None of this would be possible without the adopters, volunteers, veterinary care clients, and donors who show up for pets and their families every single day. Below is just a small glimpse of the impact our community made this year.

Adopters opened their hearts and homes 

In fiscal year 2025, 4,294 animals found loving homes at the SF SPCA Adoption Center. Our adopters showed up in extraordinary ways, including on two record-breaking days. On California Adopt-a-Pet Day, 140 animals went home, setting an all-time single-day adoption record…until a few months later, when 161 adoptions took place during our Clear the Shelters event.

Thank you for choosing the SF SPCA and for welcoming your new companions into your families. It is our greatest joy to share the excitement of adoption day and see pets thrive in their new homes.

Volunteers lifted up our mission 

1,183 volunteers donated an incredible 86,065 hours to care for animals and support our local community. Our volunteers performed essential tasks, such as walking dogs, socializing cats, helping with medical care and adoptions, and staffing mobile vaccine clinics that provided preventative care to 5,985 pets throughout San Francisco.

Our 199 foster volunteers opened their homes to 1,124 animals. And yes, we absolutely celebrate “foster fails” like Boba Fetch, whose incredible personality convinced his foster to adopt him, giving him the loving home he deserved.

Our Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) volunteers also made an extraordinary impact this year. 171 AAT volunteers reached 59,590 people in our local community. Through programs like the Wag Brigade at SFO, Puppy Dog Tales in classrooms and libraries, and therapy visits in hospitals and senior homes, these volunteers brought the healing power of the human-animal bond to our city.

Spay/neuter clients strengthened our community

This year, our team spayed/neutered 5,212 pets at our public Spay/Neuter Clinic, 2,567 community and free-roaming cats with the support of our Community Cats volunteers, and 17,640 dogs and cats in the Central Valley.

Thank you to our clients for choosing to be responsible pet owners. Spay/neuter surgery is one of the most effective ways to reduce overcrowding in shelters. Your commitment to preventing overpopulation is helping shape a more humane future for animals across California.

Veterinary clients trusted us with their pets’ care 

Every time you walk through our doors, you place your trust in our experienced team of veterinarians, technicians, and staff. This year, our Mission Hospital provided 25,509 exams, and our Community Veterinary Clinic treated 11,328 cats and dogs.

Together with our community partners, we are expanding access to high-quality, compassionate care so every pet in San Francisco can thrive. Thank you for being part of this shared effort to build a healthier city for pets and the people who love them.

Donors funded our future 

Behind every adoption, every clinic visit, every lifesaving surgery, and every second chance is someone like you—someone who believes that pets and people deserve care, dignity, and compassion. With your support, we provided more than $5.2 million in free and reduced-cost veterinary care to the San Francisco community.

Your generosity fuels every one of our programs. From all of us at the San Francisco SPCA: thank you. Your compassion is the heart of our mission, and we’re so grateful to be on this journey with you.

Explore even more successes and metrics by reading our 2025 Impact Report. 

The post Thank You for Making 2025 a Lifesaving Year appeared first on San Francisco SPCA.

These victories were made possible through Shelter PALS, our advocacy initiative, and the collaboration of animal welfare organizations and compassionate lawmakers across California. 

Expanding access to veterinary care 

As part of our 2025 legislative agenda, the SF SPCA co-sponsored two bills with the California Veterinary Medical Association and the San Diego Humane Society: AB 516 and SB 602. Both these bills were signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in the second half of 2025:

• AB 516, authored by Assemblymember Kalra, helps improve access to care by clarifying which tasks Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs) and veterinary assistants are permitted to perform under the law. By reducing regulatory confusion and acknowledging the wide range of skills these professionals bring, this bill empowers veterinary teams to serve more animals. 
• SB 602, authored by Senator Cortese, allows RVTs to perform “wellness” appointments (such as administering vaccines and parasite prevention) under veterinary supervision, but without a veterinarian being physically present. This change will expand access to preventative care by increasing the number of shelters able to perform vaccination clinics, especially in communities where veterinary services are hard to find.

Shutting down the puppy mill pipeline 

Beyond improving veterinary access, we’re also celebrating the signing of three crucial bills aimed at ending the flow of unethically bred puppies into California.

