{"id":82507,"date":"2025-03-31T09:00:12","date_gmt":"2025-03-31T16:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sfspca.org\/?p=82507"},"modified":"2025-04-01T11:19:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T18:19:10","slug":"bringing-veterinary-care-to-where-its-needed-most","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sfspca.org\/blog\/bringing-veterinary-care-to-where-its-needed-most\/","title":{"rendered":"Making a Difference: Bringing Veterinary Care to Where It\u2019s Needed Most"},"content":{"rendered":"

Q&A with Melissa G\u00f3mez, Community Workforce Manager, San Francisco Community Ambassador<\/em><\/p>\n

How long have you worked at the SF SPCA?<\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve been here since April 2024.<\/p>\n

Do you have pets?<\/h3>\n

I adopted Daisy, my soul dog, from the SF SPCA. She\u2019s a German Shepherd Pitbull mix. I also have two cats: Yoshi, whom I found at a construction site, and Misty, whom I adopted from the SF SPCA.<\/p>\n

What one word embodies the SF SPCA for you?<\/h3>\n

Connection.<\/p>\n

What led you to a career in animal welfare at the SF SPCA?<\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve had many, many pets growing up, and I wanted to work with animals, but it didn\u2019t happen at first. I have a background in tech and also nonprofits, which is what really matters to me. I worked in housing rights, helping single-room-occupancy tenants. I\u2019m also a San Francisco native. I grew up in the neighborhoods we\u2019re serving, so when I saw the notification about this job, I thought, \u201cWow! They\u2019re looking for someone who knows the city, speaks Spanish, and is passionate about helping animals.\u201d It really resonated with me.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s a typical day like for you at the SF SPCA?<\/h3>\n

I oversee the Community Ambassador Program<\/a>. I train every Community Ambassador, and I\u2019m also a Community Ambassador in San Francisco myself. So, I have two different \u201ctypical\u201d days. One is my outreach day, which is out in the community, walking all day, offering vaccinations and treatments, and talking with people. I also help people learn about the resources available to them. Some people just need to learn about what\u2019s out there, and that\u2019s enough.<\/p>\n

My other \u201ctypical\u201d day is administrative. From my first day, I started building the Community Ambassador playbook. It talks about how to engage with each community, how to vaccinate animals, what vaccinations do, and more. I also collect and enter our community data for Central Valley and San Francisco, for example, how many vaccines we\u2019re doing there versus in San Francisco every month. I connect with partner organizations and bring new people on board.<\/p>\n

How does our focus on access to care impact your work?<\/h3>\n

This program helps people as much as it helps animals. We\u2019re adding another level of access to care for people who might not be able to make it to our clinics. Maybe they physically can\u2019t get there. Maybe they can\u2019t afford to take the bus. This program gives everyone equal opportunity to care for their pets by getting these services right in their home. Providing services in people\u2019s languages, like Spanish, helps provide another level of access to care.<\/p>\n

What else do you want people to know about the SF SPCA?<\/h3>\n

I think people should know we\u2019re committed to making veterinary care more accessible, and the Community Ambassador Program is a big part of that.<\/p>\n

This story originally appeared in the spring 2025 issue of Our Animals <\/em>magazine. Download a copy to read more<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Q&A with Melissa G\u00f3mez, Community Workforce Manager, San Francisco Community Ambassador How long have you worked at the SF SPCA? I\u2019ve been here since April 2024. Do you have pets? 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