Rebecca Frank – Behavior & Training

Meet Rebecca Frank, a member of the Behavior & Training team at SFACC. She’s usually out in the yard with a dog but took a break to share a bit about herself…

Where were you born and raised, and how did you come to work at SFACC? Did you grow up with animals or did some experience draw you to working with them?

I was born and raised in both Lafayette, Louisiana and Sugar Land, Texas. I grew up with three rescue cats and two rescue dogs. I have been volunteering at various animal shelters since I was 10. I simply can’t remember a time before I felt the weight and importance of advocating for animals without homes. After college I worked at a non-profit for adults with developmental disabilities. I loved working with that demographic but simultaneously was falling in love with my new housemate’s pit bull mix. I fell in love so hard. I started to educate myself on the history of pit bulls and why they get such a bad reputation. This struck a chord with me and I began shifting my career plans. I felt certain my passion could carry me through the next 35 years that a career would require of me. I decided becoming a dog trainer would best equip me with the knowledge and skills to help as many dogs as possible. I graduated from The Dog Training Internship Academy while working at a puppy training school and while volunteering at SFACC. Luckily for me, a position opened up on the Behavior & Training team at SFACC! I applied and to my extreme delight, got the job!

What do you do as an employee of SFACC? For how long?

I have been working on the Behavior & Training team (B&T) here since January of 2019. B&T is responsible for evaluating all the dogs that come into the shelter. We check to see how comfortable they are with human interaction, what kind of toys or treats they prefer, and how sociable they are with other dogs. We gather information to see if the animals are ready for adoption directly from at ACC or better suited to go to a rescue that has more resources to help them become more adoptable. We also come up with individual plans to help animals that are here for a long stay remain as emotionally happy and stable as possible.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Doing this job requires making a lot of difficult decisions. If it weren’t for my fantastic co-workers, who are consistently a source of lightness and support, I’m not sure I would be able to show up for the animals in the way I am able to. So my co-workers certainly are a part of my job that I appreciate most! My favorite moments at work though are when I make a break through with a really scared or shutdown dog. It’s so wonderful to witness them starting to feel safe and watching their personalities come alive. I often find myself saying to them, “Oh there you are, baby! I knew you were in there somewhere!”

Although the SIP ordinance has had plenty of downsides, one of the silver linings has been a lower population here at the shelter. Because of this, there has been more opportunity to spend extra time working with the fearful animals. I have cherished this!

Do you have pets of your own? If so, how many and what are their names? What do you do when not at work (hobbies, interests)?

I have one cat and her name is Sybil Storm-Cloud. She is an eight-year-old sweet cream puff. She knows how to kiss on cue, high-five, sit, spin, wave, and comes running and meowing when I ring a certain bell (which always leads to sardines).

When I am not at work and when we are not in quarantine, I spent a lot of time with my friends. Our favorite activities are hiking, cooking together and doing crafts. I also have begun dabbling in a bit of swing dancing. While in quarantine my boyfriend and I have kept ourselves occupied by going on hikes, exploring various trails in our neighborhood in Marin, trying to build some kind of meditation practice (why is that so hard?!), Zooming with our families, and lots and lots of cooking.

Most memorable case/situation/adoption at ACC? 

A frightened white pit bull with a gray patch over one eye and the pinkest lips came in to the shelter as a stray. I got the pleasure of naming her and I chose Passion-Flower. (I like to give pit bulls silly or flowery names to help fight the stigma.) Like many scared dogs in the shelter environment do, Passion-Flower was growling at most people who passed by her kennel. She decided, for some reason though, that she was okay with some staff members. Lucky for me, I got to be one of them! The first time I took her out of her kennel, I completely and totally fell in love with her. She fit her whole 65-pound body into my small lap and stayed there the whole time. Even though I fall in love with so many of the dogs I get to spend time with at the shelter, she really got into my heart for some reason. I decided I couldn’t bare the idea of her not taking her home. So, I decided to foster her until we could find her the right home. She really blossomed at my house and was a joyful, cuddly, dream girl. She was adopted after being at my house for a month. It was so hard to let her go but now she lives the dream life. She lives in Santa Cruz with a retired couple who are home with her often and who go to the beach daily. They send me updates every so often and it was such a wonderful experience.