SB 312, AB 506, and AB 519 work together to: 

• Increase transparency by requiring public access to health certificates for animals entering the state. 
• Stop deceptive sales practices that mislead consumers about the origin and health of animals for sale.  
• Ban retail sales by brokers who source from unethical breeders.

A year of legislative progress 

From our third annual Animal Advocacy Day in April (where the SF SPCA and partners met with lawmakers to champion these bills) to the moment Governor Newsom signed them into law, 2025 was a year of progress powered by collaboration and compassion.

The SF SPCA is proud to be part of creating a better future for animals and the people who love them. With these wins, California strengthens its position as a national leader in animal welfare and veterinary access.

Want to learn more about our animal advocacy efforts? Our CEO, Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, and Bruce Wagman, Keith C. Wetmore Shelter PALS Special Counsel at the SF SPCA, were recently interviewed by HumanePro about Shelter PALS and how we support shelters and rescues across California. Read the full Q&A here.

The post California Strengthens Animal Welfare Leadership with 5 New Laws appeared first on San Francisco SPCA.

In 1868, local banker James Sloan Hutchinson was walking through downtown San Francisco when he came upon a scene that stopped him in his tracks: two men on horseback were chasing a loose pig through the streets. They roped the animal’s legs and dragged it across the cobblestones as it squealed in distress.

For many, this was simply the way things were. The treatment of working animals, livestock, and street dogs was all part of daily life, and their suffering often went unnoticed. But Hutchinson couldn’t look away. He stepped in, determined to help the pig and to create a future where all animals had protection under the law.

Within weeks, Hutchinson introduced legislation making cruelty to animals a crime in California. Soon after, he gathered a small group of like-minded citizens, and on April 18, 1868, the San Francisco SPCA was officially chartered, becoming one of the first animal welfare organizations in the nation.

With persistence, the SF SPCA began to shift public attitudes—outlawing blood sports, fighting to protect working horses, and laying the groundwork for innovations like San Francisco’s first horse ambulance.

What began with one man’s refusal to ignore suffering has grown into more than 150 years of progress. Advocacy remains our compass, guiding us toward a world where every animal is treated with dignity and compassion.

The ‘grande dame’ of the SF SPCA

Among the many advocacy milestones in our history, few are more memorable than the case of one dog whose story touched people across the country. While the circumstances were very different from Hutchinson’s day, the principle remained the same: standing up for an animal whose life hung in the balance.

Many of today’s SF SPCA supporters know this dog’s name: Sido. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, she became the face of a new era of animal advocacy, one that expanded the conversation from preventing cruelty to recognizing animals as family members whose lives have intrinsic value.

When Sido’s original guardian passed away in 1979, her will requested that Sido be euthanized. Her intent wasn’t cruel; instead, it was out of concern that no one would care for her beloved dog. When the SF SPCA learned of Sido’s situation—that she was a perfectly healthy and adoptable dog—there was still no legal path to save her. By law, she had to be euthanized. That’s when the SF SPCA’s then-President Richard Avanzino stepped in to save Sido and change the decision that stood between her and a long and happy life.

Avanzino and the SF SPCA fought a legal battle that made national headlines. On June 16, 1980, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed SB 2059, known as “Sido’s Law,” into law. The next day, Superior Court Judge Jay Pfotenhauer ruled that the provision ordering Sido’s euthanasia was “invalid.”

Sido was saved. And in the end, Avanzino adopted Sido.

The spring 1982 issue of Our Animals magazine describes Sido as the “grande dame” of the SF SPCA. During her days at the SF SPCA office, she enjoyed greeting visitors, attending meetings, and getting attention from staff and volunteers. In other words, a life that would never have existed if Avanzino and the SF SPCA hadn’t advocated for her.

Sido didn’t receive much media attention after her day in court, but she didn’t seem to mind. Fame may be fleeting, but her legacy lives on.

Soon after Sido’s legal victory, the SF SPCA created the Sido Pet Protection Program. This program continues Sido’s legacy by protecting pets if their guardian passes away. Enrolled cats and dogs receive lifelong veterinary support, behavioral care, and help finding a new family.

