She was just a little mixed breed dog who very nearly lost her life back in the 80s, and you may never have heard of her. But she's been credited for inspiring the birth of the modern no-kill movement. From my column today on SFGate.com:
When Sido's owner, San Francisco's Mary Murphy, committed suicide in 1979, her will left strict instructions that Sido be taken to her veterinarian and "destroyed." The will's executor, Rebecca Wells Smith, said Murphy was afraid no one could take the right kind of care of her dog.
But Sido was in the care of the San Francisco SPCA, and its director, Richard Avanzino, saw things very differently. When Smith went to court to force the agency to have the dog killed, Avanzino refused, vowing that all the SPCA's resources would be used to fight for her life.
"The law says a pet can be destroyed like a piece of furniture," he told the Anchorage Daily News. "We're saying that's wrong."
After Sido's story broke in the Chronicle, the SPCA's phones rang off the hook with calls from reporters from all over the country. At first, Avanzino told me, "It was sort of like, 'What is all this furor over a little creature walking on four legs?' And they would come into my office, and she would walk over to them, and she would put her paw on their knee ... and she'd look up at them with those beautiful eyes and they said, 'I get it. I understand.' And they wrote the story."
It wasn't only reporters who fell in love with Sido. While the court case was going on, Avanzino was at the same time pressing lawmakers in Sacramento to pass a law to save her life. "She was a charmer," he said. "She was adorable. And she basically said to the world, 'Even though my caregiver has passed, I want another chance.' And the world responded to her."
What happened to Sido, and how did she inspire Avanzino to begin his great "experiment in compassion" in San Francisco? Find out here.
Photo of Sido and Rich Avanzino in 1980, courtesy of Rich's personal collection.
Disclaimer: I do some freelance work for Maddie's Fund, the organization Rich Avanzino now heads.
I went to the article, a bright light of hope for the day - printed it and will share - it's my biggest hope that No Kill will become the norm - it will change so many things for the better in this ol' world...thanks for all your good work Christie Keith.
Posted by: mary frances | 21 June 2010 at 08:00 PM
Kind of cross commenting here:
Yesbiscuit comments on this story on KC Dog Blog - 6/22/10
"If we took killing off the table, would your shelter find a way to find homes for all of the pets?"
Yesbiscuit asks "I would honestly love to find out the answer to this via a real life trial. how about we place a 6 month moratorium on the killing of healthy/treatable, friendly pets in shelters and see what happens?"
Is that not brilliant? and who better to make amends and lead the way...HSUS...could be a golden opportunity for redemption?
Posted by: mary frances | 23 June 2010 at 08:00 PM