What has made an impression on you while at ACC?

Nothing has made more of an impression on me than discovering a group of people who do extremely hard work based on their motivation to do better for the animals.

SFACC Partner: Full Belly Bus Helps Our Community’s Pets in Need

By Paula Benton
FBB Founder and SFACC Behavior & Training

Without hesitation, I think we all can agree that our pets are often our favorite family members and friends. Watching over our bonded companions gives us a sense of acceptance, love, stability, pride and purpose as we try to be the best caregiving humans we can be. Especially during the Covid-19 crisis, this experience of self-worth through caring for an animal is vital for many people experiencing homelessness and unstable housing.

Although Full Belly Bus (FBB) has asked our valued volunteers to stay sheltered in place, our board is stepping up safely to double our outreach to pet owners in need. In addition to the five Navigation Centers that we continue to support monthly with individually packed pet-care bags complete with food and supplies; we are providing contactless free dog and cat food curbside pickup at St. Anthony’s twice a month. FBB has also extended our support to three city implemented “hotels” during the Covid outbreak and next month, in partnership with San Francisco Animal Care & Control, we will support the new RV Park pet owners.

At this time Full Belly Bus is experiencing twice the need for our help with half the usual resources and we truly need your support with pet food donations. Nothing is too little. Here are three ways you can help fill some furry bellies!

1. Drop off treats and unexpired dry and canned cat & dog food donations to:

    • Martha & Bros. Coffee Co. at 1551 Church St., Monday-Sunday, 7am-1pm
    • Noe Valley Farmers Market at 3861 24th St., Saturday, 10am-1pm
    • The UPS Store at 4104 24th St., Monday-Saturday, 10am -2pm2.

2. For contactless porch pick up, text 415-525-95283.

3. Order pet food online and ship to: Full Belly Bus, 4104 24th St, #937, SF CA 94114

With your help we can continue to create a culture of providing care without conditions and help without judgement to our community’s pets and owners in need. Thank you and be safe!

Fostering Aria

By Dawn Horrell

SFACC first came into my life when I had to surrender my grandpa’s cat, Pat, almost 15 years ago. It was a heart wrenching life event, but I had a senior cat at home with her own health problems and just couldn’t keep poor Pat. Luckily Pat was soon adopted and I was forever indebted to SFACC. Years later when it was time to get another cat, a friend and SFACC volunteer, accompanied me to the shelter where I found Marshmallow─quite possibly the best cat in the world (do we all think that about our cats?). Sadly, Marshmallow died just a few years later from cancer─she wasn’t even seven years old. It was heartbreaking and months later I still miss her more than I can express with words.

When I saw that SFACC needed foster volunteers during Shelter in Place, I knew I had to help. Although I’m still not quite ready for another full-time cat, I knew I’d be able to foster. How could I turn my back on the organization that so kindly took in Pat and helped me find Marshmallow! Through a Facebook post, I went to the site and signed up. I figured that I’d never get a call… there must be hundreds of people reaching out to help. I guess I was wrong because the shelter emailed me just a week or so later.

That’s when Aria came into my life. Her owner had to surrender her due to health issues. A situation that was very similar to how Pat and Marshmallow ended up at the same shelter─I knew it was fate. Aria is 11 and, I’m guessing, lived in her last home her entire life. She wasn’t doing well at the shelter and had a hard time acclimating. I was more than happy to bring her into my tiny apartment where I live alone; nice and quiet for a shy older lady. Although my apartment is so small that I don’t have any rooms that have doors that properly shut (yep, even the bathroom) I made sure I had plenty of hiding places for her in closets and under the bed where she could feel safe. Her favorite hiding place, however, was under my down blanket on my bed. I joked that it was her “job”─she’d climb up under the covers at around 9am and not leave until after 6pm; this happened Sunday through Saturday. She is a real workaholic! Every few hours I’d climb under the covers with her to give her some pets and receive some purrs for myself. She was warm and cozy and I loved cuddling with her under the fluffy blanket.