In reflecting on Sido’s story, Avanzino says that “[Sido] was a great companion and a wonderful emissary of our cause…and even today we are hearing about cases that are relying on her [case] to basically say that animals are special. They’re family members. They’re in our hearts. We have a right and a responsibility to care for them and care for them well.”

We have a lot to thank Sido for, and her legacy continues to inspire and protect pets everywhere. Sido’s case proved that advocacy could save lives and change systems. The SF SPCA has carried that lesson forward, working to ensure that more animals can access medical care, resources, and pathways to the loving homes they deserve.

Stockton: a turning point in advocacy

In the early 2010s, the SF SPCA was receiving animals from the Stockton Shelter, one of our Central Valley transfer partners, that were gravely ill with preventable diseases like parvo and distemper. Each outbreak forced our shelter into quarantine, halting adoptions and slowing lifesaving work. It became clear that if we wanted to protect animals in San Francisco, we had to help address the root causes upstream, where less than a third of animals in the Stockton Shelter were making it out alive.

We began sending veterinary teams to Stockton, where space was so limited that they worked out of a supply closet in the shelter, performing spay/neuters, treating illnesses, and providing urgent care. The results were promising, but it was only the beginning. We placed a dedicated veterinarian and registered veterinary technicians on-site, expanding treatment to include trauma cases, such as animals injured by cars or involved in dog fights. We also placed a rescue coordinator at the shelter to streamline transfers to San Francisco. With better medical care and a clearer pathway to adoption, lives were being saved.

Still, we hit a wall. Local ordinances prevented shelters from lowering or waiving adoption and redemption fees. Families who were ready to adopt or wanted to bring home their lost animal often couldn’t afford it.

That’s when the missing link became clear: advocacy.

Working alongside Stockton city officials, community members, and shelter staff, we pushed for changes to local ordinances that would give shelters the flexibility to adjust or waive fees. The results were immediate: adoption numbers increased and live outcomes rose almost overnight, soaring from 28% to 84%.

“The SF SPCA’s partnership gave us hope when things felt impossible,” says longtime supporter Alexis Spanos Ruhl. “They didn’t just send resources. They worked with our community to remove barriers and create real, lasting change. The difference has been transformative for Stockton’s animals and the people who love them.”

The Stockton Project taught us an important lesson: operational improvements are essential, but lasting change depends on removing barriers at the policy level. It was an innovative effort that saved lives and created a model that could be replicated in other communities facing similar challenges.

From Stockton to statewide: the birth of Shelter PALS

The lessons learned in Stockton reshaped our organization’s approach to advocacy. If outdated laws could halt lifesaving efforts, then meaningful change required going beyond shelter walls.

This blueprint—combining hands-on support with advocacy—evolved into what is now our advocacy program, Shelter Policy and Legal Services (Shelter PALS). Founded in 2020, this program brings legal and legislative expertise directly to the frontlines of animal welfare.

Today, Shelter PALS is led by Bruce Wagman of Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP—and yes, with a name like Wagman, it almost feels like fate. In addition to his private practice, he serves as Keith C. Wetmore Shelter PALS Special Counsel at the SF SPCA. Widely recognized as one of the leading animal lawyers in the country, Wagman has dedicated his career to the development of animal law, with an exclusive animal law practice for over 20 years. His practice includes working on behalf of companion animals, farm animals, wildlife, and animals used in research and entertainment. Along the way, he’s also adopted more than 30 shelter animals, turning his personal life into a reflection of his professional mission.

“We realized that helping animals one shelter at a time wasn’t enough. We had to tackle the legal barriers systematically,” says Wagman. “Shelter PALS allows us to support individual shelters while also writing new laws that impact animals across California. And once we got going, we expanded our policy work to improve the legal landscape for all sorts of companion animals, including cats, dogs, horses, guinea pigs, and roosters. It is revolutionary work that truly changes the future for all California’s companion animals.”

Today, Shelter PALS serves shelters and rescues across California, from Redding to San Diego, and from Tulare to Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, dismantling legal roadblocks to animal welfare, including cases involving hoarding, abuse, and neglect. Most shelters lack access to legal guidance, yet are forced to navigate complex questions about sheltering, liability, custody, and public health. Shelter PALS steps into that space to analyze legal challenges, create practical solutions, and turn them into tools shelters can actually use.

