Go on a doggy playdate with Dogo, a Bay Area program

Two-year-old Buster has found his forever family, but San Francisco’s Dogo has plenty of other, equally adorable dogs who deserve a day of fun. Photograph by David Fenton

Back in February, when we first heard about Dogo, a program in the Bay Area that lets you take shelter dogs to the beach or on a hike or to the park, we knew we had to check it out.

Art director James McCann won the coin toss, so he ended up being the one to spend a recent afternoon in Golden Gate Park with two-year-old Buster, above. You go through a two-hour orientation at San Francisco’s Family Dog Rescue, then sign up online for playdates. It’s good for dog lovers who can’t (yet) adopt one—like Dogo cofounder Danielle Bowers—and, of course, for the pups. What are the most popular outings? “Dolores Park, of course, and Ocean Beach,” says Bowers. “Some people will even take a dog to their office!” So why not make a friend for a day? You might just end up with a friend for life.