually be easier to list the places that don’t offer dog friendly seating!  Oh, let’s begin with Samovar Tea Lounge where you must try a pot of either the Moorish mint or Maiden’s Ecstasy. Castro Coffee Company (also known to long time customers as the Castro Cheesery) is still a locally owned coffee shop. If you don’t like caffeine after the a.m., you’ll love their decaf Espresso Royale because you’ll never miss the caffeine. Both places have outdoor seating.

For lunch, visit Squat and Gobble Café at Market & Noe. Save $5 on your next visit to Squat and Gobble on their Web site – wait for the pop up box and register for the newsletter.  Enjoy a bottle of wine and yummy Middle Eastern cuisine al fresco at La Mediterranee.  Please do try the delicious cold cucumber and yogurt soup. 

Brunch in the Castro…is there anything better in life? Josie poodle and I love Crepevineand Cafe Flore.  Try the Petaluma scramble with chicken apple sausage, mushrooms, and spinach with provolone and salsa at Crepevine.  We’re drooling thinking about the Hawaiian French toast (pay extra for the macadamia nut and cinnamon crust) at Café Flore. Pair your eggs up with a mimosa or bloody mary while because Café Flore was voted “Best Well Drinks” by SF Weekly readers in 2010.

Finish up the perfect dog day of summer with a night cap at the pup friendly Lucky 13 at 2140 Market St or the Mix at 4086 18th St. Both places get crazy busy so keep that in mind before you bring Fido along.

Where to shop:

Castro is home to two of our favorite dog boutiques – Jeffrey's Natural Pet Foods andBest in Show. Jeffrey’s is known for their “locally sourced, handmade, fresh, and organic pet foods.” Josie poodle is a very picky eater and even she gobbles down their green tripe.  Warning: your kitchen will smell like a dairy farm but our pups are worth it. Best in Show offers really clever and unique products like the Osama Bone Laden chew toy or “I have 2 Mommies” or “I have 2 daddies” t-shirts for your dogs. Perfect for the upcoming Pride parade!

Stop by and visit the shop dogs at ImagiKnit, Refried Cycles, PO Plus, and Under Glass Custom Framing.

Under one Roof has sold over $11 million in retail merchandise on behalf of AIDS service organizations. Check out their kitschy-goodness with your dog and spend for a good cause.  ACE Hardware is a great place to stop for tools and dog treats.

Where to play:

As far as we know, Eureka Valley Dog Park is the only dog park in the Castro. Overall, it’s a little gem of a park but just be cautious if you have a little pup because big and small dog are not separated. I love that fellow dog owners are hyper-watchful at this park.  

Did we forget your favorite dog friendly place? Send us an email at sf@yapsie.com so we can include it in future issues.  

Yap on, San Francisco!

- Kim & Josie

This week's dog-friendly San Francisco events:

• Featured event: 6/26 San Francisco Pride Parade. 10:30am – 2:30pm. Bring your pooch and yap up with Josie poodle and I for the parade. We’ll be congregating around Market/4th near Old Navy.
• 6/23 Summer Solstice Party on the Rooftop.  5 – 7pm at the Wag Hotel. A $5 donation is encouraged to support Muttville.
• 6/24 Small Dog Social. Every Friday at 6:30-7:30 at SF Puppy Prep. Exclusively for small dogs (under 25 lbs). 
• 6/24 Frenchie Friday. Every Friday from 4pm-7pm for people and French Bulldogs at Dolores Park. The group congregates in the center of the park, near the back side (Church Street) of the park.
• 6/25 Yappy Hour and pre-registration for 3rd Annual Pooches on Parade.  1 - 4PM. At Pasta Moon Creekside Gardens in Half Moon Bay. 
• 6/25 Seniors for Seniors Wine Tasting supporting the Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV). 7pm – 10pm at the Nordahl Hall in Los Gatos. (Sorry, no pets allowed).  
• 6/25 Shih Tzu Meetup 11:30am at Alta Plaza Park.
• 6/25 Bay Area Basset Hound Yahoo group. Last Saturday each month at 10am in Fort Funston. Meet near the port-o-potty's at the upper parking lot to take a leisurely stroll on the beach and back. Gwen Dossey at 510-828-8787 orpengwen65@yahoo.com.
• 6/26 Get Your Griff On! Calling all Brussels Griffons. 4pm Alta Plaza Park.
• 6/26 Luau Potluck in the Park! (Yorkies & Friends). 1pm at Allyne Park.
• 6/27 Bring Your Dog to Dinner. Every Monday at 5:30-9:30pm at Zazie Restaurant. Well-behaved pooches are invited to dine with their owners at the restaurant's lovely, secluded patio.

