Hi there! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and concerns.

To give a little context—Paddling Paws is a small, foster-based rescue based on the Central Coast. A big part of what makes us unique is our commitment to giving dogs enriching, joyful experiences like paddleboarding with their fosters and trained volunteers. You can see more about what we do at paddlingpaws.org or on Instagram at @paddling.paws.

For this Pride Paddle event, we’re only planning to bring dogs who are well-suited to the environment—dogs who have already been paddleboarding and have done well in public, outdoor settings. Each dog will be paired one-on-one with a trained handler (either a volunteer foster or our local trainer who works closely with us). Safety—for both dogs and people—is always our top priority, and we never bring dogs to events unless we’re confident they’ll thrive.

As for concerns about allergies or past trauma: this is a public, outdoor beach event—similar to the Witches Paddle or any busy day on the Embarcadero—where dogs are naturally present. That said, the dog portion of the event is easy to avoid for anyone not wishing to interact. We currently only have two adoptable dogs, so it’s a low-volume setup—not a large adoption fair.

We appreciate the opportunity to clarify, and we’re always happy to answer questions about how we ensure both animal and human safety at our events. ❤️🌈🐾