Champions for Pet Health Brings Veterinary Care to Hundreds of Bay Area Pets

From September 25-27, the San Francisco SPCA joined fellow Bay Area animal welfare organizations for Champions for Pet Health, a collaborative effort to make essential veterinary care more accessible to local families and caretakers. Together, participating organizations provided free spay/neuter surgeries and vaccines to owned cats and dogs as well as local community cats. This event is made possible thanks to the support of La Russa Rescue Champions, the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation, and Maddie’s Fund.

At the SF SPCA, the impact reached hundreds of animals and the people who care for them. 

Three days, hundreds of animals cared for 

During the weekend, the SF SPCA: 

• Cared for 476 animals 

• Served 289 families 

• Administered 762 vaccines 

• Completed 115 spay/neuter surgeries 

• Provided preventative care to 361 animals at our Sunday vaccine clinic 

• Administered 244 rabies vaccines 

• Prioritized under-vaccinated animals, who represented 50% of vaccines given at the vaccine clinic 

• Received 112 donated hours of support from our dedicated volunteers

These numbers represent animals protected from preventable illness, cats and dogs receiving care to help them live longer, healthier lives, and families accessing services to help them continue caring for their pets.

About 79% of our vaccine clinic clients were San Francisco residents, including many of the communities at the heart of our access-to-care work. By bringing preventive veterinary services directly to our community, events like Champions for Pet Health help remove barriers to care before they become bigger challenges for animals and their families. 

A community effort with a shared goal 

Champions for Pet Health brought together organizations across the Bay Area, each contributing its expertise and resources to make veterinary care more accessible. Participating organizations included Animal Fix Clinic, Berkeley Humane, Contra Costa Animal Services, East Bay SPCA, Friends of Alameda Animal Shelter, Humane Society Silicon Valley, Marin Humane, Muttville, Nine Lives, Oakland Animal Services, Vets in Vans, and the SF SPCA.

An event of this scale takes enormous behind-the-scenes coordination. Our Community Medicine staff, veterinary professionals, client support teams, volunteers, event organizers, and partners all brought their time, expertise, and energy to the effort. 

Making preventative care more accessible 

Preventative veterinary care makes a meaningful difference in the health and well-being of our companion animals. Vaccines help protect animals from infectious diseases, while spay/neuter can prevent unplanned litters and reduce the number of animals who may eventually need shelter services.

But access to that care is not always equal. Cost, transportation, availability of veterinary services, and other barriers can make it difficult for families to get the care their animals need. That’s why collaborative events like Champions for Pet Health matter. When organizations come together, they can pool resources, expand their reach, and bring more care to the communities that need it.

Thank you to everyone who helped make Champions for Pet Health possible, including our dedicated staff, volunteers, veterinary professionals, partners, and participating organizations. And special thanks to our event sponsors, La Russa Rescue Champions, the Dave and Cheryl Duffield Foundation, and Maddie’s Fund, whose support made this community-wide effort possible.