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Woof to all SF pups and their people!

Welcome to the first Yapsie newsletter focusing on San Francisco.  We’ve heard from you during our recent survey and are responding with a useful guide each week to dog friendly places, events and people. Since there is much to share in our fair doggie city, we will spend the next few issues focusing on a different San Francisco neighborhood.

This week we’ll start our tour in the South of Market (SOMA) section in honor of the newest SF dog park which will soon open. The Rincon Hill Dog Park (corner of Bryant and Beale St.) broke ground this past February and should be opening sometime this summer.   

Another reason we selected SOMA for our inaugural issue is because Josie poodle and I are residents. We are thrilled to be your weekly SF yappers! Josie is a 2 year old toy poodle rescued via Petfinder. I work at a local Bay Area university. We are always out and about looking for dog friendly locales in San Francisco to share. If we missed one of your favorite spots, drop us a line at sf@yapsie.com.

 YapsieSF is curated by Kim Legocki, Director of Social Media for CSUEB and mama to Josie Poodle!  Follow her @kimlegocki and @josiepoodle.

But first, a special invitation!

Join Josie and I for the first ever “pupcrawl” hosted by Yapsie and Dishcrawl on Saturday, June 18th at 2pm. Pups and people will be enjoying the foods and libations of the Mission District (along with extra treats and surprises) at this special dog-friendly event. Buy tickets now!

Who to read:

The lively local blog – LiveSoma – does a great job keeping readers updated on dog-friendly topics. Their mascot is Smush T. Barker who occasionally provides a dog’s point of view like a map of all trash cans in SOMA so you can strategically determine walks with your pup.

Where to eat and drink:

Check out Axis Cafe for brunch, then American Grilled Cheese Kitchen or Mars for lunch and dinner. Iron Cactus and Chavo’s are good SOMA options for Mexican food. Both are on the way to the Mission Creek dog park.  Check out BrainWash Café for breakfast, lunch, coffee, and live music. In the evening, you and your pup can wet your whiskers atBloodhound. 

Where to shop:

Oh, the shopping! There are so many wonderful shops, boutiques and malls in SOMA that are dog friendly.  The biggest is the Westfield San Francisco Centre where most of the shops welcome pups but only service dogs are allowed in the food court (yes, they do patrol). Get your frugal on at TJ Maxx, Ross Dress for Less, and Marshall’s.  HD Buttercup is a new LA-based home furnishing store with quirky, unique designs.  

Stay tuned for more stuff to do with your dog in our next newsletter. Hope to see you around SOMA. Yap on, San Francisco!

Kim & Josie poodle

This week's dog-friendly San Francisco events

There's lots of great local events going on this week including:

• Featured event: 6/18 Yapsie's 1st PupCrawl! - Discover new places in SF's Mission to bring your dog.  Co-sponsored by Dishcrawl.com.
• 6/17 Yappy Hour. Every Friday 5:30pm-7pm at Moulin Pooch 1750 Union Street, San Francisco. (415) 440-7007.
• 6/18 SF Boxer/ SuperDog Mania. Crissy Field beach, San Francisco. Join MeetUp group for exact location.
• 6/18 Bring Your Own Dog. Live performances, contests, games and socializing with dogs and their people. 12pm-3pm at Mint Plaza/Market Street, San Francisco, CA.
• 6/19 Small Dog Sundays. Every Sunday at 11:30am-12:30pm. SF Puppy Prep, 251 Sixth Street San Francisco. Exclusively for small dogs (under 25 lbs)
• 6/19 Ruby on Trails Pancake Hike. Once a month social hikes at some of the Bay Area's best trails for dog lovers, startup and tech fanatics, and people who love the outdoors!

