The SF K9 Unit was founded in November of 2004 by a pup named Spunky. After discovering puppy play, he yearned to find other people with whom he could share his new canine spirit. Unfortunately, the only spaces he could find were on a very few social websites. Spunky wanted to create something more connected—a pack of fellow puppy play enthusiasts in which to bark, nuzzle, play, and explore his canine side. Spunky connected with a small number of men living in the San Francisco Bay Area, feeling like they profoundly related to a dog’s approach to socializing, looking to create a local group. A pup named Rowdy, one of the first who responded to the howl of Spunky, joined up and created the San Francisco K9 Unit (known as the SF K9 Unit).

Since then, the SF K9 Unit has grown from just a handful of people to hundreds of participants in our pack gatherings, and growing. During the early years, we hosted a few small social gatherings, bar events, and outings. In 2008 Brue Pierce, one of the members of the SF K9 Unit, with assistance from several other members, developed and organized the first “Woof Camp” at the International Mr. Leather weekend in Chicago. Woof Camp at IML remained an annual event series until Brue retired the event in 2016; although, a puppy mosh was later resurrected by others as Off Leash at IML.

 

Today, in addition to monthly social events, we staff play booths at both the Up Your Alley and Folsom Street Fairs. Our booths have grown from one space to six contiguous spaces and have come to be one of the most popular attractions at the Fairs. We also organize social outings throughout the year; offer occasional educational classes; and hold open meetings as a space to develop additional activities. Our public moshes for pups, Handlers, and other pet players serve the city, the Bay, and beyond, providing a social space for participants regardless of gender identity, gender expression, and real/perceived sexual orientation.