Changes, Updates, and the Return to City Hall!

Recently, I attended an event featuring the executive director of the San Francisco Department of Animal Care and Control, including a question-and-answer period with the audience. As a member of the Animal Commission, I thought it was important to hear questions from the community regarding animals, as well as the responses. Though there wasn’t time for a more in-depth discussion about the issues raised, it was a good event, and I hope there are more like it in the future.

As an icebreaker, the event host asked each of us in the audience to say our name and tell everyone our favorite animal. Not surprisingly, most people said cats or dogs were their favorite, though a few others were mentioned, including seals and chickens. When it was my turn to speak I said, “Dogs,” as the first thought that popped into my head. After all, dogs are the animals I have the most experience sharing a life with, and I currently have two dogs adopted from local rescue organizations. So my answer made sense at the moment.

But, although I knew no one had paid any particular attention to my response, I immediately started to rethink it. Don’t get me wrong. I love dogs with all my heart, but if I’d been given the opportunity to respond again, I might have said:

“My name is Michael, and I don’t know if I can say which animal is my favorite because, to be honest, all animals are my favorite. Asking me to name my favorite animal is like asking a parent to name their favorite child. Well, actually it might be a little different, because some parents probably do have a favorite child, but they wouldn’t say they do because it isn’t appropriate. But, in my case, I can truthfully say that I do not have one favorite animal because they are all my favorite.”

Of course, if I’d done that, the host probably would have started tapping his wristwatch, telling me I was going way over the allotted time for what was meant to be a one-word answer. But since I can’t turn back the clock, I can at least share what I wished I’d said with you, dear Bay Woof readers. Aren’t you lucky?

Now that I’ve got that off my chest, let’s move on to more important things: what’s happening on the commission? The big news this month is our return to in-person meetings. As I reported in last month’s column, all city public bodies, including commissions, are required to resume in-person meetings effective March 1. This means that our commission meeting scheduled for March 9 will be our first in-person meeting since February 2020. It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly three years since we last met in City Hall. 

As part of this transition, commissioners have had to learn about new updated technology at city hall. Though we don’t know much about our remote options right now, information about streaming and attending remotely will be coming soon. And I can say that the Animal Commission is 100% in support of allowing the community to continue to attend meetings remotely and provide public comment by phone. Please be sure to check our website for updates as they become available.

Here are a few more notes concerning recent commission presentations and discussions:

Shock Collar Ban. Immediately following our January meeting, the commission sent out our letter in support of the proposal to ban the sale and use of shock collars in San Francisco to the Board of Supervisors. As you may remember, a majority of the commission voted to support this proposal after it was presented by Shock-Free San Francisco at our October meeting. The formal letter of support was finally sent out last week following discussions with the City Attorney’s Office, which provided guidance on our next steps.

Healthy Cats and Kittens. After a series of presentations and discussions about healthy cats and kittens, as well as the animal admissions policy at the San Francisco Department of Animal Care and Control, the commission will discuss and possibly vote on recommendations to the department at our March meeting. I am really looking forward to hearing the community’s thoughts, as well as those of my fellow  commissioners, on this very important issue.

Farewells and New Faces. Last, but certainly not least, we’ve said farewell to two outstanding members of the Animal Commission: Commissioner Annemarie Fortier and San Francisco Department of Animal Care and Control Representative Dr. Shari O’Neill. We will miss their compassion, expertise, and in-depth understanding of the issues affecting animals in our city. Both have contributed so much time and energy to this work that it is hard to imagine the commission without them, and we extend heartfelt thanks to both of them for all they’ve done and continue to do for our community. Starting with our March meeting, the San Francisco Department of Animal Care and Control will be represented by Deputy Director Amy Corso on the commission. 

We look forward to meeting with everyone in person again on March 9 at SF City Hall. That’s it for now - onward!

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Views and opinions expressed in this column are those of Commissioner Torres and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare.

The next meeting of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 9. Meetings are held in Room 408 at City Hall (1 Carlton B Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102). Information concerning remote access to our commission meetings will be forthcoming. Please check the commission’s website for updates.

For additional information about the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare, please visit our website. Meeting agendas, minutes, and supporting documents can also be found on our website (agendas for upcoming meetings are published 72 hours before that meeting).