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Yapsie is teaming up with Dishcrawl for our very first Pupcrawl!  What's a Pupcrawl you might ask?  Well, it's sort of like a Pub Crawl but with your pets!  We're going to wandering around San Francisco's Mission area exploring some pet-friendly places in the area.  There will be bites and libations for both pups and their people along the way, along with some fun activities for all.  We've got our fingers crossed for a hot day so bring your pups out for some fun in the sun as we explore the Mission with Dishcrawl!

You can buy your tickets on Dishcrawl's page, but the first 5 people to "Like" Yapsie on Facebook, RSVP's on the Yapsie event page, and tells us what their favorite dog-friendly restaurant is will win a beautiful doggy bandana, courtesy of With Heart From Elaine!  Keep leaving those comments because you never know if we'll have 6, 7, or 50 bandanas to giveaway!

We're really excited to be working with Dishcrawl and can't wait till the big day.  Reserve your spot for the fun event and we can't wait to see you there!

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Over the weekend, Yapsie joined the Marin Country Mart to welcome GEORGE pet boutique to Marin County at their Proud Pup Parade!  Proud pet parents from all over the Bay Area were expected to attend until the sky opened up and rained on the parade.  But did that stop anybody?  No way!

By 11am, there were about 25 pups in attendance to compete for the top prizes, and some of the most handsome were a pair of Golden Retriever pups, and a lab pup.  Adorable to the max, you'll have to arm your aww cannons for the pics after the jump.  After a short parade around the center, the crew reconvenened in front of GEORGE for the contest as well as photos for the new ROVER coffee table book.  If you're interested in getting a copy of the new book, send us and email and we'll point you in the right direction.  For all of your pampered pet needs, go to GEORGE and you won't be disappointed!

Everybody had a crazy fun day and nobody let the lack of sun get them down.  We can't wait till the next one, and hopefully this time the sun will join us too!

See the full gallery on Posterous

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Yapsie needs your help!

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JetBlue is celebrating national pet month with a great contest called the “Best Pet Yet” and we’re happy to help them spread the word!  You can win the grand prize of a vacation getaway for yourself, a guest, and a pet that includes roundtrip tickets, a 2 night stay at the Hotel Palomar in Los Angeles or the JetPaws Prize Pack including a pet carrier, travel kit, leash, and collar.  Check out their website for details on how to enter and good luck!

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This was the first chihuahua costume contest and benefit in Dolores Park and was put on by the SF SPCA and 7x7 Magazine.  When Yapsie was offered the opportunity to participate, we pounced!  Jeffrey's Natural Pet Foods sponsored a special goodie basket we displayed for all entrants to enjoy and it was so popular that a few pups tried to get away with some of the featured treats!

Everybody involved had a fun time at the event and there were at least 100 entrants and some saucy costumes involved.  Ultimately the dog dressed as Frida Kahlo took home the day, and the huge prize package and some big smiles.

We would like to thank Jeffrey's Natural Pet Foods for providing a wonderful basket that we will be giving away in our first contest (stay tuned!).  We would also like to thank Noel from 7x7 Magazine for inviting us out, and the SF SPCA for putting on the event!  We can't wait to participate again next year!

See the full gallery on Posterous

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Well today is a very big day indeed.  Doggy, my sister's amazing pup is turning 5 years old today!  That's an incredible 35 in dog years.  She might have an unconventional name, but everybody loves Doggy and she's never met a friendly person she doesn't absolutely love.  Like a kangaroo, she loves bounding around on her hind legs and giving kisses to everybody around her.  Other small dogs, well, that's a different story.  Doggy is a sweet girl and we wish her the very best birthday full of tasty, dog-friendly treats.  Happy birthday Doggy!

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