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DogPAC of SF is a registered political action committee that focuses on the health and welfare of animals but primarily issues relating to dogs in the City & County of San Francisco and beyond.

Dog advocates are as diverse as the breeds and mutts they care for. But when it comes to caring for animals there is a passionate bond that unites people in a common movement to improve the quality of life with pets. The committee has been recognized as a vanguard in bringing about policies that benefit the larger pet population and the people who care for them.

DogPAC of SF advocates for the most pressing animal welfare issues that include greater access to housing for people with pets, shared use of parks and open space, and adequate City and County services to protect and treat animal populations. We have strong partnerships with animal shelters and rescues and with many organizations and community leaders who share a vision for animal welfare and responsible pet guardianship.

Considered one of the most pet-friendly cities, San Francisco has more than 150,000 dogs that are household members or waiting for an adoptive family.

If you have any questions or need additional information about the committee, please contact us.

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(Note: This is not the history of the current iteration of DogPAC of SF. This was SF DogPAC that existed from 2000-2004. There was as much contention as there is now but the players have changed and so have the politics. Also, the DogPAC in this article ended up supporting Matt Gonzalez for Mayor in 2003 and not Gavin Newsom who didn't show any concern.)

What’s Hounding San Francisco

Never mind police scandals, run-down schools, and a huge budget deficit. The issue that has the whole city yapping is whether or not Rex can run off-leash.

Leslie Crawford, SanFranMag.com

Trim, bespectacled, and white-bearded, 62-year-old David Looman is smiling. But then, Looman—an erudite man whose easygoing manner belies an intractable nature—is always smiling. His bemused grin suggests that no matter how mad he is, and Looman is mad, he's confident he'll win.

It's a hazy Saturday afternoon, and he's out for a walk with his dogs, Rimbaud and Tuche. He keeps a firm grip on their leashes. "They tend to get into trouble," he explains. "Rimbaud was a wild dog." Again, the grin.

Looman is leading me up a pathway that winds through the grassy slopes of Bernal Heights' Holly Park. Finally, we arrive at the spot where his crusade began. "See," he says sardonically. "They locked up my park."

Actually, we're looking at an empty athletic field that's surrounded by a chain-link fence. Looman says he's been coming here to toss balls to his dogs for 25 years; for that matter, San Franciscans have been letting their dogs run free in city parks for generations. He was incensed when the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department began treating dog owners citywide like criminals. Three years ago, it closed his field to everything but organized ball games. At which point, Looman became downright rabid.

So he fought back. A career political consultant and self-described old leftie, Looman has become leader of the pack—which is not just a metaphor. He is chairman of the political action committee DogPAC, which raises money for dog-friendly candidates and lobbies for San Francisco's numerous canine organizations, determined to overturn the city's leash laws and make it legal for dogs to run free in most parks. These firebrand groups include Dolores Park Dogs, Fort Funston Dog Walkers Association, and the San Francisco Dog Owners Group (SFDOG), whose tagline reads, "Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Leash."

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