“Shelter leaders often face stress and confusion over state laws, struggling with interpretations and challenges that hinder their work,” says Jill Tucker, CEO of CalAnimals. “Shelter PALS has done a phenomenal job educating and supporting our members, and over time, policies have shifted to better support their lifesaving efforts. I’m profoundly grateful to the San Francisco SPCA for sponsoring this work and elevating our profession statewide.”

The result: stronger protections for shelter animals and all pets in California, clearer pathways for veterinary professionals, and better outcomes for the animals in their care.

Improving the system of care in San Francisco and California

While Shelter PALS tackles policy barriers statewide, many of our victories have a direct impact here in San Francisco because they help remove obstacles that stand between pets and the care they need.

At the height of the COVID-19 lockdown, one of the most urgent challenges was simply keeping doors open. Shelter PALS successfully pushed for veterinary professionals and shelter staff to be recognized as essential workers exempt from the lockdown, ensuring animal services could continue operating. This clarity allowed guardians to access lifesaving care for their pets during a time of crisis.

More recently, Shelter PALS, alongside the California Veterinary Medical Association and the San Diego Humane Society, co-sponsored AB 516 and SB 602, legislation that expands the role of Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs). These new laws will help address California’s veterinary care shortage by expanding the scope of work that RVTs and veterinary assistants can perform and authorizing RVTs to lead vaccine clinics without a veterinarian being present on-site. We advocated for these bills and more during our annual Animal Advocacy Day in April 2025, and Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 516 and SB 602 into law in the second half of this year.

The impact is immediate and far-reaching. By empowering RVTs and veterinary assistants, California can run more mobile and community-based clinics, particularly in under-resourced neighborhoods where affordable veterinary services are often out of reach. For San Francisco, this means more pets will receive timely vaccines and basic care. For the state as a whole, it’s a legal victory that strengthens the entire veterinary workforce and ensures healthier lives for local animals.

When free-roaming cats enter the courtroom

Another issue that has recently come to the public’s attention is how to best care for “community cats”—unowned cats that live primarily outdoors. These cats may be feral or friendly, but their level of socialization has long been a point of debate. Some groups argue that if a cat is friendly, it should be brought into a shelter and adopted, while ignoring the fact that there are too many cats and not enough adopters, resulting in a negative outcome for the cats. However, twenty years of research by experts in the veterinary community studying these issues have consistently found that a cat’s socialization status has no bearing on whether it will thrive outdoors.

Research on the best approach to managing the 30 to 90 million outdoor cats in America has consistently found that the most effective and humane way to manage community cat populations is to spay or neuter those cats, then return them to their outdoor homes (Hurley & Levy, 2022). Other solutions, such as mass euthanasia or attempting to place these cats when there are not enough homes to take them, are problematic in multiple ways and are not effective in reducing populations over time.

In a related lawsuit, the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) was sued by opponents of its veterinarian-supported, modern community cat program. The opponents claimed that SDHS was required to take in all friendly outdoor cats, and the judge affirmatively denied that claim.

Throughout the four years the lawsuit was pending, Shelter PALS collaborated with an excellent legal team at O’Melveny to provide SDHS with pro bono legal services. Ultimately, the San Diego Superior Court ruled that the 2025 version of SDHS’s community cat program was legal. Thanks to the ruling, SDHS continues its lifesaving work in this area.

“We are so grateful to Shelter PALS and the San Francisco SPCA for their extraordinary support during our recent court battle,” says Gary Weitzman, President of the SDHS. “Their expertise and commitment made even the toughest challenges possible and created a lasting impact on our staff, our work, and the animals we serve.”

Honoring the past, driving the future

In 157 years, the SF SPCA has come a long way for animals. Every milestone in our advocacy work—from outlawing cruelty to expanding access to care—has been fueled by people who believe animals deserve better.

Through Shelter PALS, we provide shelters with free legal support thanks to the generosity of our donors and the dedication of our pro bono partners. With this community of animal advocates behind us, we’ll continue to break down barriers and create a more humane California, one victory at a time.

