From Alta Plaza to the stars

How my Pacific Heights pup sparked Pretzel Palz

FIRST PERSON | KINSEY HART

Every day for the past year, my dog and I have made our way to Alta Plaza Park. What started as routine walks became the inspiration for something bigger: a whimsical stationery brand that captures the magic of exploration through Pretzel’s eyes — a character inspired by my real-life pup.

From the moment I brought her home, my dog has approached the world with an infectious curiosity and joy that made everyday walks feel like grand adventures. But it was at Alta Plaza where her personality truly shone. She would bound up to every person and pup with her tail held high, ready to make a new friend.

There were the countless moments of pure joy: watching her greet every person with her white paws up in a perfect double wave, or seeing her roll in the perfectly manicured grass. There’s a small Aussie doodle she chases around the park’s terraced levels, another playful pup that became her best friend and inspired a character in my stories. Pretzel had this remarkable ability to find wonder all around and make everyone feel important.

As someone who grew up painting — acrylics were always my medium — and spent years refurbishing furniture, I’ve always been drawn to creative endeavors. But watching my dog navigate her world with such unbridled enthusiasm made me want to capture her spirit. Her attitude was so bright and shiny. She deserved to live in rainbow colors.

I started sketching and bringing these colorful visions to life. The way she greeted every new experience with curiosity and joy at Alta Plaza became the lens through which Pretzel would explore. San Francisco was the natural starting point, since it’s Pretzel’s home. Paris, London, Tokyo and countless other cities await her curious spirit.

But it was really the diverse community at Alta Plaza that solidified the concept. Watching my dog interact with people and pups across all boundaries of size, age and personality made me realize there was something universal about her approach to the world. She was curious without being intrusive, friendly without being overwhelming, adventurous while still being gentle.

The character of Pretzel emerged as a way to share this perspective with others. The pink and white coloring came from wanting her to feel as magical as she is in real life. The stories about San Francisco locations capture how she would approach each new adventure with the same curiosity and joy I witness every day at the park.

My dog grew up in Alta Plaza. We celebrated her first birthday there with all her four-legged friends. It’s where Pretzel Palz was born, with the park as practically our back yard, where she learned to be the social butterfly she is today, and where I discovered that sometimes the most extraordinary inspiration comes from paying attention to the ordinary moments of joy.

When kids open a Pretzel Palz notebook, they’re getting not just stationery, but an invitation to see the world through Pretzel’s eyes, to approach each day with curiosity and kindness, and to remember that amazing surprises are just around the corner.

Pretzel Palz products are available online and at the Just For Fun toy shop, at 2185 Fillmore Street, where there will be a coloring event on Saturday, July 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.