Though he’s not likely to win again this year, Jeff Levitt, co-owner of Shades restaurant in Ocean Beach and the 2014 winner of the Pet-Friendly Business Award, encourages people to participate in the annual San Diego Humane Society competition.
The Society’s annual Animal Compassion Awards recognize and pay tribute to extraordinary animals and animal lovers throughout San Diego County. Nominations are collected in three categories: animal impact, humane hero, and pet-friendly destination.
Award submissions are being accepted through Feb. 13 for individuals and businesses who’ve demonstrated “an exceptional level of compassion” toward animals. Winners will be featured in the July 2015 issue of San Diego Pets magazine.
Levitt was granted the award in the destination category, not only because his oceanfront bistro is pet friendly but also because of the quarterly adoption events he hosts there. The events have led to homes for more than 175 pets in the past two years.??
“Anything we can do to help promote pet adoptions within the community, we’re more than happy to do; it’s something we love to do anyway, so it’s just been a win-win,” said Levitt.
Levitt’s two dogs are like part of his staff.
“My dogs are canine ambassadors for the San Diego Humane Society,” he said. “They participate in public functions for the society, like the San Diego County Fair last year, and we take them to places like elementary schools to do community outreach. When the dogs aren’t busy with the society, they sometimes are here at the restaurant greeting guests as they come upstairs.”
Winning the society’s animal compassion awards has given Levitt’s restaurant business notoriety.
“Last year, the Food Network came down to do a piece on us being pet-friendly,” he said, adding the award “is a big part of our visibility and presence in San Diego because of all the things we do in the dog community.”
Levitt noted he’s proud to have contributed to San Diego’s being “one of the pet-friendliest cities in the country.”
The restaurateur said he hoped whoever succeeds him as an award winner will carry on with the society’s humanitarian mission.
“The society’s goal in 2015 is for no dogs or cats (other than sick or injured) to be euthanized within San Diego,” he said, adding, “It’s a very lofty goal, but I think they’re going to hit it by the end of 2015.”
Shades hosts quarterly pet adoption events on the restaurant’s outdoor patio.
“We’ll have 50 or 60 dogs on the patio,” he said, adding canines are people pleasers.
“Our dogs greet guests coming into our restaurant at the top of the stairs,” he said, “and it’s amazing how their expressions go from scowls to smiling faces and how it has a calming effect.”
Shades is a dog-friendly business in dog-friendly Ocean Beach, where even the homeless have pets. Levitt said Shades, as a perk, feeds customers’ dogs from the standard menu.
“You can order food for your dog sitting on the patio,” he said, “and have chicken or beef served to them in stainless-steel bowls as a treat.”
The San Diego Humane Society and SPCA have served San Diego County since 1880, offering a wide range of programs and services that strengthen the human-animal bond, prevent cruelty/neglect, provide medical care and educate the community on the humane treatment of animals.?The society is supported solely through contributions, grants, investments, proceeds from the Muttique retail store and small fees for services.