SF’s most Instagram-famous dog, 12-year-old golden retriever Brixton, passed away on Monday, after a long career as an SFO therapy dog, doing Opening Day appearances at Giants games, and looking dapper at SF events.  

Over the last decade and more, San Francisco has come to know and love the nearly 13-year-old golden retriever therapy dog Brixton, as evidenced by his more than 6,000 Instagram followers. Also known as the Doggi Lama, Brixton has served as an SFO Wag Brigade therapy dog, frequently turned up in SFist event photosets, and has even been the guest of honor at Giants Opening Day.

But Brixton died on Monday, spending his final moments at Crissy Field, as seen in the multi-image Instagram carousel below.

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Brixton seemed to know what’s coming in his final moments at Crissy Field, where he passed to the great beyond while woofing down Mishka dog cakes. “In the blink of an eye a whole chapter of an amazing life closed without any warning on Monday," his human companion Linda Gordon said on Instagram. “The most beautiful mystical being that ever touched down on earth was spirited away by a bevy of angels."

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“Because he was such an incredible golden light it was so important to honor him in the most loving way as he exited this realm at Crissy Field, his happy place. With the water + bridge glistening as gorgeous as ever.”

It was well-known that Brixton had been battling lymphoma for at least the last six months. And living to nearly 13 years old is a pretty high-end life expectancy for a golden retriever. But Brixton’s legions of fans could not fathom a world without his snuggling presence, and they raised nearly $35,000 to support his medical care in these final months.

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Those legions of fans were able to say their last goodbyes, though, as KPIX reports there was a final meetup of Brixton and his fans last Thursday at Union Square. Many had received Brixton's attentive therapy over the years, as he has been a therapy dog since the age of only eight months old.

"That's a long time of touching people's lives. Just knowing how much good and love he's put out to this universe — it's a lot,” Gordon told KPIX. "He's had the most beatific smile on his face for the last two days while he is just embraced and showered in that beatific love. I just, I keep repeating, but he looks like an angel."

Related: Beloved Albino Alligator Claude, Mascot of the Academy of Sciences, Has Died [SFist]

Image: Goldie Palooza via Facebook

Perhaps San Francisco’s most recognized dog on the social scene, a party-hopping 11-year-old golden retriever named Brixton, has been diagnosed with lymphoma, and is looking at a very costly fight for recovery.  

Chances are you may have run into an 11-year-old golden retriever named Brixton at some sort of street fair or festival in San Francisco. A therapy dog also known as the Doggi Lama, Brixton has 5,000 Instagram followers, he’s frequently turned up in SFist event photosets, and has even been the guest of honor at Giants Opening Day.

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But the Chronicle reports that Brixton has been diagnosed with cancer, or rather, early-stage lymphoma. His companion Linda Gordon has established a GoFundMe for Brixton’s medical treatment.

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“I very unfortunately was misdiagnosed years ago + after being untreated for so long I have developed serious IBD which has turned into early stage Lymphoma,” the official Brixton Instagram account said in a July 25 post. “ Since we caught it early + beginning treatment + in great shape + the happiest boy in town - I know I will nip this in the bud so I can bring lots of love for a long time to come.”

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That sounds optimistic, but Brixton’s veterinary expenses are in the tens of thousands of dollars. “Needless to say, the medical bills have been astronomically astounding and continue to be as I enter chemo and maintenance," the GoFundMe adds. “I desperately need your help in trying to fight this difficult disease."

And in a common Bay Area twist, Brixton and his companion Linda Gordon are probably going to have to move and find new living arrangements because of his illness, as Brixton can no longer navigate the stairway in his household. “Any tips for housing are much appreciated - we will need to start the wheels in motion,” the Instagram post says.

Related: SF’s Three-Legged Dog Picnic Returns, This Time With Doggie Fashion Show Complete With Red Carpet, and We Have Photos [SFist]

Image: Joe Kukura, SFist

This year’s annual “Tri-Pawed Picnic” meetup for three-legged dogs hopes to unleash an all-time record, as the event is gearing up to set the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of three-legged dogs ever in one place.

When San Francisco's annual three-legged dog picnic known as the “Tri-Pawed Picnic” had its first-ever iteration back in 2009, the turnout was not all that impressive. “The first picnic I got one dog,” organizer Franny Corsick tells SFist. “But he was so excited and supportive that I went ahead and held another one.”

She adds that “Over the years as it has grown, and the community has shown itself to be incredibly diverse.”

