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Photos: Saturday's Hearing Dog Program Protest

By Janine Kahn in Local News
Tuesday, Jun. 3 2008 @ 7:40AM

San Francisco Society’s Hearing Dog Program Protest
S.F. Society for Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (250 Florida St.)
May 31, 2008
Notes and Photos by Edward Paik

Holding placards in one hand and canine leashes in the other, volunteers and supporters of San Francisco’s Hearing Dog Program gathered Saturday afternoon to protest the Society for Prevention of Cruelty of Animals’ decision.

After 30 years of service to the Bay Area community for the deaf and hearing-impaired, the SF SPCA abruptly terminated the HDP program on April 21, a day after the SPCA celebrated its 140th anniversary.

The news came in an e-mail from SF SPCA President Jan McHugh-Smith to the program's volunteers, which stated that the decision was made because other service groups could supposedly better serve the community.

“I don’t believe that they shut this program down. I don’t believe when they say there’s enough of them,” Len Kessler said. Holding the leash to his yellow Labrador and hearing partner, Kessler had frequented the services of the SF HDP for almost four years.

“We’re hoping that they’ll take note of the public reaction,” said Lisa Stanziano, a two-year volunteer. “There have been a lot of donations made specifically to the HDP, and we’re asking where is that money?”

Though the HDP, a nationally recognized model program, receives an annual amount of $200,000 in donations, the program has been privately funded by the non-profit organization, according to a Web statement by SF SPCA director Catherine B. Brown. Due to such circumstances the program has a deficit of nearly $400,000 annually.

SF SPCA volunteers, donors and supporters have used an online Web site to create a petition against the measure, and to provide updates and communication. It was here that volunteers organized Sunday’s protest that brought had a group of people and their dogs to march in protest on Florida St., some with chants of, “Hey, hey. Ho, Ho. Where’d the money really go?”

“We just want to get public awareness because we don’t even think people knew this program existed let alone that it was closed,” said Stanziano.

5 comment(s) / Post a Comment
JOHN says:

SFSPCA losing tons of employees, now need people to help feed their cats.. attach is an email we received from them:

Hi there,

We need help feeding the dogs and cats this Wednesday morning! Can you help from 7:30-9:30am? If so, please email me and let me know. I’ll email you back by Tuesday afternoon to confirm.

We need volunteers who preferably, but not necessarily, have fed before and who are excellent at following directions.

Thank you!

Melanie Zavarella

Volunteer Coordinator

Volunteer Services

San Francisco SPCA

2500 16th Street

San Francisco, CA 94103

mzavarella@sfspca. org

Posted On: Tuesday, Jun. 3 2008 @ 12:29PM
Felix Sunga says:

If it costs $30,000 to graduate a dog, then graduating 25 to 30 dogs a year was an extreme discount for the SF SPCA.

The training that was happening there was leading the industry and was a launching point for many other organizations around the world. To take it apart says to me that the BOD and president only care about there bottom line.

Posted On: Wednesday, Jun. 4 2008 @ 12:22PM
Diane Amble says:

What ALL this really means is the slow but sure DEATH of the wonderful programs that comprised the ground breaking SUCCESSFUL NO-KILL programs of San Francisco. The first thing that McHugh-Smith did upon arriving (carpetbagger) in SF is to change from No-Kill protocols to Assilomar Accord protocols which is the way animal rights activists "discount" the animals they kill instead of valuing for adoption. Bottom line is they DO NOT CARE ABOUT ANIMALS, only power & $$$. THROW THEM OUT BEFORE THEY TOTALLY DESTROY 140 years of dedicated volunteer work. Who suggested McHugh for the position in the first place???

Posted On: Wednesday, Jun. 4 2008 @ 6:00PM
Julia Priest says:

The was this was done is unconscionable. To treat these dedicated specialists and trainers as though they were disposable chattel is lower than low. And to take this program away that helps so many people in favor of a money pit veterinary facility makes no sense. Its not a good trade-off.
As someone who rescued and donated a very promising little dog for the HD program, I am appalled that my donation was subverted. I would like to have the dog back if he is not to be used in the job I donated him for. I was not notified and I did not give a my permission to have him taken to the pound to take his chances on adoption. I donated him specifically to the HD program, not to the SFSPCA.He was trained as a hearing dog and that is what he should get to do.
Shame on the BOD.

Posted On: Saturday, Jun. 7 2008 @ 10:16PM
Tom Oliver says:

DECEIT FROM BOD: Cathernie Brown, Jan McHugh Smith and Dori Villalon have consistently lied about the amount of money that the HDP really brought in. They refuse to acknowledge that bequests were left specifically for the HDP and refuse to account for this in the number that they quote regarding a deficit. Everytime they are questioned on this subject, they REFUSE to answer. They know the deficit was not that great and that the good will, which will prove itself in the lack of future donations to the SF/SPCA, brought in money to the entire organization. Furthermore, they did NOT establish any kind of tranisition and support for the current clients nor for the applicants that have been waiting 2-4 years, yet they continue, to this day, to accept money on behalf of the HDP. Where is that money going? How honest is that? Answer us, BOD!!!!!

Posted On: Monday, Jun. 9 2008 @ 9:57AM


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