Fetch (the paper) printed an article in March, 2009 about the experiences of local shelter managers. While we certainly appreciate that shelter managers work hard in a difficult, though often rewarding job, we took exception to a quote by SF SPCA shelter manager, Holly Fink. Read the article, then read our response, which was published in the Letters to the Editor in the next issue of Fetch.

Our Response:

In your March 2009 article “On the Front Lines,” the San Francisco SPCA’s Shelter Service Director, Holly Fink, is quoted as saying “We’re considered ‘no-kill’ but we do euthanize for major behavioral issues that will be dangerous, or if the animal is suffering medically. We do about 100 euthanasias a year. It’s not too bad, considering we take in about 4,500 to 5,000 animals a year.”

Is about 100 euthanasias a year “not too bad?” 

The SF/SPCA, as a “closed” shelter does not need to accept all animal that show up. Instead, they choose to “cherry pick” the healthiest and most adoptable animals from SF Animal Care and Control as well as from out of county shelters. Given that they take in only healthy, adoptable animals, we believe their kill rate is actually “not too good.”

Our group, FixSanFrancisco.org, asks your readers to make up their own minds.

 Do you consider the SF/SPCA to be no kill? Please consider that:

1) It killed an elderly dog with no teeth because it was deemed to be nippy and potentially vicious? (We find it difficult to believe that a dog with no teeth could be a threat.) 

2) It adopted an active border collie to a person living in an overcrowded one-room apartment, which resulted in investigating animal control officers determining that the dog was in an abusive situation.  Then, when the dog was returned to the SF/SPCA, it was killed for behavioral issues rather than being released to a rescue group?

3) It chooses to take animals from outside the county while rejecting San Francisco animals, leaving them to an uncertain fate in SF Animal Care and Control or to be cared for by overburdened rescue groups. 

No one wants animals to suffer needlessly, but with the brand new SPCA hospital and existing animal behavior programs, shouldn’t these animals have been given a chance?

Fetch readers, what do you think?