Joe Garcia has lived in Hermosa for 20 years. His first “wall dog” was Jake, who jumped atop his brick fence in 1991. Six years before Jake died, Garcia brought home Buck, who became a wall dog in 1999. These days, Tanner roams the top of the fence at 801 Hermosa Avenue, greeting pedestrians.
The neighborhood has been known for social dogs. Garcia’s neighbor, Bob Helton, owned Stoley, a Chow-mix, who died recently but liked to saunter down to Barnacles Bar & Grill and mingle on both sides of the bar. “Non-local customers would be scared at first because the owner wasn’t around,” said bartender Gina Rugil. “But we’d say, ‘It’s Stoley!’ He was great.”
Stoley was a present from Helton’s girlfriend after Helton was always playing with Buck, Garcia’s second wall dog. Tanner doesn’t wander but attracts plenty of attention from drivers on Hermosa Ave. as well as pedestrians, many of whom can’t resist giving him a pat on the head as they walk by.