We are especially grateful for Barbara Wolfe’s commitment to animal welfare through the Barbara Wolfe Advocacy Fund, which makes our advocacy work possible

This story originally appeared in the fall 2025 issue of Our Animals magazine. Download a copy to read more.

The post Clearing the Path: Transforming Animal Welfare in California appeared first on San Francisco SPCA.

How long have you been involved with the SF SPCA? 

I’ve been serving as special counsel for the SF SPCA for about six years, but my relationship with shelters goes way back. Over the last four decades, I’ve adopted more than 30 animals from shelters, and every single one of them has a special place in my heart. 

Can you tell us about your experience in animal law? 

I’ve been practicing animal law since 1992—before it was even really considered a field of law. I’ve had the privilege of representing just about every species you can imagine, from cats and dogs to chimpanzees, whales, and even alpacas. What keeps me going is the same thing that got me started: using the law in creative ways to build a world where animals are safe, valued, and free from suffering. 

Do you have any pets?  

I currently have two dogs and six cats. They prove that cats and dogs are not, in fact, mortal enemies. 

What one word embodies the SF SPCA for you?  

Groundbreaking. 

How do you see advocacy playing a role in the SF SPCA’s mission? 

Advocacy is one of the cornerstones of the work that the SF SPCA does—and it’s what makes this organization so groundbreaking. It’s not just about caring for the animals who walk through our doors today; it’s about changing the system so all companion animals have a chance at a healthy, loved life. We’re tackling the big stuff: expanding access to veterinary care, making spay/neuter more available, and backing it all up with the legal muscle to protect these changes long-term. That’s what makes us a force for lasting change. 

What’s a typical day like for you at the SF SPCA?  

There’s really no such thing as a ‘typical’ day—thank goodness! One morning, I might be deep in the weeds with a shelter about intake rules and holding periods, and by the afternoon, I’m leading a webinar that helps veterinary professionals navigate the legal maze. The next day, I may be convincing lawmakers that animals deserve a louder voice in our laws. 

Is there an advocacy effort that you’re especially proud to see the SF SPCA involved in?   

I am extremely proud to be serving what is the best and most impactful animal protection organization in the sheltering space. The Shelter Policy and Legal Services (Shelter PALS) Program is a unique effort that serves California shelters with legal assistance that changes the lives of shelter animals every day, and is an important player in forming state laws that help animals. 

What else do you want people to know about the SF SPCA?   

The SF SPCA has remarkable reach and uses its resources to help some of the most underserved communities and animals in California. From funding critical programs to providing hands-on support, the SF SPCA is committed to making a real difference statewide. That commitment starts at the top. Our CEO, Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, is not only our leader but also a veterinarian who still occasionally steps in and helps vaccinate animals. It’s inspiring to see that dedication in action, and it reflects our deep commitment to walking the walk when it comes to animal welfare.

This story originally appeared in the fall 2025 issue of Our Animals magazine. Download a copy to read more.

The post Making a Difference: Championing Change for Animals appeared first on San Francisco SPCA.

Advancing animal welfare in California 

Launched in 2020, Shelter PALS provides free legal services to shelters and rescues across California. Animal law attorney Bruce Wagman, who leads Shelter PALS, and San Francisco SPCA CEO Dr. Jennifer Scarlett saw firsthand how a lack of clarity about animal law hinders shelters’ ability to provide care.

Without legal guidance, shelters can face complex challenges that delay lifesaving work—from unclear holding periods and cruelty case procedures to outdated ordinances governing adoption fees and shelter operations. Questions about proper documentation, the legality of medications, and who can provide veterinary care often create confusion or unnecessary risk. These issues are compounded by the nationwide veterinary shortage, which impacts organizations’ abilities to meet current best practices in animal sheltering.

As a solution to these legal challenges, Bruce and Dr. Scarlett helped bring Shelter PALS to life. Today, this advocacy initiative supports the day-to-day work of shelters and rescues while also tackling animal rights issues statewide.

Recently, HumanePro sat down with Bruce and Dr. Scarlett to talk about the evolution of Shelter PALS, its statewide impact, and how understanding the law can improve the well-being of all animals.

Read the full interview on HumanePro’s website. 

The post Shelter PALS Featured in HumanePro appeared first on San Francisco SPCA.

