THE RAINBOW BAY BRIDGE

Matthew (Matty) Nilsson departed this mortal realm at 10am on Wednesday, December 10th, 2025. He was thirteen or fourteen years old, and despite his questionable appearance, his Embark DNA test claims he was 100% pug. Matty passed away comfortably listening to his favorite music and surrounded by his adoring fans. His last words were, “LET ME AT THAT ASSHOLE!!!” as he glimpsed a Golden Retriever emerging from an exam room while we waited at the vet.

Matty was fearless in all aspects of his life: Fearlessly voiced his needs, fearlessly asserted his boundaries, and fearlessly lunged at dogs five times his size. He was also fearlessly soft and tender; snuggling as close to me as possible so he could rest his chin on my body, sigh deeply, and fall contentedly to sleep.

Rest in peace Matthew (Matty) Nilsson — the greatest dog in the world.

Pelmo fue el fiel compañero durante muchos años de Felipe, Catalina y Josefina. Sé que fue muy querido y los quiso mucho de vuelta. Pelmo fue también muy generoso haciendo compañía a un familiar durante un duelo. Mi hermano aprendió con él que hay otros cariños además de los humanos, y eso me ayudó a mí a abrir mi corazón de igual modo.

Lo echaremos mucho de menos, y lo recordaremos a través de sus primos peludos repartidos por el mundo.

Nina, a petite enchantress with the wild coloring of a Norwegian Forest Cat, passed gently after 18 remarkable years of adventure and wonder. Her long, cloudlike fur, pink nose, pink toes, and thunderous purr made her unforgettable to all who knew her. Born in Santa Barbara, California, she road-tripped to Columbus, Ohio, where she marveled at snow for the first time. Back in California, she became an avid bird watcher in Monterey before settling in Oakland and spending her final years in Portland, Oregon. Nina is survived by Dave, her fiercest protector and most valiant defender.

The world is mourning the loss of Tobi Fink — also known as the Boopie, Boops, Toebeans, Toblerone, Tobinsana, Tobleroni, Tobias, and many other equally important names. She was built for the sheets, not the streets, and spent her days happily napping in a sunbeam and keeping a wary eye on the neighborhood birds. She enjoyed prancing into the cosmos and conversing with spirits in her spare time. Her favorite treats were wheatgrass, dried minnows, and anything Greenies catnip-flavored. She is survived by her best friend and longtime companion, Sami.

Teacup was born in the East Bay in 2010, and was gifted to her owner during college. T (aka Teacuppity, peach, stinky french fry) had a lively upbringing going to the beach, college parties, and homes across the Bay. She was beloved for her tortitude and spice for life. Known for finding the sunniest nap spot, she brought joy and comfort to her family who loved cuddling with her, feeding her pie crust, and watching her unsuccessfully chase even the slowest-moving bugs. Teacup is survived by her parents and sister Naomi.

The Dooley family mourns the passing of Gazzy, a rosy boa (snake) who joined our family in 2018 and was cared for with love by Quinn Dooley. Gazzy liked mice, lazing in his heat lamp, and being an older snake brother to the other snakes, geckos, bearded dragon, scorpion, and chameleon that passed through our household during the pandemic lockdown era. Gazzy had recently relocated to Santa Monica with Quinn and Teddy, an orange cat who was intensely curious about Gazzy and misses his companionship.

Dakota was a strikingly beautiful girl with ears so big she could hear your thoughts. Her greatest accomplishments include being a star frisbee snatcher, a sly pizza thief, and a powerful alarm with a boooooming bark. She took great joy in annoying you until you gave her more treats and leaving big poops in her neighbor dog’s yard. She lived a grand life of camping, swimming, chasing rats, and taking lil naps in the sun.

But more than anything, she loved her family loyally. She is joining her best friend, Kitty, over the rainbow and is survived by her mommy, daddy, grama, grampa, and her kittens. Her presence is impactful and we will feel her with us forever.

Gabby, of unknown birthplace and age, was found in the Mendocino area in 2012 and spent an illustrious life napping on various couches in Woodland, Pasadena, Bakersfield, and the East Bay. She enjoyed long hikes, relieving herself in inappropriate places, and bullying the neighborhood crows. Things she ate without permission included a takeout tray of Mexican food, an entire Acme baguette, pastries directly from our hands, a living kale plant, assorted lizards, and anything in the park bushes. She is forever missed, but at least she left behind enough fur for us to keep finding for years to come.

Ollie was a goofy cattle dog mix adopted in 2016. His greatest joys were peanut butter, stealing shoes (and burying them), and going for walks on the Alameda Creek trail. He disliked any and all appliance sounds, as well as cats and skunks (he was skunked twice). Ollie unwittingly became a pandemic era work mascot, a title he transferred to other jobs and maintained until his passing.

He crossed the rainbow bridge after a short battle with heart disease, and we miss him dearly.

Divya regrets the passing of her beloved pitbull Stella. Stella came to live with Divya after being found as a stray by Oakland Animal Services as a classic pandemic pet. She quickly made herself at home, barking at every dog that dared to sniff her front yard, rubbing herself all over the back yard and eating dozens of pears from the pear tree. She loved every human and hated every animal without bias. She demanded food (whatever you were eating would be fine thanks) & loved clean sheets she could lie on. She is deeply missed.

Wolfie was a very well-adjusted kitten who grew into a large, soft, loud cat. He was obsessed with food, and in his short life stole potato chips, bagels, fancy seaweed, and bread off the counter to eat in secret under the table.

He was adored by his people, who he slept with every night, and by his brother, an orange tabby who worshipped him. He died in their arms after a short illness, surrounded by love.

Not much is known about Anonymous Skunk, but we do know that she worked diligently to support the ecosystem of our garden, eating bugs and other small nefarious critters. The details of her death are unknown, but we rest assured that she died in a beautiful space near people who cared about her. She was buried behind the compost pile and she lives on in the rejuvenation of our garden beds in the spring.