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The latest news and announcements from Mayor London N. Breed

Mayor Lee & City Administrator Kelly Announce Appointment of Virgina Donohue As City’s Director Of Animal Care & Control

New Director of Animal Care & Control Ready to Lead City’s Animal Care Services

Mayor Edwin M. Lee and City Administrator Naomi L. Kelly today announced the appointment of Virginia Donohue as Director of the San Francisco Animal Care and Control Department.

“Virginia’s extensive experience in animal care and her strong relationships with animal welfare organizations and the veterinary community will help strengthen our City’s Animal Care and Control Department,” said Mayor Lee.  “As an advocate for animals and a passion for their well-being, I look forward to Virginia’s leadership.”

“After an exhaustive search and competitive selection process, I am confident Virginia’s unique blend of knowledge and experience in animal care and welfare, management, public relations and the public sector make her the ideal person for the Director position,” said City Administrator Kelly. “For the last 17 years, as founder and co-owner of Pet Camp, a successful San Francisco animal daycare and stay care facility, Virginia has been dedicated to outstanding animal care.”

The San Francisco Department of Animal Care and Control is committed to the delivery of effective, courteous, and responsive animal care and control services to the residents of San Francisco. The Department is responsible for San Francisco’s stray, injured, abandoned, neglected, and mistreated animals, as well as for the enforcement of all state and local Animal Control and Welfare laws.

Donohue in 1997 started an animal daycare and stay care facility called Pet Camp, which when full, cares for 150 dogs and 80 cats. Before Pet Camp, Donohue was the Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approximately nine years, during which time she was responsible for media and public relations for Federal environmental programs for Region IX (California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii).  

Donohue holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University and a Master’s degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Donohue will begin her service as Director of Animal Care and Control on March 2, 2015.