The event has grown alright, and the 2023 Tri-Pawed Picnic drew nearly 50 three-legged dogs. Now the event is going for the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of three-legged dogs ever in one place when the 14th Annual Tri-Pawed Dog Picnic returns on Sunday, June 23. This year it will be held at Little Marina Green (also knowns as Marina Green West), to accommodate the much larger pack of pups than previous years’ picnics.

“The record is 75 and we are going for 103,” according to Corsick. “As of today, we have 50 [dogs] registered.”  

There are enormous logistical challenges to setting up the largest gathering of three-legged dogs in history. “Our costs are much larger this year. We are working closely with SF Rec and Parks, and we love their support,” she says. “Some of our costs outside of the location are fencing, radios, insurance, website and website support, banners, the production team, and all the little details that come up.”

So to that end, they are of course turning to a GoFundMe campaign for the three-legged dog picnic. There are significant costs not only in throwing the giant dog party safely, but the logistics of Guinness World Record verification too.

“What we are working on now is sending in our plan for the location at Little Marina Green and how we will capture evidence,” Corsick explains. “This is a very detailed plan that includes how we count the dogs, registration, what the public park area looks like, and how it will contain the group.”

“For the day we need to have a veterinarian on site to make sure the animals are in good health. Witness Testimony, photographic evidence, video evidence, and more. This all needs to be precisely documented with all the i's dotted and t's crossed.”

All dogs are welcome at this free event, but human companions with three-legged dogs are highly encouraged to register in advance. “If you just show up with your pup, you may not be able to join in the fun, because there are specific rules for the handler and dogs for the World Record,” Corsick says. “We highly encourage registering your pup so that info can be easily shared through the registration process.”

And if you do donate to the three-legged dog picnic’s world record attempt, you can even write that donation off on your taxes! “We have a tax ID number for those who wish to donate and use that for their tax purposes,” Corsick points out, citing the EIN number for the 501(c)(3 nonprofit InterCulture Foundation (which is EIN # 26-2224221).

The 2024 Tri-Pawed Picnic is Sunday, June 23 from 11 am-2 pm at Little Marina Green 110 Yacht Road. Register here.

Related: Photos: Three-Legged Dogs Again Take Over Duboce Park For Annual Three-Legged Dog Picnic [SFist]

Images: Joe Kukura, SFist

Former Law & Order actor Angie Harmon is fuming publicly that an Instacart driver allegedly shot and killed her dog Saturday, and Instacart has sidelined that driver while police investigate.

Actor Angie Harmon’s career arguably peaked in the late 1990s when she played assistant DA Abbie Carmichael on Law & Order up until 2001. She then appeared in the 2003 Frankie Muniz kid comedy Agent Cody Banks, and for six years was on the TNT crime drama Rizzoli & Isles. These days she’s on the Lifetime movie circuit.

But Angie Harmon finds herself again in headlines, as the Chronicle reports that Harmon claims an Instacart driver shot and killed her dog this past Saturday.

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“This Easter weekend a man delivering groceries for Instacart shot & killed our precious Oliver,” Harmon posted to Instagram Monday. “He got out of his car, delivered the food & THEN shot our dog. Our ring camera was charging in the house, which he saw & then knew he wasn’t being recorded. The police let him go b/c he claimed ‘self defense’. He did not have a scratch or bite on him nor were his pants torn.”

Parenthetically, that post received supportive replies from famous people such as Debra Messing, Chelsea Handler, and Allison Janney, as well as the organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Harmon also alleges the unnamed driver was logged in under someone else’s account, claiming that “He was shopping under a woman’s identity named Merle.”

The San Francisco-based Instacart responded quickly, noting they have suspended the driver.

“We were deeply saddened and disturbed to hear about this incident,” Instacart said in a statement. “We have no tolerance for violence of any kind, and the shopper account was immediately suspended from our platform. We have been in direct contact with the customer and are cooperating with law enforcement on their investigation.”

But… did they suspend the right account, considering the allegation that the driver was logged in as someone else?

And there may be more to this incident than we realize. It happened Saturday in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina. And as Harmon noted in her post, the local police department did release the suspect that day. That police department said in a statement that the suspect “defended himself by firing a single gunshot, striking and mortally wounding the dog.”

Their investigation is apparently ongoing, and the driver has not been charged.

Related: Novato Man Arrested For Allegedly Shooting Both Roommate and His Dog [SFist]

Image: BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 26: Actress Angie Harmon attends the Whole Child International's inaugural gala at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel on October 26, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/WireImage)

Nearly 50 “tri-pawed dogs” took to Duboce Park Sunday for the 12th annual three-legged dog picnic, and we’ve got pup-arazzi pictures and video of these canines who’ve bounced back from some ruff encounters.