Representatives from the San Diego Humane Society, Valley Humane Society, CalAnimals, ASPCA, Best Friends Animal Society, Humane World for Animals, and the Michelson Center for Public Policy joined the SF SPCA and dozens of supporters in meetings with legislators and their staff. Together, we explained how current legislation can address urgent issues affecting animals and their people—from veterinary workforce shortages to transparency in shelter data to the pipeline of puppies coming into California from puppy mills.

The bills we’re sponsoring  

This year, the SF SPCA is proud to sponsor two critical bills designed to expand access to veterinary care: AB 516 and SB 602. 

These bills help alleviate California’s veterinary care shortage by increasing veterinary teams’ capacity to serve more pets across the state. AB 516 clarifies that Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs) and veterinary assistants can perform any task not explicitly prohibited by law, reducing regulatory confusion that has slowed shelter and clinic operations. SB 602 allows RVTs to perform vaccine and parasite control “wellness” appointments without requiring a veterinarian to be on-site. This bill will help increase the availability of free and low-cost preventative care, particularly in communities with limited access to veterinary services.

The bills we’re supporting  

In addition to sponsoring legislation, we joined partners in supporting several other important bills as part of our 2025 legislative agenda:  

AB 631 increases transparency and accountability by requiring animal shelters to post specific operational data on their websites, making it easier for the public and stakeholders to understand the needs and outcomes of their local shelters.  

AB 928 helps law enforcement, including animal control agencies, combat the illegal trafficking of fighting birds to protect them from the extreme animal cruelty associated with cockfighting.  

SB 312, AB 506, and AB 519 work together to curb unethical breeding and sales practices. These bills will require public access to import documents, prohibit deceptive sales practices, and ban retail sales by brokers working with inhumane breeders.  

Celebrating five years of Shelter PALS  

This year also marks the fifth anniversary of Shelter PALS (Shelter Policy and Legal Services), the SF SPCA’s signature initiative to advance animal welfare law statewide. Shelter PALS has helped shape California policy by drafting legislation, offering legal consultations to shelters and rescues, and defending the interests of animals through strategic litigation. It remains the only pro bono legal program in the country dedicated exclusively to the legal needs of animal shelters and adoption organizations.  

“Animal Advocacy Day is always an inspiration,” said Bruce Wagman, Keith C. Wetmore Shelter PALS Special Counsel. “This year, we saw advocates and lawmakers come together with a shared purpose—to strengthen protections for animals and remove barriers to care. It’s an honor to stand alongside such passionate people working to make California more humane.”  

Join us next year  

We’re grateful to every advocate, lawmaker, and partner who made this year’s event a success. If you care about improving the lives of animals and the people who love them, we hope you’ll join us next year for Animal Advocacy Day 2026!  

Learn more about our legislative priorities and how you can get involved by visiting our Advocacy page. 

Photo credit: San Diego Humane Society

The post Animal Advocacy Day 2025 Recap appeared first on San Francisco SPCA.

By engaging with lawmakers, animal welfare leaders, and advocates from across the state, we’re working to pass laws that create lasting, systemic change for animals and the people who care for them. 

Here’s a look at the legislation we’re championing in 2025: 

• AB 516 and SB 602: The SF SPCA, the California Veterinary Medical Association, and the San Diego Humane Society are sponsoring these two critical bills to help address California’s veterinary care shortage. AB 516 and SB 602 will expand access to care—particularly for animals in shelters and under-resourced communities—by increasing the availability of veterinarians and ensuring veterinary teams can work more efficiently. These bills clarify the tasks that Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs) and veterinary assistants are allowed to perform, increasing capacity to serve more pets across the state. 

• AB 631: This bill, supported by the SF SPCA, requires animal shelters to publicly share key data about animal intake, outcomes, and operations. By promoting transparency and accountability, AB 631 will help communities understand how their local shelters are performing and will encourage people wanting new pets to visit shelters to adopt their new animal family members. 

• AB 928: This bill, supported by the SF SPCA, helps law enforcement, including animal control agencies, combat the illegal trafficking of fighting birds to protect them from the extreme animal cruelty associated with cockfighting. 

