SAN FRANCISCO (February 27, 2025)— In response to a growing canine Parvovirus outbreak in the Tenderloin district, the San Francisco SPCA (SF SPCA), San Francisco Animal Care and Control (SFACC), St. Anthony’s Foundation, and Full Belly Bus are continuing their collaborative effort to protect community pets. Following the successful February 3 clinic that served 76 dogs and provided essential preventive care services, the partnership will host its second free dog vaccine clinic focused on providing critical booster shots. The initiative, supported by funding from one of the nation’s largest and most influential community foundations, the San Francisco Foundation, aims to protect the community’s pets from the highly contagious and potentially fatal disease while providing additional preventive care services. Canine Parvovirus is largely preventable with proper vaccination, yet some communities face significant barriers in accessing these critical resources, making initiatives like these clinics essential to combating the spread of disease.
Since November 15, 2024, SFACC has seen a steep increase in suspected and confirmed cases of Parvovirus—nearly double the total number of cases seen in 2022 and significantly higher than they have seen since 2019. This sharp increase is particularly alarming, with recent cases concentrated in the SoMa and Tenderloin neighborhoods.
The vaccine clinics will take place on Monday, February 3, and Monday, March 3, at the Golden Gate Greenway provided by St. Anthony’s (100 block of Golden Gate Avenue, 94102). Services will include distemper/parvo vaccinations, flea control, deworming, and microchips. This follow-up clinic will be particularly crucial for the dozens of dogs who received their first vaccines in February and now require booster shots to ensure complete protection. The Full Belly Bus Pet Food Pantry will also be on-site, providing pet food and supplies.
“This collaborative effort highlights the power of partnerships in addressing urgent public health concerns for pets and their families,” said Jessica Bogosian, Director of Community Medicine Programs at the San Francisco SPCA. “By bringing resources directly to the Tenderloin community, we aim to curb the current outbreak and provide pet owners with the tools they need to keep their animals healthy.”
Volunteers and staff from the SF SPCA will staff the clinics, ensuring a seamless experience for attendees. Services will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, with attendees encouraged to arrive early to secure a spot. The second clinic on Monday, March 3, will focus on providing critical booster vaccines to enhance immunity.
Key Details:
- What: Free Dog Vaccine Clinics
- When: 12–2 p.m., Monday, March 3, 2025
- Where: Golden Gate Greenway, St. Anthony’s, Tenderloin District
- Services Provided: Distemper/parvo vaccines, flea control, deworming and rabies vaccinations
For the upcoming March clinic, rabies vaccinations will also be offered in addition to distemper/parvo vaccines, flea control, and deworming. Rabies vaccination is not only a critical public health measure but also a key requirement for pet-friendly housing. Many shelters and transitional housing programs require proof of rabies vaccination for residents to keep their pets, making access to this service especially vital for pet owners experiencing housing insecurity. By including rabies vaccines in this clinic, we aim to help keep pets and their families together while promoting broader public health and safety.
The successful February clinic and upcoming March event demonstrate the potential for sustained community impact through collaborative partnerships. The SF SPCA Mobile Vaccine Clinic served 5,314 animals last fiscal year, highlighting the ongoing need for accessible veterinary care in our communities.
This collaboration aims to protect the pets of the Tenderloin district, promote a healthier community, and reflect the SF SPCA’s dedication to supporting and strengthening the bond between people and their pets.
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About the San Francisco SPCA
The San Francisco SPCA is an independent, community-supported, nonprofit animal welfare organization dedicated to saving, protecting and providing immediate care for cats and dogs who are homeless, ill or in need of an advocate. The SF SPCA also works long-term to educate the community, reduce the number of unwanted kittens and puppies through spaying and neutering, and improve the quality of life for animals and their human companions. The organization does not receive government funding. For more information, visit sfspca.org.
About the San Francisco Department of Animal Care & Control (SFACC)
The San Francisco Department of Animal Care & Control (SFACC) is a taxpayer-funded, open-admission animal shelter. Since 1989, SFACC has provided housing, care, and medical treatment to wild, exotic and domestic stray, lost, abandoned, sick, injured, and surrendered animals. SFACC’s doors are open to all animals in need regardless of species, medical, or behavioral condition.
About St. Anthony Foundation
Located in the heart of the Tenderloin, St. Anthony Foundation is one of the largest, primarily privately funded whole-person care providers in San Francisco and a place of great love. We offer essential services, health care, and employment informed by our Franciscan values and evidence-based best practices for people experiencing homelessness, poverty, or addiction. Our goal is to build trust over time with individuals and to give each person the tools and opportunity to sustainably exit homelessness. We offer a welcoming healing community, a pathway to stability, and a model for broader change., and employment informed by our Franciscan values and evidence-based best practices for people experiencing homelessness, poverty, or addiction. Our goal is to build trust over time with individuals and to give each person the tools and opportunity to sustainably exit homelessness. We offer a welcoming healing community, a pathway to stability, and a model for broader change.
Full Belly Bus
Full Belly Bus mobile pet care team is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that is committed to supporting San Francisco pet owners who are working to prevent and end their homelessness. Since 2015, they have worked to provide free licensed veterinary care, certified animal behavior training, grooming, and pet food, as well as supplies like leashes, collars, harnesses, and pet coats to unhoused people with companion dogs and cats. Our primary goal is to help people to keep their pets.