SFist has covered the annual Three-Legged Dog Picnic in Duboce Park before, but we’ve never seen a turnout like Sunday. All dogs are welcome at this annual meetup of tri-pawed pups, but this year saw 47 three-legged dogs attend the dog rally. These are their stories.

These dogs unleashed plenty of joy throughout Sunday afternoon, but the Three-Legged Dog Parade seen above was certainly a high point. “It is bigger than ever,” organizer Franny Corsick tells SFist.

While there were 47 three-legged dogs, there were many other dogs who also have their own dog-gone troubles. “We have three-legged dogs as well as other handicapable dogs,” Corsick tells us. “We have dogs with cones, casts, one eye, wheelchairs, blind, deaf, toothless, they’re all welcome to the picnic.”

The good dog Pirate (named as such because he’s missing an eye, and Sunday was his eighth birthday!) was the newest amputee of the bunch, having lost his leg just over a week ago. “He got bone cancer, he was diagnosed about six weeks ago,“ his companion Elizabeth Sendil says. “He’s participating in a vaccine trial, a cancer vaccine trial designed by Yale. It’s meant for humans but it applies to canines as well."

And check out this Pomeranian Gracie in her Hawaiian shirt! “She had a tumor, and they took it right off at the hip. And she’s going strong, she’s a survivor,” according to her human pal Sarah. “Lots of short walks, lots of scratches to be had.”

The picnic also threw a pet tricks exhibition. “Last year was the first year that they did tricks,” Trina Chow tells SFist. “My dog Wallace here has been going to canine circus school in Oakland for the last six years or so. He does a lot of tricks, he jumps through hoops, he balances balls of his nose, all kinds of fun stuff.”

Of the other tricks performed, Chow says “We saw some nice ones. There was lots of high-fives, there were some spins, there were some roll-overs. There was one dog who painted on an easel. He put a pen in his mouth and painted, that was very exciting and new.”

Admire the amazing running form of Miss Mabel. “I adopted her right after surgery. We just kept her moving,” her companion explains. "People don’t even realize she’s three-legged. Once someone came up to me in the park and said, ‘Your dog’s limping. Is there something wrong with her?’ I said, she’s only got three legs.”

Topsy here is not an actual shark attack victim, she's just pulling your leg. “When you have one of these dogs, people ask you all the time how it lost its leg,” her human Greta says. "Personally, I don't think it’s the most interesting thing about my dog. But you get asked all the time. So, shark attack survivor, or I’ll be like ‘She was a professional skier, accident on the slopes.’ Honestly, it’s a little bit insensitive, because a lot of tri-pod dogs lost the leg due to really aggressive cancer, it’s a very difficult, emotional decision for the owners, or they saw their dog get hit by a car.”  

Yes, this pup Jerry Lee is taking care of business in an Elvis suit. “He’s a rescue dog from Soi Dog Foundation,” according to companion Toby. “It’s in Thailand, they rescue dogs from meat trade and street dogs. He was found wandering around with a badly mangled back leg. They think he was probably hit by a car.”

Winnie here was rolling on her adaptive device all day. “When Winnie was four, she ruptured a disc in her spine," her human Emily O’Dwyer tells SFist. “When we’re out of the house, she’s in her wheelchair which is custom-made by this company called Eddie’s Wheels. When she’s inside the house, she just kind of scoots around, she looks like a little harbor seal.”

Not all adaptive devices come with wheels, this pooch Diesel has a helpful harness. “It’s a Ruffwear harness, it’s one of those recommended for tripods because of the support,” according to Eldean Peterson, who fostered 11 dogs through the pandemic through the SF Animal Care & Control foster program. “I fostered him first and then we decided to stay together.”

Some of the adaptive devices more resembled dog shoes, like those being modeled above by Murphy. “He’s got a condition called immune mediated polyarthritis, and these are his custom orthotics from OrthoPets,” Murphy’s pal Jenny Anadon tells us. "They help to support his wrists, they’re basically collapsed wrists.”

Here we see Bam Bam, whose big smile lets you know he’s found the treat stash. “He's a new tripod, he was amputated in March, but he’s cancer-free now,” says Bam Bam’s buddy Michelle. “Putting my dog down would have been the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.” But the SF Animal Medical Center has the full story of Bam Bam’s inspiring recovery.