• SB 312, AB 506, and AB 519: This group of bills, supported by the SF SPCA, works together to shut down the puppy mill pipeline into California. These bills increase oversight of dog imports, void deceptive sales agreements, and ban retail pet sales from brokers linked to puppy mills. They protect animals and consumers while curbing unethical breeding and sales practices. 

These bills reflect our core commitment to animal welfare, public health, and community care. Together, they help address the statewide veterinary shortage, ensure greater transparency in shelters, encourage adoptions, have key anti-cruelty components, and protect people and pets from the harm caused by unethical breeding operations. 

We’re grateful to the lawmakers and partners leading this critical work—and to our community of advocates standing with us to make California a better place for pets and their people. Learn more about how you can help by visiting our advocacy page. 

The post The SF SPCA’s 2025 Legislative Agenda appeared first on San Francisco SPCA.

AB 516: Maximizing the role of veterinary technicians and assistants 

Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs) and veterinary assistants are essential members of the veterinary care team, supporting veterinarians in shelters, clinics, and hospitals across California. However, a misunderstanding of the legal landscape has led to confusion and unnecessary restrictions on their scope of practice, preventing them from fully utilizing their skills. 

AB 516, authored by Assemblymember Kalra and sponsored by the SF SPCA, the California Veterinary Medical Association, and the San Diego Humane Society, clarifies that RVTs and veterinary assistants can perform any task that is not explicitly prohibited by law. This bill: 

• Ensures RVTs can perform dental care procedures, including extractions, under a veterinarian’s supervision. 
• Reduces inefficiencies caused by legal misinterpretation, allowing veterinary teams to operate at full capacity. 
• Helps alleviate the strain on California’s veterinary workforce, addressing the widespread shortage of veterinarians in shelters and private clinics. 

A 2023 UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program survey found that 25% of California’s animal shelters lack adequate veterinary staffing, and 64% struggle to meet basic medical needs. By passing AB 516, the legislature can help ensure that qualified veterinary professionals will have increased capacity to provide the care they are trained for, improving outcomes for pets and their families. 

SB 602: Expanding vital community services in shelters 

Many shelters in California provide essential low-cost veterinary services, especially in under-resourced communities. However, these shelters often struggle to meet community needs due to a shortage of veterinarians. Under current law, RVTs are permitted to work at remote clinics without a veterinarian present, but this flexibility does not extend to all shelter environments—limiting their ability to offer routine care like vaccinations and parasite control treatments.  

SB 602, authored by Senator Cortese and sponsored by the SF SPCA, the California Veterinary Medical Association, and the San Diego Humane Society, aims to close this gap by: 

• Allowing RVTs to perform vaccine and parasite control “wellness” appointments in shelters and community clinics under veterinary supervision, but without requiring a veterinarian to be physically present. 
• Ensuring RVTs have access to emergency drugs and protocols, maintaining high safety standards. 
• Increasing vaccination rates and reducing disease transmission to improve public health. 

By empowering RVTs to provide these critical services, SB 602 will help ensure that more pets receive the care they need, particularly in communities with limited access to veterinary services. 

The SF SPCA urges lawmakers to pass AB 516 and SB 602 to help shelters, clinics, and hospitals provide better care for California’s pets. These changes will not only support veterinary professionals but also ensure that more animals receive the medical attention they need to live long, healthy lives. 

Join us in advocating for these important reforms! Stay informed and learn how to support AB 516 and SB 602 by visiting our advocacy page. 

The post The San Francisco SPCA Sponsors AB 516 and SB 602 appeared first on San Francisco SPCA.

The post Keeping the Vets We Have appeared first on San Francisco SPCA.

San Francisco, CA– With California pet owners experiencing a crisis-level shortage of veterinary professionals, the San Francisco SPCA (SF SPCA) is proud to sponsor two valuable laws that will enhance opportunities for the state’s animals to receive important health care.

Both bills will mean more veterinary services will be available for more Californians. Current laws with respect to the tasks that registered veterinary technicians (RVTs) can perform are unclear. In response, Assembly Bill 516 (AB 516), authored by State Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San José), will clarify that RVTs and veterinary assistants are allowed to do any task that they are not otherwise prohibited from performing by law. This will remove artificial limits on their practices, opening up more time for animals to obtain beneficial protection.