She stayed with me for just under a month. During that entire month she “worked” every day and would come out at night to hang out with me in the living room to watch some TV. She’d cuddle up right next to me and purr. I loved it. We’d also spend a little time playing. She was pretty lazy, but was really good at her version of the “Sit and Be Fit” workout where she’d lay on the floor and just bat at her feather toy ─not actually getting up or moving─just swinging her little arm and paw around trying to catch the feathers. The one game we would play that got her to move a little was Catch the Treat. I’d throw a treat and she’d sorta run/walk to catch it. It was a little counterproductive, but at least she got some steps in.

When the virtual adoptions opened up I was torn. “Do I adopt her?  Do I adopt her?” Every day, all day, it was all I thought about. However, a potential adopter surfaced after only a couple of days. We spoke on the phone and she told me about her love of cats and her need for a special little friend, and I immediately knew that Aria had a new home. I’m not going to lie and say it was easy, because it wasn’t. I was growing very fond of my little, senior cat, but I also knew that Aria’s new owner was ready for the love Aria could give her. I gave Aria lots of snuggles, hugs, and kisses during that last night and day. Knowing that she is safe in her forever home where she can live out a comfy retirement was all I needed to feel better. Let’s just hope she stops working so hard!

Foster Adventures

Freckle-face cutie Scrappy: “He seems really comfortable living here, and has come out of his shell… He absolutely loves getting attention and being around people, even if it’s just me sitting next to him (he makes sure at least part of him is touching me) while I work. He seems more interested in people and dogs than objects/environments, and would rather have a good cuddle session than go for a run. But we still have a lot of fun playing fetch indoors. He’s a wonderful walker (in ideal conditions), and generally quite attentive to me which makes it easier to train him. He’s such a sweet boy and I feel so lucky to be able to look after him during this time!”

“Pecan Sandy has been such a joy to have in our home these past 3 weeks! She has perfect manners when we’re making our food, rolls over for belly rubs, cuddles in our lap, and naps with her favorite stuffed toy. She has become much more confident in the house and seems to be overall loving life!”

Nala and Bella…Both of these little ladies have the sweetest of dispositions! Bella (the bigger sister) is more adventurous while Nala (the petite sister) is a bit more reserved. Though they are both on the shy side, they quickly come out of their shells for food and treats! Some of their favorites include romaine lettuce, parsley, cilantro, fennel, pear, strawberries, and, of course, carrots! They love to snuggle together in cozy spots, groom each other, and loaf around, but will explore the house when given room to roam. They are skittish (as prey animals tend to be in general), but allow gentle pets especially while snacking on treats. They’ll thrive in a home that provides continued socialization to help them get comfortable with human companions. They are gentle and completely non-aggressive (no biting, growling, etc.), have not chewed on any non-food items (like wires, furniture, etc.), and are litter-tray trained. They are also pretty much the cutest little furry beings on the planet!

Playful gent Shakespeare is looking for love! His foster says: Shakespeare is a fun-loving and affectionate guy! He has a lot of playful energy and is capable of some high-level gymnastics when he is motivated to catch his toy. He loves to curl up next to his foster for affection and love, which really gets his purr motor going. He enjoys scratching posts and interactive wand play as well as independent game playing with pom poms and mouse-shaped toys. By day, this clever 3 year old cat prefers to be busy and active. By night, this little sweetheart prefers to sleep in his foster’s bed.
Shakespeare can get overstimulated, so he’ll do best with an experienced adopter ready to play, play, play, in an adult only home. Per his previous owner, he’s not a fan of dogs. Shakespeare is FIV+ but is still positively adoptable!

Shaka is easy going and a joy to be around! He is known to spend most of the day curled up in his bed next to one of our desks while we are working, either sleeping or chewing on one of his toys. He’s very loving and affectionate. He often thinks he’s a lap dog and will try to crawl into your lap whenever he can! He is energetic during play and generally well-mannered on walks, usually wanting to stop and sniff though on occasion has shown favorability towards a brisk power walk. Shaka knows “sit” and “come” and has been making some progress with learning “stay” and “down”. Shaka has been very friendly with everyone he meets, dog and human! When he sees a dog on the street he generally gets excited and wants to say hi. He can be a little mouthy during play but is great when given the option to channel his energy into chewing toys. He’s been a well-mannered boy in this home which is quiet to moderate in activity. He’s a smart and loving boy likely to make a great addition to a home prepared with consistency and some structure for his day-to-day.

Chrissy and her adorably huge ears are comfy cozy in her foster home!