Chicago Dog Run For Their Lives to help PAWS

Join us on Sunday, September. 28, 2008 at 9 a.m. at Montrose Beach (a designated DFA) for the 8th Annual Run For Their Lives 8K Run/4K Walk.

Raise money to support PAWS Chicago by running or walking for homeless animals. Pets are allowed in the 4K walk or test your skills in the 8K run.

Great pooches, great people, great cause, great setting.

It's pretty much all around great.

Know your DFA's: Dog Friendly Areas

I remember walking my dogs on Foster beach a few years back and being told by a fellow dog-lover that the cops were giving out tickets if your dogs weren't on a leash. I couldn't believe it had sunk that low.

They were actually following me as I walked out of the park! Now that same area is NOT a designated area where dogs are allowed and I could be ticketed for another reason even if I am in what they refer to as a DFA. What is a DFA?

A DFA is how the city refers to their officiallly permitted" dog friendly areas (DFA's). Why would you care about a DFA? Because you can be fined if you don't follow their rules which are summarized here:

The Chicago Park District will require that people escorting dogs into DFAs shall have obtained from licensed veterinarians permits and registration tags for all dogs issued pursuant to the requirements in Regulation VIII. People bringing dogs into a DFA must have both a permit with them and a registration tag for each dog. The registration tag, Cook County Rabies Tag must be on the dog’s collar or harness.

Bottom line: enjoy the dog friendly areas in the city BUT make sure your dog is properly licensed and that you have the registration on you at all times.

You never know when the 'DFA police' will find you!

Dog Parks, Dog Beaches, Dog friendly Condos: Your Chicago Pet friendly Site

We are about to launch this site called dogpads.net created out of lots of slobber and perspiration for the dog lovers out there who absolutely would never consider living in a home without their pets -- cats or dogs or both!

This site was created by a pet friendly person (me) for pet friendly people (you?)...

We are slowly adding features to it such as pet friendly beaches and parks and events happening in and around the Chicagoland area.

The primary focus of the site is to distribute active condominiums or homes in the Chicagoland area that allow pets (yes many discriminating property owners and associations do not allow dogs--can you believe it?)

I was at an open house a while back talking to the listing agent about the condo.

Gorgeous views of the lake and downtown Chicago. Tastefully renovated. It was a match for our needs.

Then we asked about the pet policy and you could see the agents eyes twitch as she realized she had hit an obstacle not even the best of salespeople could break through. She said "Just get rid of your dogs" --my wife and I looked at each other as if she had just suggested we give up our children (tempting) and go out on our own.

We informed her that was not even a remote possibility and we moved on...saddened for us personally, but if it doesn't allow the dogs then its not a match for us.

Thus was born dogpads.net a network of information for pet friendly people. Condos for sale allowing pets. No problem. Request your list. Looking for news and events related to the Chicago pet community, dogpads.net is building that list and between the site and its sister blog, we are trying to provide the kind of services we know we'd want if we were hunting for a home (we gave up our search and are staying where we are at --our dog walker wouldn't allow us to leave).