It’s Raining Free Cats and Dogs in San Francisco This Month

This is the month to take a little furry dude home. So to speak. (San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

San Francisco is not in a sorry state: The city is doing just fine, thank you. There are people packing Li Po on Saturday nights like they have for decades and families bumping their strollers along the Great Highway as they have since the pandemic’s onset. Downtown might be as rough around the edges as ever — the Barbary Coast’s historical lows come to mind — but there are a million ways to make city living easier if you’re having a rough go. Get a dog. It’s free.

The San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SFPCA) is sending home dogs and cats five months and older for free until February 29, 2024. The nonprofit has provided emotional support through adorable animals for over 40 years through programs bringing dogs to schools and hospitals, too. Cats over seven are free all the time, and if you miss this window you can take the organization’s Puppy Parent Orientation to get 50 percent off dog adoption fees in March. Adoptions are free for military personnel, and it might be a good time to check into emotional support animal (ESA) paperwork.

There’s not even an application — interested parties can just go to the Mission District adoption center at 250 Florida Street between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday or 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays. Proof of address, and a valid I.D. is all that’s required for those 18 and older. You can even go home with a furry little pal the very same day. Pro tip: look up the available cats and dogs online in advance, or just meet them IRL.

There aren’t many reasons not to take an older animal home for a sweet final senescence for said ancient dog or cat. It’s an act of service, as millions of animals are euthanized every year in the United States for a lack of suitable homes. The Atlantic reported in 2012 that PETA, of all organizations, has a high kill rate for its impounded animals, and for seemingly nefarious reasons. Of course just because they’re older than five months old doesn’t mean the animal is decrepit or super old, but that’s always the kind of animal I myself have veered toward. My cat Kristofferson Bruno Pereira Bicchieri is a weird little pandemic baby, a freak of nature in the best kind of way, and my time living in San Francisco’s only been a thousand times better for his company. I recommend getting a cat or an old tiny dog for those of us without big yards and with mean landlords, looking into ESA paperwork, and heading down to the SFPCA by the end of February.

Kristofferson emotionally supports your journalist plenty. (Paolo Bicchieri)