The Three-Legged Dog Picnic just keeps growing and growing, but now has bigger goals in mind. “We would like to make the world’s record for the most three-legged dogs in one location,” the organizer Corsick tells us. “We need to hit 76, but we’re going to go for 100.”

Related: Photos: Three-Legged Dogs Yet Again Take Over Duboce Park for Annual Picnic for 'Tri-Pawed' Dogs [SFist]

Images: Joe Kukura, SFist

A two-year-old Maltipoo named Coco was last seen Friday night near Octavia Street, after a pet sitter from the app Rover lost the dog, and a search is underway in Western Addition and the Tenderloin.

The online pet care marketplace Rover offers dog-walking services, among other things, and they describe their hired, online dog-walkers as “Perfect for busy days and dogs with extra energy to burn.” But one San Francisco dog owner is describing the service as a little less than perfect, as KGO reports that a Rover walker lost their dog, and the pup remains missing four days after it was last seen.

The two-year-old Maltipoo named Coco is seen above, and according to KGO, the “white dog with black spots was last seen late Friday night in San Francisco.” The station adds that “a bystander mentioned seeing the dog running and distressed on Octavia Street.”

Coco’s owner Alyson Ruiz was vacationing in Hawaii when she received the bad news. She said the dog-walker texted her. She paraphrased the text as “I don't know if like the app contacted you, but your dog bit me and he ran away. And I couldn't catch up to him." Ruiz told the station, "And then I like, started panicking. And I was like, what? I'm in Hawaii... they canceled my flight."

Ruiz’ family did post flyers. "When we got here, we started posting flyers in the Western Addition and the Fillmore in the Tenderloin," her aunt Joselyn Barrera told KGO.

Rover did respond to KGO with a statement. “As pet parents ourselves, our hearts are with Coco's family and we are focused on helping bring him home safe and sound,” according to the statement. “We are offering a $500 reward, paying for flyers, and posting in online pet-finding websites, which send alerts to local shelters and veterinarians.”

Additionally, the site adds that “We have suspended the sitter's account on our platform while our 24/7 Trust and Safety team conducts a thorough investigation. We remain in regular contact with Coco's family and are providing them with a complete refund.”

If you see that Maltipoo named Coco, you can report a found dog to SF Animal Care & Control.

Related: Dog Stolen at Ferry Building Saturday Found and Reunited With Owners; Suspect Has Been Detained [SFist]

Image: Paulconwall via Wikimedia Commons

A young pup was stolen by a not-all-too-good samaritan after he did a “welfare check” on an injured victim involved in last weekend's multi-car crash on the Bay Bridge — but CHP has now retrieved the dog, returning it to its rightful owner.

This past Sunday, a large car crash in the westbound lanes of I-80 (just west of the toll plaza metering lights) injured the driver of an Acura and left ther white, one-year-old terrier vulnerable. Seeing the wreckage, a red-colored Scion — with Oregon license plates — stopped at the scene to “check on the welfare” of those involved in the severe car accident; pictures taken from the scene show a red Honda Civic having collided with a barrier wall, while an off-gray Acura was photographed with seriously damaged front and rear bumpers.

But while checking up on those at the crash site, the male driver of the Scion apparently took the opportunity to dog-snatch the young terrier, according to KPIX.

The news outlet reports that investigating officers eventually managed to track down the thief to their San Francisco address. Upon arriving, on-site authorities discovered the missing terrier and quickly returned the dog to its rightful owner. Unsurprisingly, the Scion owner was supposedly uncooperative during the investigation of the crash.

The San Francisco Area-branch of the California Highway Patrol is still asking for the public’s assistance in investigating the crash.

Those with "any video/dash camera footage" from that "major-injury, multi-vehicle collision" are encouraged to contact CHP over the agency's social media channels or by calling them at (415) 557-1094.

Related: Multi-Vehicle Crash Involving Amazon Prime Truck Splits Vehicle In Two In Solano County

Image: Twitter via @CHPSanFrancisco

Rescue crews saved a dog from peril Tuesday, plucking him or her from the side of a San Francisco cliff.

The cliff, of course, was Fort Funston, the site of numerous such incidents in recent months. A photo posted by NBC Bay Area shows the cliff in question, a steep bluff near the area's parking lot.

According to a series of tweets from the San Francisco Fire Department, the rescue was ongoing as of 11:52 a.m. Tuesday, when a dog got "stuck on the side of a steep cliff."

By 12:29, the pup was pulled to safety. He or she was uninjured in the incident, the SFFD says.

