MINUTES
San Francisco Commission of Animal Control & Welfare
February 19, 2015

 

1. Call to Order and Roll Call

Commissioners Present: Nanci Haines, Davi Lang, Sally Stephens, Russell Tenofsky, Julene Johnson

2. General Public Comment
Members of the public may address the Commission with comments or recommendations on items within
the Commission’s jurisdiction other than the items on the agenda at the beginning or end of the meeting,
but not both.

None, public comment closed.

3. Approval of Draft Minutes from the January 15, 2015 Meeting

No revisions or public comment. Minutes approved.

4. Chairperson’s report and opening remarks
A) Update on Commission Vacancies and Appointments to the Commission. A new Director of
Animal Care and Control Virginia Donahue, co-Founder and Co-Owner of Pet Camp. The announcement
thanked Marian Saez for her work. It is not an agendized item as it came out after the agenda was
published. She begins March 2.
No public comment, public comment closed.
Four commissioners will be re-appointed or not re-applying for appointment. So anyone who is
interested should go to the Board of Supervisors website for the application. Commissioners serve for two
years. The other commissioners expire next year. In addition to those four, Dr. O’Neill has given up her spot
on the Commission for a veterinarian who practices in San Francisco. The other members are residents, but
just people who are interested in animals. No date has been set for the hearing with rules committee of the
Board of Supervisors. The four who expire are Lang, Tenofsky, Stephens, Johnson.

No public comment, public comment closed.

5. Commissioners’ Reports

None, no public comment.

6. Old Business
A) Update on Sale of Ivory in San Francisco and Poaching of Wild Elephants. Update on Sup.
Wiener’s resolution at the SF Board of Supervisors to support AB 96, the bill currently being considered in
Sacramento for strict enforcement of the ban on the sale of ivory in California.
Commissioner Stephens: Last month, the commission voted to support the state bill which would
tighten enforcement of the sale of ivory. San Francisco and Los Angeles are big consumers of ivory.
Supervisor Weiner introduced a resolution, co-sponsored by Supervisor Tang, which was to support
AB-96. There was a hearing on February 2 in front of the land use committee and I spoke on behalf
of the commission. The resolution was passed unanimously. It seems that the SF resolution has
garnered lots of support. The AB-96 proposal will be heard on March 10 at the state capitol. Thank
you, Commissioner Tenofsky, for bringing this in front of the commission last month.

No public comment, public comment closed.

7. General Public Comment
Members of the public may address the Commission with comments or recommendations on items within
the Commission’s jurisdiction other than the items on the agenda at the beginning or end of the meeting,
but not both.
Maria Conlon, ACC volunteer with cat behavior group and Give Me Shelter Rescue. In the last few
months, several cats with treatable conditions. When people think of animals being euthanized, people think
they must be really awful, orcan see that the cats are okay. Many of them have dental issues. Many who have
behavior issues are fine once they are removed from the stressful environment of the shelter.
No further comment, public comment closed.

8. Items to be put on the Calendar for Future Commission Meetings
None. No public comment, public comment closed.

9. Closing Review of Task Allotments and Next Steps

10. Adjournment have awful conditions. When people see the photos, they