Within Ten Years, San Francisco SPCA Pledges to Expand its Reach to Five Million Cats and Dogs

SAN FRANCISCO, July 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the San Francisco SPCA announced structural and strategic changes as part of Vision 2030 – an innovative plan to positively impact at least five million animals over the next ten years. Vision 2030 is a groundbreaking strategic plan that represents an important new chapter in the organization's 151-year history.

"Thanks to the work of 35,000 shelters and rescues across the country who have focused not only on adoptions but preventative measures to reduce homeless animal populations for the past decades, the needs of the animal welfare community have shifted," said Jennifer Scarlett, DVM and President of the SF SPCA. "In the 1990's, we were focused on keeping animals in shelters alive until they were adopted. The next frontier was to transfer animals out of areas overwhelmed with animals to areas with high adoption rates. Now, we want to help keep as many animals as possible in their communities which love them, but may not have the resources to support them."

"Our national figures indicate that homeless cats and dogs account for only 4% of all cats and dogs in the country," stated Dr. Kate Hurley, Program Director of the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program. "At the same time, the vast majority of animal welfare organizations and resources focus exclusively on that small percentage. The San Francisco SPCA's plan breaks down barriers in order to reach the rest of the pet population in need." 

Building on the successes from previous and existing coalition partnerships, the SF SPCA's new vision pivots to focus on investing in making all shelters in California safe places for animals to land, aligning local laws with the best outcomes for animals, and strengthening communities' access to quality care for their pets.

"This is where we can make the biggest impact - where dollar for dollar more lives are saved," said Dr. Scarlett. "We saw this overall impact with our work in Stockton and now with our Central Valley Coalition. The coalition has not only brought thousands of animals to destination shelters but has also kept thousands of animals in their communities. In addition, it has provided pet guardians with much needed medical and behavioral resources." 

"The coalition has had a truly incredible impact. I cannot thank SF SPCA enough for this partnership. It means everything!" says Cassandra Heffington of Kings County Animal Services. 

Here in San Francisco, Vision 2030 also serves as a blueprint for all local pet guardians to have access to quality care for their dogs and cats. San Francisco's animals, the adoption center, and the relationship with the city shelter at S.F. Animal Care and Control, will remain core functions of the SF SPCA.

The organization announced that in order to align resources with the new strategy there will be a reduction in some of the existing programs and ancillary services. These changes are necessary to increase the organization's ability to invest in transforming five million animal lives, and that of their guardians, over the next ten years.

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SOURCE San Francisco SPCA