Behind the Scenes: An Evening With San Francisco Animal Care & Control

What happens after a lost dog is brought to the shelter? What does it take to care for an injured pigeon, reunite a pet with their family, or give an animal a second chance?

On September 26, San Francisco animal lovers will have the opportunity to find out - after hours with a cocktail in hand. That’s when Friends of San Francisco Animal Care & Control will host its second annual “Evening for Animals,” a rooftop celebration benefiting the animals and lifesaving programs of San Francisco Animal Care & Control (SFACC). Held at SFACC’s Bryant Street shelter, this adults-only event will give guests a rare opportunity to experience the shelter from a completely different perspective.

For most San Franciscans, an animal shelter is a place they visit when they are looking to adopt or surrender a pet, or report an animal in need. But behind the kennels is a remarkably complex operation.

“Evening for Animals” takes place Saturday, September 26, from 7 p.m.-10 p.m., at San Francisco Animal Care & Control, 1419 Bryant Street. The event is 21+ and, for the safety of the shelter animals, guests are asked to leave their own pets at home. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available through Friends of SFACC. To purchase tickets, click here.

SFACC is San Francisco’s only open-admission municipal animal shelter, and all kinds of animals arrive there for all kinds of reasons. They may be lost and waiting to be reunited with their families; they may be injured and in need of medical attention; they may be surrendered because their families are no longer able to care for them. Or they may have simply been found wandering the city without anyone to claim them.

But every animal needs somewhere to go and someone to care for them. That’s where Friends of SFACC comes in.

Friends of SFACC raises private funds to support programs and services that go beyond what the city’s budget can provide. Those funds help make additional medical care, behavior and training support, foster resources, adoption and transfer efforts, and other lifesaving programs possible.

“Evening for Animals” is a chance to celebrate that work and see its impact firsthand. Guests will enjoy a thoughtfully curated vegetarian menu from Fraiche by Patrick David; complimentary beer, wine, and signature cocktails; music with a live DJ; and a silent auction featuring an array of special items and experiences. There will also be an exclusive cocktail hour for sponsors.

But unlike a traditional gala held in a hotel ballroom, “Evening for Animals” takes place right where the work happens: at the shelter itself.

Throughout the evening, guests will have the opportunity to go behind the scenes and see firsthand what their support makes possible. It’s an especially meaningful experience for anyone who has ever adopted a shelter pet, fostered an animal, volunteered at a shelter, or simply wondered what happens to the animals who need help in our city.

And while the evening is designed for humans, the reason for the celebration is never far away.

San Francisco’s shelter animals come with stories that can be difficult, joyful, surprising, and sometimes heartbreaking. A frightened dog may become someone’s beloved hiking companion. A sick cat may get the medical treatment needed to recover. An animal who arrived as a stray may eventually be reunited with the family who has been searching for them.

These outcomes don't happen by accident. They happen because shelter staff, volunteers, fosters, rescue partners, adopters, donors, and community members all play a part.

“Evening for Animals” helps bring those people together and raises the resources needed to keep that work moving forward. So if you’re looking for a different kind of Saturday night, consider trading the usual dinner reservation for a rooftop party at the city’s animal shelter. Come dressed up. Have a cocktail. Dance the night away. Bid on something fabulous.

And then take a moment to look around. Because underneath the music and celebration is something much bigger: a community coming together for animals who need us.

One evening. Endless second chances.