This week we learned that our dear friend Dan Daniels passed away unexpectedly. We are heartbroken. Many of you may know Dan as the owner, and the heart and soul of Planet Pooch. You may also know that he was passionate about a social justice and spent much of his free time campaigning. Behind the scenes he was a saint. He went out of his way to create jobs for folks who might not otherwise have the opportunity. He donated generously to others, including veterans. Tough Mutter was a passion project of his. And he was so giving to everyone else, often to his own detriment. But he didn’t care. He just wanted everyone else to be taken care of.

We were blessed to become friends with Dan over the past 20+ years. Family even. I still remember when we first met Dan. Our Indy was reactive from a traumatic puppyhood as a bait dog. Dan gave him a chance when nobody else would. He even met us on countless weekend mornings at Fort Funston with his own pack of huskies to help socialize Indy. I swear Indy grew up thinking he was part of Dan’s husky pack. What a lucky dog.

When we were ready to grow our fur family, Dan brought Miko into our lives. She was quite the Houdini and had escaped from multiple previous owners. But Dan just knew that she would be good for Indy, and complete our little family she did. Indy adored his husky sister til the end. When Miko became sick, Dan offered to pay for her surgery. And when Indy was facing amputation, he offered again. Out of his own pocket.

Dan was with us the day we had to say goodbye to Miko, and then again when we had to say goodbye to Indy. And when our girls, devastated by the loss of their good boy, needed a lift, Dan invited them to heal their hearts by playing with his dogs. He didn’t have to do that. But he did. Because that’s just the kind of human he was.

And when we adopted our Lani girl he welcomed her to Pooch with open arms and even started hosting weekly puppy parties where she could meet and socialize with other pandemic pups. Just because.

Over the years we would run into him out and about - whether at the screening of the Japanese internment musical “Allegiance”, or at rallies in 2016 - he always radiated warmth and compassion. We were honored when he invited us to meet Tammy Duckworth and Ed Lee with him. We were even more honored to be welcomed into his home to celebrate his birthday, including our girls. And he was so thoughtful, always giving us books and random gifts like coffee and a card that said “Be a Rainbow in Someone Else’s Cloud.” That was Dan. Always thinking of others.

To his staff - he loved you all so much. He was always thinking about how he could help keep you safe and cared for. To his family - I can’t tell you how excited he was when he found you. He lit up every time he talked about you, beaming with pride about your music, gifting me a book you’d written, looking forward to the next time he’d see you. And to all of you who donated to help save Planet Pooch back in 2018, know that you made a real difference for Dan, his staff, and the people and dogs they cared for. Thank you so much.

Even though he could have sold Planet Pooch and retired years ago, he held on because he wanted to make sure his employees were taken care of and his client’s dogs had a place to call their second home. I hope Dan knew what an impact he made in the lives of so many of us. And even though Planet Pooch is closing its doors next week after 26 years, I know Dan’s legacy will live on. Rest in love, dear Dan. I hope you’re frolicking with all of your rainbow pups, listening to your favorite music. We know you’re watching over us from above - the rainbow in our clouds.

Our dog Cinnamon started to have partial vision loss and fear based reactivity when he was about a year old. After trying dog walkers and other daycare facilities, we finally found Planet Pooch. From the first time I spoke with Dan on the phone, I realized that this was going to be a different, better, special place for us. Dan worked with us and Cinnamon to help him integrate into the pack, something we never imagined possible. He taught him to climb up on his favorite stack of pallets so he would feel safe while other dogs were entering, really taking the time to accommodate him. Our first daughter was born during Covid and we needed a spot for Cinnamon to stay for two weeks while we were adjusting to life with a baby. Dan personally made sure that Cinnamon was taken care of (despite there being so few and sometimes no other dogs there) and sent us updates, including him doing agility with Cinna. He could jump onto SUCH high pallet stacks by the end of his stay. Dan just was a person that really cared for the underdog and would take the time to make space for them. His sudden passing is a big loss for our family and for Cinnamon. We are so grateful to Dan and the whole Planet Pooch family for helping Cinnamon have a home away from home.

If you would like to share your memories and thoughts about Dan, email them to Planet Pooch and will try to post them here, or you can use the GoFundMe space for your thoughts.