Richard Avanzino, the visionary former president of the San Francisco SPCA whose leadership helped reshape the future of animal welfare, passed away on September 20, 2026. For the millions of companion animals who benefited from his life’s work and the countless people whose lives he touched at the SF SPCA, his legacy extends far beyond any one organization. It lives on in the animal welfare movement he championed and in the belief that a better future for animals is worth fighting for.
“Rich Avanzino didn’t just lead the SF SPCA, he reimagined what animal shelters could and should be,” shares current SF SPCA CEO, Dr. Jennifer Scarlett. “At the SF SPCA, that meant an unwavering belief that homeless animals deserve more than refuge alone. Rich believed they should have a facility that was not only staffed and built for their comfort, but also one that welcomed people in to be part of the solution and part of something bigger. His vision also called for embracing change, innovation, and hard work at the state and national level, and to match how Americans regard dogs and cats with how we care for them when they need us most.”
When Rich joined the SF SPCA in 1976, the future of animal welfare looked very different. Communities across the country had far fewer tools to address animal overpopulation. Gas chambers remained a common method of euthanasia, and spay/neuter had yet to gain widespread acceptance as an effective, humane way to reduce shelter populations. The SF SPCA itself stood at a crossroads, facing financial uncertainty and difficult questions about how to best fulfill its mission.
Over the next two decades, Rich helped answer those questions. Guided by compassion, courage, and an unwavering belief in the power of community, he transformed the SF SPCA into a national leader by advocating for innovative approaches to adoptions, preventative veterinary care, volunteer engagement, and spay/neuter programs that would influence animal welfare organizations across the country. These ideas transformed the lives of companion animals, and they continue to guide our work today.
Rich’s legacy is best understood through the values that shaped his life: the lessons he learned from animals, the community he helped build, and the generations he inspired to carry on his work.
On learning life lessons from animals
Rich often said that his greatest teachers had four legs and sometimes wings.
In reflecting on his life in the spring 1993 issue of Our Animals magazine, he wrote: “For me, a dog named Biff became my best friend in my youth and taught me the meaning of loyalty, happiness, and unconditional love. As a teenager, I learned about nurturing, commitment, and a sense of ‘home’ for my pet pigeons. Later on, it was Sido, the little dog condemned to death by her owner’s will but saved by the [SF SPCA], who continued teaching me about life’s lessons through her gentleness and devotion.”
Those experiences became the foundation of his leadership.
The story of Sido, in particular, became one of the defining moments of Rich’s career. When Sido’s guardian requested in her will that her dog be euthanized after her passing, Rich and the SF SPCA intervened. The legal battle that followed challenged long-held assumptions about the rights we owe companion animals. It resulted in landmark legislation and the creation of the Sido Pet Protection Program, ensuring pets will be protected if they outlive their guardians.
For Rich, Sido’s case was never simply about one dog. It reflected a belief that every companion animal deserves dignity and compassion.
On building with community
Rich often reminded people that lasting change is never the work of one person or organization. Instead, he believed that extraordinary things could happen when a community united around a shared purpose.
As he once wrote in the winter 1996-1997 issue of Our Animals magazine: “San Franciscans have come together to prove that we can achieve the impossible. We can find a loving new home for every dog and cat who needs one. We can find the resources to cure the sick, mend the broken bones, and soothe the troubled spirits of the animals who come to us. And we can rely on the caring and compassion of our community to make it all come true.”
That optimism fueled innovation for animals at the SF SPCA.
During Rich’s tenure, the SF SPCA embraced high-volume spay/neuter before it was widely accepted as a humane solution to reducing shelter populations. It also expanded adoption programs, strengthened veterinary services, invested in volunteer engagement, and continually challenged traditional thinking about what animal welfare organizations could accomplish.
These efforts laid the groundwork for a movement that transformed outcomes for companion animals in San Francisco and across the nation.
Yet Rich never viewed these achievements as his own. He believed the SF SPCA’s strength came from generations of compassionate people who had built the organization together.
In one of his most memorable reflections, he described that legacy as a living tree: “Our humane society is a mighty tree, thriving and healthy because it grew from strong roots and received the necessary care and support over the years from so many people, allowing it to branch out into the variety of programs and services it provides to animals and people today.”
It remains a fitting description today. Every new program, every family welcoming home an adopted pet, every veterinary professional providing care, and every volunteer giving their time continues to grow from those same roots.
On inspiring future generations
One of Rich’s greatest gifts was his ability to imagine a future others could not yet see. He believed that communities could dramatically reduce shelter euthanasia, that adoption could become the expected outcome for healthy and treatable companion animals, that access to veterinary care could keep more families together, and that people would rise to meet these challenges if they were invited to be part of the solution.
Earlier this year, as he thought about the legacy of the organization he loved, Rich spoke about the future leaders in animal welfare. “The torch moves forward,” he said. “It carries on, and it provides a better life for what’s to come, for the future.”
He also imparted advice for anyone working to create meaningful change: “Believe in your dream, hold on to your principles, and never doubt that through perseverance and hard work you can succeed.”
Even after leaving the SF SPCA, Rich remained a trusted advisor to those carrying his work forward. As Dr. Scarlett reflects: “To me, Rich was an idol, mentor, and friend, generous with his counsel and relentless in his optimism. Every animal who enters our hospital and clinic doors or finds their home through our shelter walks a path Rich cleared. We will keep walking that path Rich cleared too.”
Rich helped transform the SF SPCA into a national leader because he believed that compassion and courage could change the world for companion animals. This work continues because thousands of people continue to embrace that same belief.
His legacy lives on in every pet adopted from a shelter, every family that can access the care they need, every volunteer who gives their time, every veterinarian who chooses this profession, and every person who believes that the future can be brighter than the present.
Rich reminds us that progress is built together, one thoughtful decision at a time. We are profoundly grateful for his vision, his leadership, and his lifelong commitment to animals.
The torch has been passed. We are honored to carry it forward.