History of the San Francisco SPCA
 During the 19th century, San Francisco's cobblestone streets bustled with horse-drawn carriages, streetcars and wagons. In this rough-and-tumble pioneer city, major problems of the day included the abuse of draft horses and the inhumane treatment of food animals.
On a spring day in 1868, banker James Sloan Hutchinson intervened in the inhumane behavior of two men who were dragging a squealing boar off to market along the street's rough cobblestones. The incident moved Hutchinson to call together a group of fellow humanitarians to found The San Francisco SPCA.
Here are some milestones in SF/SPCA history:
- April 18th, 1868 - The SF/SPCA received its charter from the State of California, becoming the fourth SPCA in the nation, and the first animal welfare organization west of the Rockies.
- 1890 - The SF/SPCA moved from San Francisco's busy financial district, buying land "on the edge of town" and putting up two small wooden buildings. It forged ahead to prosecute animal cruelty cases and better the lives of the city's animals, especially San Francisco's overworked and underfed horses. The SF/SPCA built and maintained public drinking fountains for the horses, and constructed a horse ambulance, the first of its kind in the West.
- 1905 - The SF/SPCA took on responsibility for the city's lost, abused and unwanted animals and performed this civic function for the next 84 years.
- 1906 - After San Francisco's earthquake, SF/SPCA officers rescued countless horses trapped in burning stables. Because horses were often injured or killed pulling streetcars up and down San Francisco's steep hills, The SF/SPCA became a prime backer of the introduction of cable cars, the first of which was introduced in 1873.
- 1989 - After nearly 100 years as San Francisco's "poundmaster," The SF/SPCA transferred the role of animal control back to the municipal government, allowing The SF/SPCA to concentrate its energies on saving animal lives.
- 1994 - The SF/SPCA forged the historic Adoption Pact with the San Francisco Department of Animal Care & Control, guaranteeing that no adoptable dog or cat in San Francisco would be euthanized.
- 1998 - The SF/SPCA opened Maddie's Pet Adoption Center, a groundbreaking facility where animals awaiting adoption live in light, airy dog apartments and kitty lofts with cozy beds, furniture, rugs and toys.
Recent Highlights
- 1999 - The SF/SPCA and San Francisco Department of Animal Care & Control held Partnerships for Life, a conference for humane societies, animal control agencies and other animal welfare organizations. Hundreds from around the country and overseas attended the conference to learn how The SF/SPCA and SF/ACC work together to save animal lives.
Renowned dog training expert Jean Donaldson joined The SF/SPCA and launched its Academy for Dog Trainers, offering comprehensive, leading-edge education to dog behavior and training professionals.
- 2000 - The SF/SPCA presented the Kinship with All Life conference, a three-day event celebrating our relationship with animals and nature.
- 2001 - Dog Fancy, the world's most widely read dog magazine, and its sister publication, Cat Fancy, named San Francisco the nation's best city for dogs and cats.
The SF/SPCA was the first humane society to be profiled on "The Visionaries," a public television series about people and organizations driving positive social change around the world.
The SF/SPCA introduced "9Lives," the most comprehensive video series ever produced on the care and humane management of feral cats.
- 2005 - The SF/SPCA announced the will begin work on The Leanne B. Roberts Animal Care Center in 2006.
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