Our Services
VET SOS is a volunteer-based program providing free veterinary care for the companion animals of homeless San Franciscans. VET SOS is operated by the San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium (SFCCC), a private non-profit agency, and works in collaboration with five community animal service organizations.
Our Mission
Founded in 2001, VET SOS aims to improve the health of companion animals of homeless San Franciscans, decrease the spread of infectious disease, reduce pet overpopulation, foster the human-animal bond, and champion the welfare of homeless pet guardians and animals in San Francisco.
What We Do
Modeled after and now part of the SFCCC's successful Street Outreach Services (SOS) healthcare for the homeless program, VET SOS provides physical examinations, basic medical procedures, vaccinations, and acute medical care to homeless pets. Through the use of a specially equipped mobile outreach van, VET SOS also distributes pet supplies, including food, flea control products, and leashes/collars.
Why We're Needed
The healing bond between humans and animals is powerful. The benefits of animal companionship are intensified for people who are homeless, as companion animals are often their only source of ongoing love and support. By providing life-saving care for their animal companions, VET SOS is also directly aiding the health and well-being of people who live on San Francisco's streets.
Our Successes
VET SOS is the only collaboration of its kind in San Francisco. VET SOS eliminates barriers to care by bringing free veterinary services directly to places where homeless people and their animals live.
By establishing a consistent, non-judgmental presence in the lives of homeless people, assisting them to provide for the basic healthcare needs of their companions, and advocating for their welfare, VET SOS establishes relationships of trust with homeless pet owners.
Once trust is established, these individuals are more likely to be receptive to messages about their own healthcare needs.