February Is for Valentines - and Spay/Neuter Awareness!
‘Tis the season for Valentines. photo: AdobeStock
It’s February! And despite news headlines to the contrary, I still try to believe that love is in the air, especially during this wonderful season of valentines.
Of course, February is more than just romance, sweet cards, and heart-shaped candy. It’s also when we celebrate…Spay and Neuter Awareness Month!
This is an especially timely issue because at our January meeting, the Animal Commission unanimously approved a recommendation to support the new mandatory spay and neuter legislation proposed by the San Francisco Department of Animal Care and Control (SF ACC). This proposal would require all dogs one year of age or older - with a few clearly defined exceptions - to be spayed or neutered.
The new legislation would replace the city’s existing outdated breed-specific requirements with a fair, breed-neutral policy, signaling an important change as breed-specific policies have long been shown to be ineffective. So props to SF ACC for ditching a tired, destructive policy and adopting a more humane, prevention-focused approach in its place.
At our January meeting, SF ACC Deputy Director Amy Corso presented compelling data that clearly demonstrated why the department is seeking this change. According to Ms. Corso, post-pandemic San Francisco has seen a sustained increase in dog intake, including a sharp rise in puppies entering the SF ACC shelter. In just a few years, adult dog intake climbed by more than 20 percent and puppy intake nearly doubled, while adoptions have failed to keep pace. These numbers are heartbreaking as they represent more dogs coming into the shelter and spending longer periods of time there.
SF ACC staff recognized that to make a dent in these trends, they needed to look at the root cause. Their proposed mandatory spay and neuter legislation is modeled after Los Angeles County’s program, which was adopted in 2006 and has since helped reduce that county’s annual dog intake from roughly 90,000 to about 34,000.
SF ACC’s proposed legislation is scheduled to be heard by the Board of Supervisors within the next few months. My fellow commissioners and I hope that the board will see the importance of supporting this legislative change. We also hope that when mandatory spay and neuter becomes law, San Francisco will see a drop in intake numbers similar to what Los Angeles has seen.
It’s worth mentioning that California already requires shelter-adopted dogs to be spayed or neutered. SF ACC’s proposal simply extends that logic by addressing overpopulation before animals ever enter the shelter system. Enforcement of this new legislation would be complaint-based, as opposed to requiring a license or other documentation. The focus isn’t so much about punishment; it’s really about compassion and our shared responsibilities toward all dogs.
Meanwhile, at our upcoming February meeting, the commission will turn its attention to a very different but equally important topic: EcoPark SF, a bold proposal to reimagine the future of the San Francisco Zoo.
If you haven’t heard about this proposal, EcoPark SF offers a vision that would move away from an outdated, captivity-based zoo model toward something far more aligned with San Francisco’s values. This would mean an innovative conservation-focused park that prioritizes habitat restoration, wildlife protection, rescue and rehabilitation, and immersive public education. Instead of continuing to house animals in older crumbling habitats and infrastructure, the proposal focuses on native ecosystems, climate adaptation, and learning spaces that connect people to the natural world in meaningful ways.
As someone who recently visited Ecoparque in Buenos Aires, I am incredibly excited at the thought of seeing something similar here in San Francisco - and I’m not the only one. Recent polling shows strong public support for rethinking the zoo entirely, including opposition to expanding animal captivity and building a costly panda exhibit. That feedback is similar to the many concerns the commission regularly hears regarding the current zoo.
The EcoPark SF proposal has been covered extensively in the media during these last weeks, and the commission looks forward to hearing more about it at our upcoming meeting. Presenting will be Justin Barker, longtime animal advocate, community activist, and friend to the commission. We always learn something new whenever Justin presents before our body, and we can’t wait to hear more about EcoPark SF.
February is a short month, but it’s shaping up to be a big one! We hope you’re able to join us at our February 12 meeting to hear more about EcoPark SF and other issues that impact our community.
With your help, we can make San Francisco a safer, more compassionate place for all beings.
See you at City Hall!
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The next meeting of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare will be held at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, February 12, in Room 408 at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102. Information concerning remote access to meetings is on our website (agendas for upcoming meetings are published within 72 hours prior to that meeting).
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Please be aware that the 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.