Success Stories

Bruno came to ACC with an injured leg—he’d been hit by a car twice—and through funding by Friends of SFACC, received surgery to repair it. However, the post-operative rehab he needed could not be provided by ACC resources. So Pet Camp, a San Francisco pet daycare and staycare facility,  rehabilitated (physically and socially) Bruno over a period of seven weeks staff embraced the challenge of giving him physical therapy (three times a day and a swim in a special therapy pool every other day) and lots of love. Shy, gentle Bruno came out of his shell and became a social butterfly who enjoys playtimes with other dogs, is compatible with cats, and has been given a 100% clean bill of health by the vet.
Bruno became a Pet Camp favorite camper over his seven-week stay. The Pet Camp staff not only loved and rehabilitated Bruno, they blogged about him on the Pet Camp website, showing his weekly progress and sharing his story through social media—creating adoption interest through this effort. He will be missed by his entourage at Pet Camp but they’re happy to have helped him on his way to his forever home.
The partnership between ACC and Pet Camp was made possible by a service-trade sponsorship through Friends of SFACC. Friends of SFACC offers sponsorship benefits each year at Pet Pride Day, usually in exchange for monetary payment but in this case, Pet Camp gave ACC their services, a very practical way to donate. Thank you Pet Camp for going above and beyond to help Bruno become the happy, healthy dog he is today.
Bruno was adopted by Christophter Cendak, who gave ACC an update the day after bringing him home:  “One day in the books and Bruno has settled in nicely. His sister, Stitch, is excited to have him around. We are so happy to have him in our pack. Everyone at the ACC was so nice and helpful. Thanks!!!”

Chile the conure was clearly happy to be reunited with his person, who came to ACC to look for him after he was lost for one day. The microchip clinic sponsored by Friends of SFACC enables S.F. residents to microchip their dog or cat, and has reunited many pets with their people over the years. A microchip or collar ID is the best way to identify pets if they are ever lost. Some pets (like Chile) cannot be microchipped so please remember to check SF Animal Care & Control when you find an animal or lose a pet—it’s a great day when animals get to go home again!

Gem is a poodle puppy who was found on the conveyor belt at the S.F. Recology sorting center. It’s truly a miracle that she survived, thanks to the quick reactions of Recology employees who rescued her from a sorting conveyor belt at the SF dump with seconds to spare. Gem was rushed to ACC and treated for her injuries. She then spent time recovering in a foster home before she was made available for adoption.
Gregory Foster and Arturo Pena, who saved Gem’s life, were later recognized by the S.F. Animal Control and Welfare Commission in a special ceremony in January, 2014 at City Hall. ACC staff and Gem were on hand to show their gratitude for the workers’ quick actions and compassionate care. ACC received over 200 applications from people across the country hoping to adopt Gem. A lottery was held and she was adopted by a lucky Recology employee, a happy ending for this cute little pup. We hope some of the folks who wanted to adopt Gem will come and adopt one of our other gems!

Maloos, meaning “very cute/loveable” in Persian, is a small orange tabby and white cat, sent to the U.S. by a group of concerned animal rescue workers in Iran. He flew almost 8,000 miles in 20 hours from Tehran to San Francisco, escorted by a passenger en route to the U.S.–as arranged by Sayeh Animal Guardians–and was surrendered to SFACC with the hope that this brave cat would receive medical attention and be put up for adoption.
After examining him, ACC vets concluded that Maloos was born with congenital deformities in his hips and legs, causing him to drag his backside along the streets of Tehran. Following a bungled attempt to repair a part of Maloos’s deformity, his left hind leg was amputated in Iran after becoming infected due to a surgical mistake performed there. Also, either the object of cruelty or cruel fate, his face contained shrapnel embedded near his eye.
Because of the ongoing lack of funding for extensive medical treatment at ACC, Friends of SF/ACC stepped in to pay for surgery to remove the shrapnel from his face. Maloos recovered well from the surgery but he could not use his remaining hind leg to walk and had limited mobility, propelling himself with only his front paws. Friends provided an animal wheelchair/cart, which he eventually adapted to and was soon wheeling himself and playing. He was adopted and is now in a loving home.
Maloos is one example of how the funds raised by Friends of SFACC can help special medical needs animals that make their way to ACC, whether from across the city or across the world.

Biscuit, a young Maltese-mix pup, was found as a stray and brought to San Francisco Animal Care & Control. She had trouble walking and ACC’s veterinarian discovered that both back legs had fractures that were healing incorrectly. Yet Biscuit’s sweet nature showed that she trusted people and had a lot of love and life to share. Dr. Sean Wells, of Nor. Cal. Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital (and a partner of ACC) offered to perform a substantially discounted surgery, funded by Friends of SFACC to repair both legs so that Biscuit can walk normally again. She recovered quickly and was soon playing with the cat and dog in her foster home and eventually adopted.