Dedicated for Decades

It’s been 40 years since Nancy Duncan first began volunteering with the San Francisco SPCA. When she started, she volunteered twice a week socializing kittens. Not long after, Nancy trained to become a volunteer matchmaker and supported the Adoptions team with connecting homeless pets and forever families. At the same time, she was training professionally to gain certification as an animal behaviorist. Whether in her spare time or her career pursuits, animals were the focus.

“I opened a pet care business,” she recalls. “It was called My Furry Friend.” Here, in addition to caring for pets when guardians were away, she offered behavioral consults and bereavement counseling.

This advanced training carried over into her volunteer work and allowed her to also advise potential adopters on which shelter cats would be the right fit for their family and lifestyle.

While COVID-19 restrictions limit volunteer participation these days, Nancy is eager to hop right back in as soon as safety allows. “I miss it a lot,” she said. “I’d love to be able to spend time hanging with the cats at campus.”

When asked why she chose to leave a legacy with us, she said, “I really believe the San Francisco SPCA has done so much groundbreaking work. I’ve been a volunteer since 1981. I watched the shift to No-Kill, the shift to Fear Free, and I just feel it’s one of one of the best organizations in the country.”

It also just so happened that years ago, her family veterinarian was Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, now-President of the San Francisco SPCA. “She was an incredible vet,” Nancy remembers. “With her, the San Francisco SPCA is just ahead of the game.”

You can help ensure groundbreaking programs continue for years to come by including a gift in your estate plan to the San Francisco SPCA. To learn about your options, contact Director of Planned Giving June Hom at (415) 430-3251 or jhom@sfspca.org today.