May 10, 2008

Dear Friends,

As Chair of the Board of Directors of The San Francisco SPCA, I am aware of the concern voiced by many individuals at the discontinuation of the Society’s Hearing Dog Program. I want to assure you that the decision to discontinue this Program was taken with great sadness and reluctance by the Board of Directors and management, and only after long and careful consideration. We are all extremely proud of the Program and its very professional staff and committed volunteers.

For almost 30 years The SF/SPCA Hearing Dog Program provided invaluable assistance to deaf and hard-of-hearing people in our community. It was one of the first such programs in California, and it offered life-altering services to both dogs and their human companions. The program was also a source of inspiration for similar organizations that have since developed in the community.

The expansion of other agencies, whose only mission is to train and place hearing dogs, has had a major impact on the field. Because of their focus, these agencies are better able to keep up with industry advancements, provide important, post-placement follow-up, and impact the lives of many more individuals than the SF/SPCA program can. Additionally, The SF/SPCA is a private, non-profit agency which receives no local, state or federal funding; its ability to operate depends solely on the contributions of caring individuals. The Hearing Dog Program costs had historically exceeded the donations it regenerated, resulting in deficits which were covered by funds from the Society’s reserves.

Probably the most important consideration for the Board in addressing the future of the Hearing Dog Program was the living environment for the hearing dogs in-training. Because of the configuration of the program, many of the dogs spent up to 300 days at the Society, a very stressful and unnatural situation. In addition, they lived in outdated quarters that were not suitable for long-term housing and enrichment.

Moreover, the Board of Directors is very aware of the need in our community for the lifesaving services which The SF/SPCA has traditionally supplied, and for which there is still an urgent need: expanded spay/neuter to prevent feline overpopulation, affordable and compassionate veterinary care, and increased adoption services for homeless companion animals. These are part of The SF/SPCA’s core mission, and by focusing the Society’s finite resources on that mission we believe we can save the lives of countless more companion animals.

The SF/SPCA Board of Directors recognizes that a trained Hearing Dog is a precious gift to an individual with hearing loss. For that reason, the Board is open, in the future, to revisiting the question of a Hearing Dog Program at the Society, subject to the availability of an improved facility, advanced technology, and positive quality of life for the dogs-in-training.

Yours sincerely,

Catherine B. Brown
Chair
The SF/SPCA Board of Directors

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