At Shipyard K9 on 24th Street, Daniel Howard knows how to treat a San Francisco pet:With organic milk bones, Hoggin’ Dogs ice cream and 49ers jerseys that range from kitten- to German-shepherd-sized.
“There’s a guy across the street who comes in every day before going to the gym,” said Howard, sitting behind the register at Shipyard K9, one of the Mission’s only pet supply stores, nestled on 24th between Shotwell Street and South Van Ness Avenue.
“He always says the same thing: ‘I gotta get the beef stick, ‘cause, you know, I’m going to the gym.’ And while he’s on the treadmill, his dog, a chihuahua mix, sits there and chews on it.”
“People who come in always say, ‘I’m glad I found y’all. Y’all are family.’”
And it’s true: Howard and his wife, Leah Howard, run Shipyard K9 with their family. Both grew up in nearby Bernal Heights and now live in Hunters Point with their four children, ages 3, 5, 12 and 14, who can often be seen ringing customers up while the family’s fluffy white Siberian husky, Winter, dozes by the back wall.
At the 24th Street store, which opened in August 2021, the Howards have built up a loyal circle of regulars. Some pets are eager to try the new samples from the treat bar, but others have meltdowns when a preferred bone is out of stock. Some owners come in multiple times a day, with dogs straining against their leashes.
Dog clothes are the most in-demand items. No matter the season, said Howard, the 49ers and Giants jerseys fly off the racks.
The Howards first opened Shipyard K9 in 2021 right next door to the store’s namesake, the Hunters Point Shipyard. During Covid, Howard said, they looked around and saw tons of dogs, but nowhere close for owners to get food and supplies.
Every day, they would drive past an empty storefront on Innes Avenue, eventually deciding to lease the space and provide much-needed pet love to the Hunters Point community.
“Everyone out there has their fur babies. In the Black and Latino communities, we love our animals, we love our dogs,” said Howard, smiling and adjusting his Warriors hat. His mom is Mexican-Nicaraguan, and his dad is Black.
“There’s a notion that we don’t spoil our dogs but, nah — it’s a whole different realm.”
Howard noted that owning a pet store is also an educational endeavor. “People come in and say, like, ‘Eyo, you got Pedigree?’ And I say ‘Bruh, don’t give your dog that — give them this,” guiding them to healthier dog food options.
A couple months after opening, the shop on Innes was shot up, and Howard was grazed by a bullet. The family decided to close and relocate to 24th Street that August. They’re happy to be back in their home turf, though a lot has changed.
Growing up, said Howard, the neighborhood was different. “In Bernal and the Mission it was just families, and all the families knew and know each other still to this day.”
In the ‘90s, you had to watch your back, he said: “There’s always that city element.” Howard recalled unruly rides on the 9-San Bruno and 48-Quintara lines heading to middle school at James Lick in Noe Valley.
A couple weeks ago, Howard’s dad, Papa Nat, an integral part of day-to-day operations at the shop, passed away suddenly.
“He was our utility operations manager,” said Howard. “Anyone that knows my dad knows he is an all around good dude, always smiling, with only positive things to say, that will give you his last,” he wrote in a tribute.
Howard’s parents also grew up in the neighborhood, and had him young. “We grew up together,” he laughed. And, they always had at least one pet in the house.
There was the shepherd, Blackie, on Putnam Street, who constantly looked uncomfortable — “he had hella fleas.” There was Pumpkin, an orange cat who ended up getting run over. Then there was the brindle pit, who he named Tequila.
“That’s where I developed my love for dogs — and tequila,” said Howard, heading to the front of the store to show a customer some dog-treat varieties.
“We’re still small, but we’re building,” he said. “People walk in so excited that we’re here; their eyes light up. We make sure to always have the little things they want. It’s like a tailor-made experience. It’s all love.”
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