diff --git a/server/utils/startupLog.js b/server/utils/startupLog.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c55a89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/utils/startupLog.js
@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+const os = require('os');
+const path = require('path');
+const fs = require('fs');
+
+/**
+ * Startup Log Utility
+ * Displays comprehensive system information and branding on server start
+ */
+
+function getSystemInfo() {
+  return {
+    hostname: os.hostname(),
+    platform: os.platform(),
+    arch: os.arch(),
+    nodeVersion: process.version,
+    cpuCores: os.cpus().length,
+    totalMemory: (os.totalmem() / 1024 / 1024 / 1024).toFixed(2) + ' GB',
+    freeMemory: (os.freemem() / 1024 / 1024 / 1024).toFixed(2) + ' GB',
+    uptime: process.uptime().toFixed(2) + 's'
+  };
+}
+
+function getProcessInfo() {
+  const memUsage = process.memoryUsage();
+  return {
+    pid: process.pid,
+    heapUsed: (memUsage.heapUsed / 1024 / 1024).toFixed(2) + ' MB',
+    heapTotal: (memUsage.heapTotal / 1024 / 1024).toFixed(2) + ' MB',
+    external: (memUsage.external / 1024 / 1024).toFixed(2) + ' MB'
+  };
+}
+
+function checkDirectories(dirs) {
+  const status = {};
+  dirs.forEach(({ name, path: dirPath }) => {
+    status[name] = {
+      exists: fs.existsSync(dirPath),
+      path: dirPath,
+      writable: false
+    };
+    
+    // Check write permissions if directory exists
+    if (status[name].exists) {
+      try {
+        fs.accessSync(dirPath, fs.constants.W_OK);
+        status[name].writable = true;
+      } catch (err) {
+        status[name].writable = false;
+      }
+    }
+  });
+  return status;
+}
+
+function getAppVersion() {
+  try {
+    const packagePath = path.join(__dirname, '../../package.json');
+    if (fs.existsSync(packagePath)) {
+      const pkg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(packagePath, 'utf8'));
+      return pkg.version || 'unknown';
+    }
+  } catch (err) {
+    // Silently fail
+  }
+  return 'unknown';
+}
+
+function logStartupBanner(config = {}) {
+  const {
+    appName = 'BREEDR',
+    port = 3000,
+    environment = 'development',
+    dataDir = './data',
+    uploadPath = './uploads',
+    staticPath = './static',
+    dbStatus = 'unknown'
+  } = config;
+
+  const version = getAppVersion();
+  const sysInfo = getSystemInfo();
+  const procInfo = getProcessInfo();
+  const timestamp = new Date().toISOString();
+
+  const directories = [
+    { name: 'Data', path: dataDir },
+    { name: 'Uploads', path: uploadPath },
+    { name: 'Static', path: staticPath }
+  ];
+  const dirStatus = checkDirectories(directories);
+
+  // ASCII Banner
+  console.log('\n');
+  console.log('╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗');
+  console.log('║                                                          ║');
+  console.log('║   ██████╗ ██████╗ ███████╗███████╗██████╗ ██████╗       ║');
+  console.log('║   ██╔══██╗██╔══██╗██╔════╝██╔════╝██╔══██╗██╔══██╗      ║');
+  console.log('║   ██████╔╝██████╔╝█████╗  █████╗  ██║  ██║██████╔╝      ║');
+  console.log('║   ██╔══██╗██╔══██╗██╔══╝  ██╔══╝  ██║  ██║██╔══██╗      ║');
+  console.log('║   ██████╔╝██║  ██║███████╗███████╗██████╔╝██║  ██║      ║');
+  console.log('║   ╚═════╝ ╚═╝  ╚═╝╚══════╝╚══════╝╚═════╝ ╚═╝  ╚═╝      ║');
+  console.log('║                                                          ║');
+  console.log('║        Dog Breeding Genealogy Management System          ║');
+  console.log('║                                                          ║');
+  console.log('╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝');
+  console.log('');
+
+  // Application Info
+  console.log('┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐');
+  console.log('│ 📦 APPLICATION INFO                                     │');
+  console.log('├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤');
+  console.log(`│ Version      : ${version.padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log(`│ Environment  : ${environment.padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log(`│ Started      : ${timestamp.padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log(`│ Node.js      : ${sysInfo.nodeVersion.padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log('└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘');
+  console.log('');
+
+  // Server Configuration
+  console.log('┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐');
+  console.log('│ 🌐 SERVER CONFIGURATION                                 │');
+  console.log('├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤');
+  console.log(`│ Port         : ${String(port).padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log(`│ Access URL   : http://localhost:${port}${' '.repeat(27)} │`);
+  console.log(`│ Database     : ${dbStatus.padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log('└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘');
+  console.log('');
+
+  // Directory Status
+  console.log('┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐');
+  console.log('│ 📁 DIRECTORY STATUS                                     │');
+  console.log('├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤');
+  Object.entries(dirStatus).forEach(([name, status]) => {
+    const statusIcon = status.exists ? (status.writable ? '✓' : '⚠') : '✗';
+    const statusText = status.exists ? (status.writable ? 'OK' : 'READ-ONLY') : 'MISSING';
+    console.log(`│ ${statusIcon} ${name.padEnd(10)} : ${statusText.padEnd(10)} ${status.path.substring(0, 25).padEnd(25)} │`);
+  });
+  console.log('└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘');
+  console.log('');
+
+  // System Resources
+  console.log('┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐');
+  console.log('│ 💻 SYSTEM RESOURCES                                     │');
+  console.log('├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤');
+  console.log(`│ Hostname     : ${sysInfo.hostname.padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log(`│ Platform     : ${sysInfo.platform.padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log(`│ Architecture : ${sysInfo.arch.padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log(`│ CPU Cores    : ${String(sysInfo.cpuCores).padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log(`│ Total Memory : ${sysInfo.totalMemory.padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log(`│ Free Memory  : ${sysInfo.freeMemory.padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log('└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘');
+  console.log('');
+
+  // Process Info
+  console.log('┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐');
+  console.log('│ ⚙️  PROCESS INFO                                         │');
+  console.log('├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤');
+  console.log(`│ PID          : ${String(procInfo.pid).padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log(`│ Heap Used    : ${procInfo.heapUsed.padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log(`│ Heap Total   : ${procInfo.heapTotal.padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log(`│ External     : ${procInfo.external.padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log(`│ Uptime       : ${sysInfo.uptime.padEnd(40)} │`);
+  console.log('└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘');
+  console.log('');
+
+  // Ready message
+  console.log('🚀 Server is ready and listening for connections');
+  console.log('━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━');
+  console.log('');
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  logStartupBanner,
+  getSystemInfo,
+  getProcessInfo,
+  checkDirectories,
+  getAppVersion
+};
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