The SF SPCA, at a fund-raising event marking its 140th anniversary, lionized its Hearing Dog Program, which trained service animals to assist hearing-impaired persons. The next day, the program was shut down without any prior notice to the staff, volunteers, or community that depended on this service. The reason given for the abrupt closure of the Hearing Dog Program was "lack of funds." At about this same time, the SF-SPCA gave its new president a low-interest loan of $500,000 to help her buy a house in Marin County.

There is no doubt that the SF-SPCA faces economic challenges, as any donation-dependent organization does in the current economic climate. The continued delays and cost overruns in establishing its new for-profit medical center -- announced in 2005 as opening in 2007 and barely half-completed today -- has forced the SF SPCA to tap into its general fund to cover escalating construction costs. Donations made with the intent of helping San Francisco's adoptable pets are instead being used to support an over-budget construction project.

The SF SPCA has failed to communicate its core policy changes to the San Francisco community. It still claims to be a no-kill shelter in its "About Us" page at its website (http://www.sfspca.org/faq.shtml#5). But it no longer is.