How a Shih Tzu Named Charlotte Made Me an Animal Advocate

Beloved Charlotte the Shih Tzu. Photo by Nina Irani

Ten years ago, I bonded for the first time with a nonhuman creature: a wonderful Shih Tzu named Charlotte.  I remember meeting this tiny being and knowing I couldn’t leave without her.  I have a picture of her sitting in my hands (yes, she really was that small) as I carried her to the car to take her home.  

On the car ride home that afternoon, I quickly realized Charlotte was not well. After a rushed trip to the animal hospital, I discovered she was suffering from multiple parasites.  Thankfully, with treatment and care, she soon recovered.  

But Charlotte was not just a case of love at first sight for me.  This little friend opened my eyes to animal issues, starting with the inhumane conditions where dogs like Charlotte often originate – puppy mills.  

That same year, I began volunteering with animal organizations, initially at adoption events (focused on Shih Tzus, naturally) and then at a local shelter helping to socialize dogs of all kinds. I soon realized my legal training could be of use, and I signed up as a volunteer advocate with an organization working to pass animal-friendly legislation.  While brainstorming with fellow advocates about what could be done locally, one suggested getting involved at the city level through San Francisco’s Commission of Animal Control & Welfare.  

At the first few commission meetings I attended, I was sometimes the only audience member.  But as I continued to attend, I witnessed lively discussions on key local animal issues, such as a proposed slaughterhouse in Bayview or how to better coexist with our local wildlife.  

Finally, I applied for a seat on the commission myself, thinking I would be able to laser-focus on creating and vetting solid policy proposals.  I soon realized to be effective, I must first understand our commission’s mandate and the types of actions it was capable of taking. With that in mind, I began to dig into the commission’s history, reviewing old minutes, listening to audio from previous meetings, searching out news articles, and even reading a book on the subject.  

One day, while updating the commission’s website, I discovered an archive of old commission reports to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Reading these, I learned that previous commissions had done a wide range of important work.  They ensured that city contracts include conditions to protect wildlife and feral cats.  They hosted discussions that ultimately changed the management of our waterfront to reduce the high mortality rate of seagulls there.  They persuaded our Recreation and Parks Department to take action to minimize the impacts of park projects on local wildlife.  They convinced the city to rescind a large contract with an artist who was a known animal abuser.  They persuaded our supervisors to pass a resolution supporting the right of safe passage for whales and dolphins in our coastal and Bay waters.  

And these commissions didn’t stop with recommendations for the city alone.  They convinced private concert organizers to grant access to feral cat feeders that would have otherwise been blocked by event fencing.  They questioned local nonprofits about their practices and reporting.  These active commissioners interpreted their authority broadly and took their duties seriously.

Through my research, I realized that the commission on which I now serve is part of a continuum. My fellow commissioners and I can draw inspiration from those who have come before us.  We can use the precedents they set to try to advance current issues.  And we can keep an eye towards the future to do our best to ensure that future commissioners are able to hit the ground running when current members step down. 

But beyond all this, I saw the importance of thinking strategically in the here and now: how can we best focus our policy proposals, and how can we get more of our recommendations  implemented?  

To be most effective, our current commission has chosen a timely focus for this year: enabling people and their companion animals to stay together in times of crisis. This broad topic includes promoting co-sheltering in times of disaster, with the goal that emergency shelters will be able to accommodate humans and their animal companions in the same space.  It also includes helping domestic violence survivors and their companion animals shelter together so that no one must face the decision of staying in an abusive situation or leaving a beloved animal behind.  And it involves supporting people and their animals experiencing homelessness or rehabilitation for substance use.  

Our commission hopes to raise community awareness by hosting experts on these and other issues as part of our new public education series detailed in last month’s column. And our year is already off to a running start.  The commission’s  February meeting highlighted neighbors helping neighbors through a Mission pet food pantry created to help families struggling to feed their companion animals due to lost jobs or reduced income during the pandemic. It’s inspiring work and anyone interested in volunteering or donating to this effort may visit the SFDog website for more information.  

This month, at our March 11 meeting, we’ll learn about the work of WildCare, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of our local wildlife and shared habitat. This group offers medical care in an open-admission wildlife hospital, as well as environmental education, community engagement activities, and hands-on advocacy - so you know they’ll have some stories worth hearing. 

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For additional information about the Animal Commission, please visit our website at https://sfgov.org/animals/. Meeting Agendas, Minutes and Supporting Documentation can be found at https://sfgov.org/animals/meetings-1 (agendas for upcoming meetings are published within 72 hours prior to that meeting).

Please be aware that the views and opinions expressed in this column are those of Commissioner Irani and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare.