Hi, My Name Is Spot, And I'm An Alcoholic
Long ago we resigned ourselves to being a crazy pet person. we're not sure when it happened -- was it when we noticed our Flickr page was sadly bereft of photos of actual humans, or when we started getting a dog-sitter for when the cleaning lady comes because the vacuum scares her (SFist Franny, not the cleaning lady)? Whatever the case, we admit that we're more than slightly OTT when it comes to our pets, but even we have to draw the line somewhere.
And we think we discovered exactly where that line is drawn, when we got an email from Friend of SFist Cartman, who pointed us in the direction of West Napa's Dog Star Brewing, which specializes in beer for dogs.
Non-alcoholic and non-carbonated, our Happy Tail Ale is the ultimate liquid refreshment for your best friend. Our brew is made with choice malted barley and filtered water, featuring all-natural beef flavorings. Plus, it's fortified with Glucosamine and Vitamin E!Sure, there are lots of ways you show your dog you love him: Taking him for a walk, giving him a belly rub, tossing him a few treats...but how about a beer? Of course, you can't give him the same beer you grab from the fridge when YOU want a treat! Alcohol, hops and carbonation are bad for dogs. But what about giving him a drink that not only tastes good, but is healthy as well?
Image from the Happy Tail Ale site
Do our dogs really want or need beer so badly that we should manufacture a fake version of it for them? SFist Franny also wants to eat cat s**t, our glasses, and the blanket on our bed -- trust us when we say that as much as we adore her, her palate is not the most discerning. Is she really going to enjoy or "appreciate" beer?
OK, we know we're being cranky about this, and maybe that's because we're ready for a beer of our own this afternoon. We know that this product, like so many out there for pets, are more for the amusement of pet guardians than for the animals themselves. And we suppose that anything that keeps dumb-asses from giving their dogs real beer is a good thing. Maybe we shouldn't be so hasty to judge. Maybe dogs think this canine O'Douls is fab, and we're depriving Franny of a wonderful treat. Maybe we're not ready to draw that line, quite yet. Maybe.
Has anyone out there tried (or had a pet who has tried) Happy Tail Ale (which can be bought here)? If you have, give us the scoop in the comments!