February 2025

Puppies Snickers and Fernando went home together. Lots of fun is in store for that happy family!

What a great weekend for guinea pig adoptions! Lenny (pictured) and his fantastic hairdo went home with his new family. And two sets of bonded pairs were also adopted: Anna & Elsa and Caruso & Pavarotti.

Sweet Miss Madeline was adopted Monday and we already got photos of her cuddled in with her new family. That girl likes to snuggle in close!

Adoption update! Handsome brindle boy Barnaby was adopted in April of last year after waiting patiently for 4 months. He may be even more handsome now based on this photo (how is that even possible?!) “Barnaby aka as Barney or Biz says hello to his friends at ACC!”

An update on scrumptious puppy Scrappy (formerly known as Walker): “He’s doing wonderfully! He’s full of energy, cuddles and wonder. He weighs about 13 pounds at 13 weeks. He was 5 pounds and 9 weeks when we got him a month ago! He will be ready to walk on leash by mid-March and we are so thankful to have him.”

Bantum

Bric and Brac were adopted together. Yay!

Cashew and Peanut, a bonded kitten pair, were adopted together. Update from their dad: “So grateful for the new housemates! They are already settled in, purring, playing and cleaning each other.”

Dream

Griffin

Big handsome pup Dax was adopted last June and is loving his forever home, complete with trips to the beach and cuddles with his dog sibling. “He’s seriously the most cuddly loving pup. And at 85 lbs that’s especially adorable. I think he thinks he’s a chihuahua.”

Lil’ Mama

Marlon

Pongo

Little scruffimuffin Hitchhike has caught a ride with her forever family.

Zuko

“Dear Animal Care Staff:

Just wanted to send you an update now that I’m happily ensconced in my new home. My adoptive parents Spencer & Darcy were initially quite shocked by how easily I made myself at home in their Inner Sunset flat.

Just so you know, my name has been changed from Tornado to my dad’s idea of a cute name: Tomato or Tomi for short. But I still take every opportunity I can to tear through the house from one end down a long, long hall to the other end at lightning speed, always taking a high jump onto the sofa up front to finish.

My new parents think they are the bosses, but I know better. They’re at my beck and call all day long: feeding me, playing with me, cleaning my litter box, playing with me, and cuddling with me. So I want to thank you for making this new cushy life possible.

FYI – I was taken to my parents’ fav former vet for an exam; and I passed with flying colors. Dr. Helmer says I don’t have to come by until next year, which was a big relief. She also didn’t charge for the visit, which was mighty kind.

Thank you for the 20% off on toys at Pet Express. I have already gone through two birds on a wand, so this discount has allowed my parents to keep me occupied with my favorite toy day & night. I even carry the wand in my mouth to deposit on their bed reminding them to play even more with me. They’re not exactly young, so this play has been good exercise for them, whether they like it or not.

I hope all the felines residing present & future at ACC have the good luck that I have had. Thank you for your excellent care and comfy facility while I was waiting to find my ideal family.

Lots of licks,
Tomato (aka Tornado)

September 15, 2023 – rabbit rescued from I-80

9/15/2023 – Officer Mullen reports…
Rabbit freeway rescue! A Good Samaritan noticed a rabbit on the side of the freeway and called us. Three of our Animal Control Officers – Officer Ortega, Officer Tumath and Officer Quirk – managed to stop traffic on I-80 Westbound from the Bay Bridge to rescue the rabbit. The Officers stopped the cars, corralled the bunny, and brought her back to the shelter at 1419 Bryant Street, San Francisco. She is healthy, uninjured, and doing well in our care. She will be at the SFACC shelter for several days to see if an owner claims her. If no one comes forward, she might be available for adoption early next week. Shelter staff have nicknamed her Elektra after another female daredevil of note.

September 1, 2023 – baby squirrels rescued

9/1/2023  Officer Mullen reports…

I received an early morning call from a concerned homeowner, whose dog alerted him to a couple of baby squirrels on the ground in the backyard. The concerned pup became protective of the babies and was reluctant to have their human help in this situation. Fortunately the homeowner was able to wrangle his pup inside and give our dispatch a call at 415-554-9400. I was in the area and was able to get to his house quickly and assess the situation. In his backyard there were three 5-week-old baby squirrels curled up in the dirt with no mother in sight. They were cold to the touch and barely moving. I quickly gathered them up in a towel and got them back to the van. With the heater blasting in the van, they slowly warmed up and started moving more. I placed them in a low-sided box in the front passenger seat of the van. The smallest one was the coldest and at the stoplight I would rotate the little one in front of the heater. When we arrived back at the shelter, I was able to get them better set up in a box with proper heat support. After some quick warm subcutaneous fluids to help with dehydration and hypothermia, they were left alone in the box to continue the slow warming process. Every so often I would check on them and see that they were continuing to improve as they warmed up.

Squirrels are the most diverse of all modern mammals with more than 278 species thriving anywhere from the Arctic tundra to the tropical rainforests and living in environments from farms to suburbs and even big cities. They are born hairless and are both blind and deaf for the first 8 weeks of life and must be fed every 2-3 hours for several weeks. Mothers often build a second nest in case of danger and will carry the young to the new location if she senses a problem. The young remain with the mother in the den until about 4-5 months of age.

Now that the baby squirrels were improving, I had to start thinking of their next step. Thankfully SFACC has a fantastic partnership with Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue (YUWR) and the founder, Lila. I texted Lila and she was happy to accept them into her rescue. As ACOs we text Lila at all hours of the morning and night, and she is always available to answer our questions and ultimately say yes to most of our intake needs. When we arrive at the rescue, Lila is always there to greet us with open arms and a smile, and sometimes if you’re lucky maybe even a cat or two. If you are interested in volunteering or learning more about the wonderful work done at YUWR please visit their website and see how you can make a difference to the wildlife in our urban environment.

August 25, 2023 – raccoons caught in fence

Officer Mullen reports…

This week Officer Sherwood and Officer-in-training Leiendecker were called out for a family of raccoons stuck in a tight situation. When the officers arrived they found two young raccoons stuck in a fence by their back legs. Momma raccoon was able to free one of the kits with the help of a chair that the homeowner had provided to help. After momma took the first kit to a safe spot, she came back to get the second kit, but he was a bit more stuck and momma was having a hard time getting the rear leg freed. The officers used their metal catch poles to separate the fencing from the house, just enough to loosen the grip on the leg. Since this kit was still young, the officers were able to cover him with a towel to calm him. With the protection of bite gloves the officers stood on each side of the animal and gently slid the leg upwards to free the raccoon. Once the kit was free, momma raccoon ran up, inspected her kit, and then ran off with him to rejoin the sibling. Thankfully the homeowner acted quickly; their legs were not damaged.

Raccoons have very tight-knit families. A mother raccoon can give birth to up to seven kits, but on average three to four kits survive each breeding season. The babies are weaned after about 3 months, but remain with their family for 12-16 months. The mother is a wonderful teacher who teaches the young to be independent and adapt to both rural and urban environments. After birthing her young, a momma raccoon will stay in the same den for up to 7 weeks and then once the babies are agile enough to run and climb, the family will find a new den every few days to keep predators from finding them. The average home range for a raccoon depends on habitat and food supply. In the urban environment, the average range for a raccoon is about one mile, whereas in the rural environment it can be closer to 15 miles.

Since raccoon babies are typically born in early spring between March and April, we are now seeing the 4-5 month old kits out enjoying the world…and sometimes getting into trouble. Please call our dispatch line at 415-554-9400 if you see a raccoon in distress, sick or injured. Thank you for alerting us to the needs of our urban wildlife.