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Do you love animals?

I love animals. How can you say no to these sweet faces? YOU CAN’T!

As an only child, I grew up surrounded by them. 3 turtles, 2 chickens, 2 cats, and 1 dog. During my first and second years in college, I kept a beta fish in my dorm room. By the third year, I was desperate for a fuzzy critter so I picked up a Teddy Bear hamster I named Odysseus. Hey, college can be stressful. Everyone needs a furry friend to cheer them up, AMIRITE!? And almost the second that my husband and I moved into a dog-friendly apartment, we got one. (His name is Bodie and he’s a Boston Terrorist. I mean Boston Terrier.)

As a result, I’m a big advocate of owning (and loving!) pets. If we could, I’m sure my husband and I would have a small farm full of fuzzy friends.

The SPCA in San Francisco is pretty fantastic. They offer a plethora of programs and services including training classes (which we have attended). They’re always hosting or involved in events to raise money and awareness for orphaned pets. I think my favorite is the Macy’s Holiday Windows where you can watch them online (via one of four live cams) or visit them in person. You can speak with a volunteer about adoption and adopt right from the store. In fact, they have been posting pictures of the windows as well as the adoptions to their Facebook page. It’s pretty incredible.

Something else that I like about the SF SPCA is their adoption center. It’s clean, well-lit, and the animals look happy and healthy. They also have health and personality information about each animal posted on the door of their living quarters. The most impressive, in my opinion, is the cat section. Each kitty is placed in a clean, furnished room; some with a TV, artwork, cat toys. The SF SPCA makes it easy to find your perfect feline companion through the Meet Your Match program. (It’s almost unbelievable how well the kitties live — I’m thinking that some of their apartments are bigger than the micro-apartments that the Board of Supervisors approved last month!) You definitely can’t say no to these furry faces!

What I think is so impressive about the SF SPCA is the love and care they show for the animals not only on a day-to-day basis, but in their efforts to find forever homes for all creatures that are brought through their doors. And that is one of the reasons I believe it’s important to support such an organization.

There are many ways to give to the SF SPCA if you are unable to adopt: donations (you can give a memorial or honor gift online), volunteer your time, take part in community events, or attend SF SPCA events.

Even if you don’t live in San Francisco, I recommend checking out their website — or at least the kitty cam. Consider donating to your local SPCA or animal shelter and help to give an orphaned animal the love and care it needs.

I mean, really — how could you not support an organization that makes awesome videos like this?

<Thank you to cskk and eleda for making the dog and kitten pictures available for reuse.>






