31 Jul

Cat Care

A long time ago I remember hearing someone say that cat care was simply an afterthought at most pet care facilities. Frankly, as much as I hate to admit it – I think he might have been right. That’s why Pet Camp created Cat Safari. At Pet Camp Cat Safari, cats are not an afterthought […]


18 Jul

Kids and Dogs: Are You Ready For Both?

Let’s start with a little bit of background – a credibility check if you will. I am the proud father of 4 kids: 13 year-old triplets and an 11 year-old (two girls and two boys). These 50 years of child rearing doesn’t make me an expert by any stretch of imagination, but I’ve been around […]


9 Jul

Doggie Day Care – Why Outdoor Play Space is Important

Whether it’s doggie day care or overnight care we think dogs need to play outside. We know that in San Francisco, and perhaps elsewhere, that there are pet care facilities providing both doggie day care and lodging (what used to be called dog boarding or a dog kennel) where the dogs never get to go […]


4 Jun

What’s in a Name?

A friend from, Fit’N’Furry, another lodging facility, recently forwarded me a blog post (Disowning the Term “Pet Owner”) in which a veterinarian frets about what to call herself vis-a-vis her relationship with her pet. She explains why she has rejected owner, guardian, and mother and settled on “care giver.” At Pet Camp we too moved away from “owner” […]


30 May

Dogs & Cats Caught in the Middle of a Regulatory Battle

Dogs, cats, families, pet parents and veterinarians are getting caught in the middle of a fight between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the makers of mouse and rat poison (rodenticides). Here’s why: In 2008 EPA issued final risk mitigation reforms addressing rodenticides.  The changes, which were enacted in 2011, called for changes in the […]


23 May

No Bling In Playgroup Please

When a pet parent checks their dog into Pet Camp, we always ask “can you please remove your leash & collar after we put on one of our name bands and slip leads.” First time pet parents almost always ask, “Why? Doesn’t he/she need his/her collar?” We gently explain that we don’t want anything to […]


17 May

Talking to New Pet Parents

Just like with new human parents, new pet parents have a lot to learn about their new young one. As both a human dad and a pet parent, there were, and I guess still are, times when I felt that everyone I met walking around San Francisco was the “expert” on human kid care, dog […]


8 May

Regulating Commercial Dog Walkers in San Francisco

For at least the past 10 years San Francisco has been discussing ways to regulate commercial dog walkers who use the City’s parks. In early 2012 San Francisco added Article 39, Commercial Dog Walkers, to its Health Code with the intent that the regulations would become effective on January 1, 2013. Article 39 sets forth […]


2 May

How Many Calories in a Bull’s Penis?

Yup, that’s sure an attention getter for a blog post! Pet Camp is not a retail store, we’re a doggie day care and dog and cat overnight care facility – but we do have a small retail area. We stock mostly inexpensive items (toys and treats) including “bully sticks.” On a fairly regular basis a pet parent […]


24 Apr

Mobile Food Trucks go to the Dogs

Here in San Francisco mobile food trucks are a controversial issue.  San Francisco is a City full of “foodies,”  but the every increasing number of food trucks has resulted in a food fight the scope of which hasn’t been seen since Animal House (a classic!!) with brick and mortar restaurants and the food trucks fighting about permitting issues, […]