Additionally, Senate Bill 602, authored by State Senator Dave Cortese (D- Silicon Valley), will allow RVTs in designated animal shelters to conduct appointments providing basic but lifesaving vaccination clinics and parasite control without their supervising veterinarian on the premises.

“We applaud the leadership of Assemblymember Kalra and Senator Cortese for authoring these critical bills,” said SF SPCA Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, DVM. “A dramatic shortfall of veterinarians in California has resulted in many pets not receiving the care and resources they need. By allowing veterinarians and their teams to maximize resources, we can open up new pathways to treat vulnerable animals most in need of care.”

With RVTs performing auxiliary tasks and conducting vaccine and parasite control appointments, veterinarians will be able to focus on other, more serious issues facing pets, thereby opening up more time for appointments and attention to our pets.

More than 344,000 California shelter animals do not have adequate access to veterinary care staff, according to a survey released in 2023 by the SF SPCA that highlights how veterinary professional shortages are profoundly impacting California’s most vulnerable animals. Those numbers have only grown since the 2023 survey was conducted.

AB 516 makes a declarative and affirmative statement that clarifies what kind of care that RVTs and veterinary assistants can provide to animals in shelters. These valuable veterinary professionals possess advanced training that often goes unutilized or underutilized, and AB 516 will change that dramatically. For instance, RVTs can perform dental services, extract teeth, induce anesthesia, place casts and splints, administer controlled substances, and much more. The bill confirms the authority of RVTs to undertake tasks for which they are trained, always under the order of a supervising veterinarian.

“RVTs and veterinary assistants are versatile professionals, trained to support their supervising veterinarians by performing a wide range of critical animal care tasks,” said Assemblymember Kalra. “Unfortunately, current regulations result in inefficient veterinary practices that are less able to meet the needs of our communities, especially amidst California’s ongoing veterinary care shortage. I am happy to collaborate with SF SPCA, CVMA, and San Diego Humane Society on AB 516, a bill that will address this issue by clarifying that RVTs and veterinary assistants are able to perform any tasks that are not forbidden by law.”

SB 602 is a complementary piece of legislation to 2023’s Senate Bill 669 (SB 669), which allows RVTs to administer vaccines on-location while their supervising veterinarian is available by phone. Vaccinations and parasite control represent vital preventive care that members of the public might not receive without this important law.

“This bill will help stop the spread of rabies and get more pets vaccinated statewide. It’s a win-win for public health and keeping our animals healthy,” said California State Senator Dave Cortese (D-Silicon Valley)

The SF SPCA is a co-sponsor of both bills, along with the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and San Diego Humane Society.

“AB 516 and SB 602 represent a transformative leap forward in ensuring that every animal in California receives the veterinary care it deserves,” said Dr. Gary Weitzman, president and CEO, San Diego Humane Society. “By empowering registered veterinary technicians to provide essential medical services, these bills will not only reduce animal suffering but also strengthen public health and expand lifesaving care for those most in need. Supporting these measures is a commitment to both the well-being of our animals and the dedicated professionals who care for them.”

“AB 516 will provide veterinarians with a much-needed legal clarification that will increase confidence within the veterinary profession that the tasks of RVTs and veterinary assistants can be expanded to provide more care to animals in need. SB 602 will help shelters meet an existing state mandate to provide low-cost rabies vaccines to the public’s animals — which promotes public health and increases access to veterinary care,” says Dr. Grant Miller of the California Veterinary Medical Association.

If passed by the State Legislature and approved by Governor Gavin Newsom, the bills will go into effect on January 1, 2026.

Through several different initiatives, the SF SPCA has acted as a leader in the effort to address California’s access to veterinary care crisis. The organization embarked on the statewide survey to assess the scale of the issue, helped launch the first ever California Adopt-a-Pet Day, cosponsors an annual Advocacy Day bringing animal issues directly to our state legislators, and continues to advocate for much-needed animal welfare reforms at the State Legislature. Additionally, SF SPCA veterinarians frequently perform and oversee spay-neuter and vaccine services along with adoptions efforts in the Central Valley, where access issues are particularly acute.

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