Animal Roundup

Jake! Jake! Jake! This adorable golden retriever came in the top 20% of the 400 swimmers that participated in Saturday's Alcatraz Invitational swim meet. (Jake placed 72nd, with a time of 41 minutes and 45 seconds.) Jake's owner, Jeff Pokonowsky, is the CEO of the company Wiggle Wireless, and pledged $1 to the Guide Dogs for the Blind for every person who signed up for wireless updates on Jake's progress in the bay. (Awww, check out the video footage of Jake balancing a cheeseburger on his nose!!) Jake swam the doggy paddle, and politely declined the medal he was offered for completing the race.

Also, Matier and Ross report that Laguna Honda has finally gotten approval to use goats to clear out the dried underbrush on their hillside that posed a fire risk to the hospital (and obscured several homeless encampments) -- but, because of the International Migratory Bird Treaty, they only got approval to do so after the completion of the mating season for three endangered birds: the California towhee, the white crowned warbler and the bushtit. We are totally naming our next indie rock band "Bushtit."