By the end of tomorrow, San Francisco SPCA hopes to reach its goal of having adopted out 155 animals for the month in honor of the SF organization’s 155th birthday.
An estimated 4.1 million animals were adopted into homes last year — a figure that’s steadily been on the increase over the past decade. However, some 6.0 million dogs and cats were also taken into animal shelters in 2022; over 920,000 of these animals were forced to be humanely euthanized, due to factors like facility overcrowding and strained resources; hundreds of thousands of animals were placed into matched foster homes until they find their forever homes.
Today I met Wanda, a beautiful 2 year old rescue from the Central Valley, at @sfspca. SPCA has so many animals available for adoption, so if you’re in the market, definitely check it out: https://t.co/kDIjg8CfgJ pic.twitter.com/7A5EBBkmW4
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) January 28, 2023
In San Francisco, the city’s foremost animal rescue center, the San Francisco SPCA, is about to turn 155 years old — making it one of the oldest rescue centers still operating in the country. Over this past weekend, the SF SPCA took in more animals from the Central Valley, which became adoptable through the organization’s “Be Mine Furever” adoption drive.
Now until… well, tomorrow (January 31st), all adult animals over five months old will have their adoption fees waived.
“Today I met Wanda, a beautiful 2-year-old rescue from the Central Valley, at [SF SPCA],” tweeted California Senator Scott Weiner, who’s been a long-time supporter of the organization and animal welfare rights. “SPCA has so many animals available for adoption, so if you’re in the market, definitely check it out.”
He’s not wrong. And, should you find a suitable fur child that meshes well with your life, consider getting a pet portrait at the orgnaizoma’s SFMOMA event, Pet Portraits Day, this upcoming Saturday, February 4th.
What else happened over the very sunny, very pleasant weekend? Here’s a rundown.
- A study found that SF’s 2018 soda tax is actually working. The chance of drinking more than 6 ounces of sugary drinks per day decreased by almost 14% in the two years after the tax was implemented; similarly, it was found that the infestation of sugary drinks in at-risk SF zip codes has declined by 34%, while San Jose, which doesn’t have such a tax, has seen only a 17% drop in similarly vulnerable neighborhoods. More info.
- Pi Bar — a celebrated NY-style pizza touchstone — in the Mission District. “Let’s be frank: The past three years have sucked,” said co-owner Rich Rosen to SFGate noting that financial hurdles ultimately made it too expensive to keep the 13-year-old eatery open. “I mean, the restaurant industry in San Francisco was not great prior, and then COVID was basically the last nail for us.” More info.
- The pushback against SF’s self-driving fleet of autonomous vehicles continues growing. A number of self-driving vehicles operated by Waymo and Cruise have caused traffic blocks, pedestrian injuries, and, what is becoming more apparent, created more obstacles for San Francisco’s first responders traveling to emergencies. More info.
Feature image: Courtesy of SF SPCA
