The SF K9 Unit Presents: WOOF! at The Eagle in San Francisco CA

The SF K9 Unit Presents: WOOF! at The Eagle in San Francisco CA

First Saturday - 3:00PM to 6:00PM PST

WOOF!
Come meet up with the SF K9 Unit pups, pets, handlers, and others at the SF Eagle bar! The venue is mostly wheelchair accessible, however, there are a few steps to the mosh area. If you need assistance, just let us know!

About SF K9 Unit:

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 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, and 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.

About The Eagle SF:

The SF Eagle is a brand that has grown to embody the heritage of the venue it supports. Established in 1981 as one of the first “Leather” bars, the SF Eagle caters to the local LGBTQ+ community. The SF Eagle gained a reputation for its ultra-masculine patronage, initially a stark contrast to popular conceptions of gay men in the early 1980’s.

Through remarkable periods of exuberance, revolutions in cultural expression, and the profound hardship of the AIDS epidemic, the SF Eagle remains an enduring symbol of pride to the LGBTQ+ community in San Francisco’s West SoMa district.

Over the past 40 years, the SF Eagle has emerged as a rallying point, and community hub, attracting a vibrant and evolving patronage that makes the venue an integral part of San Francisco’s diverse character on the frontier of human social expression.

There are a number of clubs, in cities across America that take on the Eagle name. Borrowing from the strength and inherent affection for a classically American symbol, the Eagle brand is a spiritual franchise, prominent in the cultural awareness of the community it serves, with each bar in their respective cities remaining independently operated establishments.

The SF Eagle has played a major part in Pride celebrations, the Leather Pride Parade, and the emergence of the Folsom Street Fair and the Dore Alley Fair, including the largest community gatherings in San Francisco, drawing millions of tourists to the city annually. Many local fraternal organizations rely on the venue as a meeting place, both formally and informally, to raise contributions at charitable events, recruit membership, and communicate their mission, values, and function.

The club also sponsors local amateur sports teams and holds an annual contest to elect “Mr. SF Eagle Leather” as a participant in the International Mr. Leather (“IML”) competition.

These efforts along with many other spontaneous and seasonal expressions of joy, underscore the substantial influence the SF Eagle has had in shaping local traditions, the tourist trade, and the regional economy.

The SF Eagle is a counterpoint to mainstream culture while sharing many of the same ideals supporting strength in the community. We value diversity and hold a commitment to enabling the expression of joy, improving the quality of life for those identifying as LGBTQ+ and the people who care about them, wherever they may be.

The SF Eagle’s mission is to preserve the legacy, history, and traditions of the LGBTQ+ and Leather communities it was created to serve and to provide and protect a safe and supportive environment allowing its patronage the freedom to be exactly who they are. The bar has transitioned through changes of ownership in its forty-year history while retaining its central role as a focal point for the local community.

In 2012, the bar was acquired by Mike Leon and Lex Montiel, both major proponents of the Leather community in San Francisco. Rekindling the spirit of the SF Eagle was no easy task, and Mike and Lex worked tirelessly to make necessary improvements to the venue.

In 2019, Mike Leon was taken from us, and not long after, the bar once again faced the challenge of survival during the year-long lockdown of the CV-19 pandemic.

Though the going has been tough, Lex Montiel carries on the traditions and values that contribute to the venue’s loyal patronage. Honoring Mike’s legacy has been a major source of strength and resolve for the entire SF Eagle Family.

In 2019, the City of San Francisco authorized the establishment of a new city park, the Eagle Plaza, adjacent to the legendary bar, in honor of the SF Eagle’s proud history.

Website:

sf-eagle.com