California’s veterinary shortage has led to some of the worst shelter overcrowding in recent years. Today, 344,000 shelter animals do not have adequate access to veterinary care staff, and nearly half of our state’s shelters cannot provide consistent access to spay and neuter services, which are legally required before an animal can be adopted.
In Central Valley, our partner shelters are struggling to keep up with the influx of puppies and kittens. Multiple animals are being housed in single kennels, increasing the risk of behavior problems, spread of disease, and worse.
Help Support Our Crisis Response
We’re raising funds to address this statewide emergency in access to care. Every dollar donated supports our crisis response to:
- Bring as many dogs and cats as we can to our shelter in San Francisco
- Send our veterinarians to Central Valley shelters to assist with spay and neuter surgeries
- Advocate for legislation to help bring more veterinarians to under-resourced areas
- Provide medical care, behavior support, and more foster families to help accelerate adoptions here at home
- Offer free and low-cost spay and neuter services to all pets in San Francisco
“No matter who you are or where you live, if you have a pet, you understand the value of having an animal in your life,” said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jena Valdez. “At SF SPCA, we have the skills and expertise to share, so everyone in our state has the opportunity to experience that special love and companionship.”
Our Work Makes a Difference
Our partner shelters say at least half of their surrenders are under-age animals. That means our strategy to increase access to veterinary care while supporting widespread spay and neuter surgeries is a response that’s going to make a difference.
We’re working as fast as we can to alleviate the spay and neuter bottleneck. Last year, we performed almost 6,000 surgeries. Already, by June this year, we’ve performed nearly 5,000.
This progress wouldn’t be possible without the generosity and compassion of our donors, volunteers, and community supporters. Together, we can improve access to veterinary care and overall wellness for companion animals throughout California.