It turns out that local restaurateur Jamis MacNiven, the owner of Buck’s, has a soft spot in his heart for animals. Not only is there a hitching post by his restaurant, but he also recently donated a rather surprising item to the Peninsula Humane Society’s new headquarters.
As was reported recently, Jamis (together with his friend Ken White, the president of PHS & SPCA) delivered a Doggie Diner head to grace the new facility. The head was put in place just the day before the shelter opened its doors to the public and stands as playful encouragement to all the animals lovers who work and visit there.
The Doggie Diner was a small chain of fast-food restaurants that had giant, somewhat deranged-looking mascots of a dog’s head in a chef hat posted outside each location. When the beloved chain closed in the ‘80s, the heads (reported to weigh 300 pounds each!) scattered to private collectors, save for one designated a city landmark in San Francisco.
Just where Mr. MacNiven acquired a Doggie Diner head is a mystery to us, but it is no surprise to anyone who has visited Buck’s that he can get his hands on some pretty interesting memorabilia!
The new shelter, officially named the Tom and Annette Lantos Center for Compassion, is located at 1450 Rollins Road in Burlingame. The space is already very successful, placing roughly double the number of animals per day that the old space at Coyote Point used to, according to their website. The PHS runs a program that accepts 100% of animals and promises to place all the healthy, adoptable pets it receives with new guardians. The Society runs lots of other good programs out of the new space as well.
If you want to take a look at the Doggie Diner head or if you’d love to add a furry addition to your family, the Center is open 11 am to 7 pm Monday through Friday and 11 am to 6 pm on weekends.
And next time your at Bucks check out their menu to see the Doggie Diner Dog, and remember Jamis’ wonderful gift to the Humane Society!
