>From:    Barbara Laugesen <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: San Francisco SPCA
 
>I don't post often, but after an article I read in this past Sunday's
>newspaper, the keyboard called out to me.  This doesn't pertain to ferrets
>per se, but animals in general out in CA.
-snip-
(much removed in a negative tone re: what are they doing for critters, etc.)
 
Since San Francisco almost never has freezing temperatures, they have a high
population of feral cats plus the usual stray dogs found in any urban
area...in other words, a huge excess pet population.
 
The city of SF runs a facility called "Animal Care and Control" which
handles all animal related law enforcement and acts as a regular shelter;
it's a subsection of the police department.  Therefore, SF doesn't contract
out to SPCA to provide animal service, hence no SPCA staff are deputized,
carry guns or have police powers of any sort.
 
And since Animal Care and Control *is* a kill-excess shelter, and strays
picked up by the critter police go there and not to SPCA, SPCA can run a
no-kill shelter which would otherwise be impossible.
 
The other thing about SPCA being completely divorced from law enforcement is
that you can walk in with a fert on your shoulder and not get hassled.  Do
NOT try that at AC&C down the street.  I doubt the SPCA would adopt a ferret
back out the door if they somehow got a hold of a stray...I would hope it'd
goto CDFA or a zoo.
 
Note that this is rare among SPCA chapters.  Most serve as the sole animal
control/shelter and get paid by the local gov't to assume animal control
"dog-catcher" type functions and therefore some of their staff are
deputized, have police powers, carry guns and are a threat to your ferrets.
[Posted in FML issue 1945]