Summer 2008 - San Francisco SPCA

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Tea and ChowCalm, refined and tasteful describe The San Francisco SPCA Legacy Society Tea –and this year’s special rags-to-riches canine guest.BY CHRISTINE ROSENBLAT, SF/SPCAPHOTOS BY PAUL GLASSNER, SF/SPCATOP: TheOak Room,Westin-St.Francis HotelBOTTOM:Jan McHugh-Smith cuddlesSF/SPCAalumnusJunior,adopted justthis year byBernice Itkin.The beginnings for thedivine Miss B, as shewould come to beknown, were, at the very leasthumble, if not steeped introuble. She was found in2002 by San Francisco AnimalCare & Control, wanderingthe streets.Though a fluffy andadorable puppy, this tiny ballof tawny fur was actuallyawful: aggressive, possessive,ferocious, a veritable spitfireunsuitable for adoption and,at a tender young age of threemonths at most, headed downthe wrong path. By the timeshe reached her first birthday,she would be 50 pounds ofunpredictable terror. Thecombustible little Chow wastransferred to The San FranciscoSPCA for behavioralrehab and, it could only behoped, eventual adoption.A knowledgeable SF/SPCAfoster parent agreed to temporarilytake care of the tempestuoustoddler, work on her“behavior issues,” and prepareher (fingers crossed) for adoption.Fast forward five years tothe elegant Oak Room of theWestin-St. Francis Hotel,where Miss B (Buffy is her realname) was the guest of honorat The SF/SPCA Legacy SocietyTea. Sitting serenely withher mane of flaming hair (allnatural), her incendiary personalityall in the past, Buffywas the subject of a talk byher very proud mom, thewoman who generously fosteredher and patiently madeher over, none other than JeanDonaldson, internationallyrenowned dog behaviorexpert, award-winning author,and Director of The SF/SPCAAcademy for Dog Trainers.Jean told the audience, “Hadyou asked me, prior to gettingBuffy, my Chow, if I wouldever, in a million years, underany circumstances, have aChow, the answer would have20 Our Animals SF/SPCA | www.sfspca.org | Summer 2008
stantial bequest to the organizationfor the care of homelessdogs and cats. Sadly, this notificationcame many monthsafter she had passed away, toolate for The SF/SPCA toexpress gratitude to Ms. Westfor her gift, which came as abittersweet surprise. Theorganization vowed to neveragain miss an opportunity topersonally thank anyone whohad been so kind as to includeThe SF/SPCA’s homeless companionanimals in their estateplans. The annual LegacySociety Tea is the result of thispledge.“When colleagues chidedme about fostering a puppyand getting all bonded andkeeping her,” Jean explained,“I laughed and laughed attheir naiveté. I’d fostered andhad in my home for trainingscores of dogs, and only asmall handful were ever difficultto give back.” Jean hadtaken on this tough case as atest of her skills as a trainer.Love had nothing to do withit, and she never dreamed herheart would become involved,much less of adopting her difficultclient. “Never say never,”Jean concluded, smilingdown at her fluffy Buffy. YTo learn more about TheSF/SPCA Legacy Society, contactKaty Volz at The SanFrancisco SPCA, (415) 554-3027, or kvolz@sfspca.org.TOP: JuanitaGonzalezdotes on MissMillie, anSF/SPCAstaff member’sdog.BOTTOM: Buffyrelaxes(while keepingan eye onthe cucumbersandwiches)as her proudmom showsher off.been no.”Each year, a member of TheSF/SPCA staff is asked to bethe featured speaker at thissmall-scale event, givingmembers the opportunity tolearn firsthand how profoundlytheir generosity affects thework and mission of theorganization. It’s also a chancefor presenters like Jean tooffer a glimpse into their ownwork and their personal motivationbehind it.The Legacy Society Tea isheld once a year to honor themany generous individualswho have pledged bequests toThe SF/SPCA in their estateplans. The Society, now numberingover 200 members, wasfounded in 2003 as a means ofrectifying a missed opportunity.Earlier that year, theSF/SPCA was notified thatAnita West, a teacher, artist,and dog lover, had left a sub-Summer 2008 | www.sfspca.org | SF/SPCA Our Animals 21
Page 1 and 2: VOL. 102, NO. 2 SUMMER 2008San Fran
Page 4 and 5: Animals Make the RoundsNow in its 2
Page 6 and 7: The San FranciscoSPCA Feral CatAssi
Page 8 and 9: TOP: During ahard-hat tour,SF/SPCAD
Page 10 and 11: Summer Camp’s Life LessonsThe sto
Page 12 and 13: TOP LEFT:Tiffany withAbby, her doga
Page 14 and 15: ED CHANGood WillTowardAnimals - and
Page 16 and 17: Which way tothe buffet?16 Our Anima
Page 18 and 19: Kimberlywith Frostyat TheSF/SPCAOn
Page 22: NEW from Jean DonaldsonAward-winnin

Summer 2008 - San Francisco SPCA

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