On a spring day in 1868, San Francisco banker James Sloan Hutchinson caught sight of two men dragging a terrified hog along the rough cobblestone street. Appalled, Hutchinson stepped in to stop the cruelty and rescue the hog. The incident crystallized Hutchinson’s concern over widespread animal abuse, and he soon rallied 15 like-minded citizens to found the San Francisco SPCA.

Since then the SF SPCA has become one of San Francisco’s most enduring and respected institutions. It is a national leader in saving homeless cats and dogs and working to end animal abandonment.