Fall is rolling in, and the dog days aren’t just over for humans. This month brings not only closures for San Francisco’s SPCA, but the return of Michael Vick to football. Vick graced Oakland on Sunday in the Eagles versus Raiders game, and protesters squared off against the pigskin fans outside the stadium. As you read on Friday, Oakland animal rescue group Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls (BADRAP) had invited Vick to visit some dogs that were rescued from his dogfighting operation in 2007, but Vick declined through an Eagles representative.
Those of us looking to adopt rescues now have less time to do so, as budget shortfalls have forced San Francisco’s 141-year-old Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to close on Mondays. Normally open seven days a week, the schedule change comes after a decrease in donations and an increase in owners needing free animal health care. The resulting $3.5 million deficit brought on the layoff of sixteen staff members, and six others have had their hours reduced.