This is but the latest in a long line of canine rescues at Fort Funston. In February of this year, another dog was pulled from the brink by the SFFD. After a February 2016 fall, another dog was saved, and in
In December of 2016, a dog and its guardian were both rescued from the cliff. Another dog/guardian team was rescued in July that same year. The moral of the story? Dogs aren't great at not falling off cliffs, and their rrescue should likely be left to the professionals.

A dog was injured and a man arrested after an altercation with a police officer in downtown San Francisco Saturday.

According to the San Francisco Police Department, an on-duty officer was directing traffic at the intersection of Post and Kearny Streets at 11:51 a.m. Saturday when the incident occurred.

Police say that the officer "saw a dog charging at him" so he "fired a shot striking the dog on the leg."

The dog's guardian, who police describe as an "adult male," "had been holding the dog's leash" during the alleged attack. According to the SFPD, he was arrested.

More details on the case were not immediately available, but police confirm that the officer was not injured in the incident, and the dog is in the care of a veterinarian for treatment of injuries they say are not life-threatening.

Related: Helicopter Crew Saves SF Couple Trapped During Abortive Dog Rescue

An anonymous voice mailer spurred the evacuation of a Mission District building Thursday, after she made multiple calls threatening to bomb the structure.

The saga actually began on Wednesday, police say, when a person bearing an "unknown female voice...left voice mails" for an undisclosed person or persons threatening to blow up a building on the 100 block of Fair Oaks Street, which is between 22nd and 23rd Streets.

That same caller was back at it as of 9:14 a.m. Thursday, leaving another voice mail threatening to destroy the structure.

This time, according to the San Francisco Police Department, officials "were immediately notified" and police "started the evacuation protocol" in the area to ensure all were safe.

And safe they were, as the voice mailer's threats were apparently empty. According to the SFPD, "a sweep by SFPD bomb dog yielded negative results for a bomb," and everyone was able to return to the area.

As of Friday morning, police say that no suspect information is available in the case, nor have any arrests have been made.

A woman and her dog are safe today, thanks to San Francisco rescue crews that spared them both from a possibly fatal fall Monday.

In a tweet posted Monday evening, the San Francisco Fire Department announced that a rescue was in progress at Fort Funston as of 6:09 p.m., as an "adult female and dog [were] down [a] cliff."

By 6:15, a "low angle rescue operation" was in progress, as the woman and canine were around 200 feet down the cliffside.

At 6:21, the SFFD says, the woman and dog were both safely returned to flat land. Neither the dog nor his companion were injured in the fall or subsequent rescue, according to the SFFD.

You know that new parents Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan also have a dog, their first born, a five-year-old Puli named Beast. Pulis are Hungarian sheepdogs whose white hair naturally forms dreadlocks — and they're not to be confused with Komondors, another breed from Hungary whose coats do the same thing.

And, naturally, Beast has his own Facebook page, but Zuck just posted this latest photo to his own page, showing the dog totally camouflaged while resting atop an off-white shag rug.

And, just as a reminder, Beast is quite active, and can jump, as we saw a few months back.

And just for good measure, here is a year ago, with an identified child, both sitting atop shaggy white poofs.

[h/t: Laughing Squid]

Previously: It Has Come To This: Wall Street Journal Suggests Zuckerberg Run For President

Video depicting a woman pulling her dog along with a rope while she drives a car has resulted in allegations of animal cruelty and an investigation by Stockton animal services. The cellphone video, shot by fellow driver Amanda Brajkovich, was picked up by Stockton's Fox 40 and includes a confrontation between Brajkovich and the unknown woman.

"Disgusting," Brajkovich can be heard exclaiming.

"If you're going to be a dog owner, a responsible dog owner, then you need to get out and walk your dog you know, don't be lazy,” Brajkovich told the channel. “First thought was 'oh my god this dog is going to get hurt' you know, maybe a car's going to go past him and hit him.”

This all went down on Sunday just outside of Stockton's Louis Park, and at first did not elicit more than a shrug from the city's police department. “At this point it appears there was no animal cruelty,” a representative with Stockton Police told Fox 40. However, "the driver would have been cited for distracted driving."

But not so fast, as according to CBS 13, Phillip Zimmerman of Stockton animal services is looking into the matter and could recommend that charges be filed under California Penal Code 597T, which has to do with ensuring animals don't get tangled in their chains or leashes.

Regardless, the dog was essentially running in the middle of the street, which is not a comforting sight for any dog lover — including Brajkovich. "Like even if it wasn't hurting the dog, you're taking the chance of somebody else hurting your dog.”

Related: Stockton Man Defecates On Another Man's Yard, Brutal Double Stabbing Follows