Program areas at Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA
Shelter & field services: the Society's animal shelter provides sanctuary for over 12,000 abused, unwanted, injured and orphaned animals every year including, dogs, cats, other companion animals, exotics, native wildlife and farmed animals far and away the largest animal care program in the county and among the largest in the san francisco bay area. Vet services and animal behavior teams are responsible for monitoring the health of, and treating, shelter animals. Currently, the Society is finding homes for every healthy and adoptable dog and cat in its care - this fact is made even more remarkable considering that as an open-door shelter, the Society accepts every animal brought to it, regardless of health, age or species. In addition, the Society is able to make well, then adopt, on average 130 treatable animals each month. The Society's highly trained Humane and animal control staff rescue animals in distress and respond to situations in which animals and people are at risk. Humane investigators respond to instances of cruelty and neglect and work with the district attorney's office to prosecute animal abusers.
Wildlife: the Peninsula Humane Society & Spca wildlife care center (the center) treats thousands of wild, native animals each year, including injured and orphaned ducks, geese, hawks, owls, songbirds and mammals, releasing the wild animals it is able to rehabilitate back into their natural habitat. In addition to addressing all of san mateo county's wildlife, the Society provides care for orphaned and injured native wild birds from san francisco and wildlife from northern santa clara county. The center also serves as a resource for local residents seeking Humane solutions to living near urban wildlife and serves as a stabilizing facility during environmental disasters such as oil spills.
Community education & outreach: community outreach programs include significantly discounted services for feral cat caregivers; a safe pets program which provides sanctuary for the companion animals of domestic abuse victims fearful of leaving their animals in the hands of their abusers; free or low-cost vaccination clinics; a monthly pet loss support group for people having difficulty coping with the loss of a loved animal; a free animal behavior helpline (including a spanish-language option); pet assisted therapy programs in hospitals, nursing homes and the local jail and a range of dog training classes. The Society's Humane education program - 1 paid employee assisted by 25 volunteers - conducts school visits, holds a summer camp, shelter tours, a vet shadow program and bi-monthly adult and family programming. The Society holds a pet food bank once a month for those that cannot afford pet food, serving roughly 500 pets at any given time.
Spay & neuter clinic and other programs: the Society's spay and neuter clinic provides low-cost surgeries for animals belonging to members of the public and spay and neuters shelter animals before they become available for adoption. On average, the clinic spay and neuters 23 animals per day.the Society also operates a mobile spay and neuter clinic and brings this surgery suite on wheels to underserved communities to offer free spay and neuter surgeries.