How to remove oil from a dog's foot

Honestly, we're not sure. How do you remove oil from a dog's foot? We had to try to figure this out earlier today, when Daisy seemed to be walking oddly, as if she didn't want to put her foot down. There weren't any stickers in there, but sure enough, there did appear to be a blob of that bunker oil stuck between her pads.

We have learned over the past week that oil on the fur is not something to be taken lightly. Down at the beach, the volunteers from the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary have been out every morning looking for signs of oil from the Cosco Busan spill and for sick birds. They warned us to keep an eye on Daisy's paws. If she were lick any oil off, she could be poisoned.

For a seagull, they said, a small blob on the feathers is enough to kill. That's because the birds try to pick it off and then ingest it. Hundreds have died already from oil sticking to their feathers, matting their fluffy protective coat, and destroying their ability to stay warm and stay afloat. Earlier this week, the volunteers told us glumly, they had found more than 50 oiled sea gulls just down the road at Venice Beach near Half Moon Bay. They had counted nine globs of congealed oil on Montara beach just that morning, including one stick just covered with the stuff. Not the kind of thing you'd want your pup to pick up and run with.

The oil is new here, but not the other detritus of humanity. Each morning we pick up at least half a plastic bag full of garbage. This week there has been an unusual number of discarded tampons. Who knows why? Maybe a garbage pail from a women's restroom somewhere got kicked into the sea.

The tide is powerful and high right now, and the crashing waves lift our spirits. But
even here, disregard for ourselves and our planet washes up every day.