Statistics

Measurement of Success

At the SFSPCA we look at every changed life as a measure of our success: the injured homeless animal who pulls through surgery, the orphaned kitten who gains a pound, the joyous family walking out the door with their new lifelong companion. We know our work – and the collaboration of our staff, volunteers, donors and adoptors – results in positive change every day. When combined, these incremental changes and individual efforts make the SFSPCA a leader in animal welfare.

As a limited-admission shelter, the SFSPCA receives animals from three sources. First, we accept animals from San Francisco Animal Care & Control (SFACC). We also accept animals directly from the public and provide our adopted animals with a lifelong lifeline back to us should the need arise. Finally, we respond to the requests of other, underserved shelters throughout Northern California who, simply due to overcrowding, are otherwise forced to euthanize adoptable animals.

In order to accurately track each animal and our progress, the SFSPCA utilizes the Asilomar Accords, a nationally recognized system that categorizes the medical and behavioral conditions of shelter animals. The Accords enable us to determine our Live Release Rate, indentify where we can improve, and determine how our resources are utilized.

We are proud to report that in 2009, the SFSPCA’s Live Release Rate was 97 percent. Combined with the SF ACC, 85 percent of the animals entering San Francisco shelters were saved, and overall, shelter animal euthanasia decreased by 4 percent in 2009. Our Live Release percentages reflect one of the highest of any individual agency and any city of our size in the U.S. They reflect the determination of that one pound kitten, the skill of our surgeons healing an injured dog, and the generosity of families who choose to adopt and help us save lives.

We invite you to review and celebrate our 2009 Asilomar Accords Report and our SFSPCA-SFACC Partnership Report. Questions or requests for clarification may be emailed to Publicinformation@SFSPCA.org.

SF/SPCA 2009 Annual Animal Statistics (11 KB, Adobe PDF) and 2009 SF/SPCA & ACC Partnership Report (11 KB, Adobe PDF)

SF/SPCA 2008 Annual Animal Statistics (11 KB, Adobe PDF) and 2008 SF/SPCA & ACC Partnership Report (10 KB, Adobe PDF)

SF/SPCA 2007 Annual Animal Statistics (35 KB, Adobe PDF) and 2007 SF/SPCA & ACC Partnership Report (13 KB, Adobe PDF)