City Administrator Carmen Chu announces Amy Corso as Executive Director of San Francisco Animal Care and Control

SAN FRANCISCO, CA---Today, City Administrator Carmen Chu announced the appointment of Amy Corso as the Executive Director of San Francisco Animal Care and Control (ACC). Corso most recently served as ACC’s Deputy Director, leading core operations at the City’s open admission animal shelter and overseeing the City’s response to animal-related emergencies alongside the Executive Director. 

Corso will succeed long-time ACC Executive Director Virginia Donohue, who has helmed ACC since 2015. Under Donohue’s leadership, ACC transitioned its shelter operations to a new, seismically safe facility and expanded public assistance programs, providing services and care to thousands of animals and guardians in San Francisco each year.  

"Animal Care and Control plays a critical role in protecting public health and keeping San Francisco's streets safe and clean," said Mayor Lurie. "Amy Corso has dedicated her career to keeping animals and people safe and healthy. I look forward to partnering with her as she leads the department into its next chapter and builds on Virginia Donohue's legacy of service to our city." 

“Animal Care and Control plays an integral role in protecting health and safety for animals and people, and there is no better person than Amy Corso to take the helm and build on the strong foundation already in place,” said City Administrator Carmen Chu. “Amy’s deep operational expertise and longstanding commitment to animal welfare ensures that San Francisco is in the best position possible to provide high-quality care and services for animals across our city and I look forward to working with her as she steps into the Executive Director role.”  

“I also want to thank Virginia Donohue for her dedicated leadership of Animal Care and Control over the past 11 years. During Virginia's tenure, the department underwent significant transformations, including the successful transition to its current facility and the expansion of vital social programs to ensure that pets and guardians can stay together. Her compassion for animals and unwavering commitment to Animal Care and Control's mission helped strengthen the organization for residents, volunteers, staff, and the countless animals in its care. We are grateful for her service and wish her all the best in her well-earned retirement.” 

Animal Care and Control operates San Francisco’s only open admission shelter, caring for all animals in need regardless of species, medical, or behavioral condition. ACC takes in between 8,000 to 10,000 animals annually and provides shelter to stray animals, surrendered pets, and animals whose owners are incarcerated, hospitalized, or displaced. Last fiscal year, ACC helped rehome over 3,500 animals through adoptions and transfers to adoption partners and reunited over 700 lost pets with their owners. 

ACC is also responsible for enforcing all state and local Animal Control and Welfare laws and investigating animal cruelty, abuse, and neglect. As the first responder for animals in natural disasters and other emergencies, ACC staff respond to wildlife incidents, rescuing animals in distress and ensuring the safety of both the public and animals. In 2025, ACC responded to over 11,500 calls to its emergency dispatch line with an average response time in emergencies of 20 minutes.  

In January, Animal Control Officers responded to a young mountain lion who wandered into San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood. Officers worked around the clock, across City and state agencies, to tranquilize and transport the lion to a habitat in the Santa Cruz mountains, while keeping the public safe.  

ACC partners with community organizations to meet the needs of the public and their pets. The shelter hosts low-cost veterinary clinics twice a week with Vets in Vans and monthly pet food pantries with Full Belly Bus. They also offer low-cost vaccination and microchip clinics throughout the year. For more information, visit sfanimalcare.org.  

About Amy Corso

Amy Corso has over 20 years of experience in animal behavior, welfare and public safety. As Deputy Director of ACC, she managed the shelter’s service representatives and veterinary care teams, serving hundreds of stray and domestic animals with vaccinations, spaying and neutering, and other veterinary care services each year.  

Corso led partnerships with community partners to expand ACC’s services, including with Vets in Vans to provide low-cost veterinary care and with the Sheriff’s Office Prisoners Legal Services unit to help incarcerated individuals reunite with their pets. With Vets in Vans, she worked on the creation of the Veterinary Equity for Shelter Pet Reunification (VESPR) grant to assist those who would otherwise have to surrender their pets due to medical costs. 

“I am deeply honored and excited to step into the role of Executive Director for San Francisco Animal Care and Control. Having served in this department for 10 years, I know firsthand the impact of our work and the immense dedication of our staff and volunteers," said Amy Corso. "Our team works tirelessly every day to protect and care for the City’s animals and to serve our community. I am incredibly grateful to Virginia for her unwavering support and her belief in my leadership, as well as her incredible legacy in building our new shelter. I look forward to leading this exceptional group as we continue to build on the vital work of ACC, strengthen our partnerships, and serve San Francisco together.” 

Corso worked her way up through the ranks of ACC, starting as an Assistant Supervising Animal Control Officer and later managing the Field Services Division as its Captain. As Captain, she oversaw animal cruelty investigations for the department, working closely with SFPD and the District Attorney’s Office. Prior to joining ACC, Corso served as an Animal Keeper at the SF Zoo, specializing in care and training of primate and carnivore species.  

In 2024, Corso received a SPUR Good Government Award for her work at ACC to expand access to veterinary care and pet food through fee waivers and partnerships, helping to keep pets in their original home to prevent animals from entering the shelter system. 

Corso holds a Bachelor’s in Zoology and Animal Behavior from San Francisco State University. She has been a resident of San Francisco for over 20 years and lives with her wife and kids, as well as her dog, cat, and fish. 

Her appointment is effective in June. 

About Virginia Donohue

Virginia Donohue has served as executive director of Animal Care and Control since 2015, leading the City’s public animal shelter while overseeing more than 60 staff and hundreds of volunteers.   

Donohue led the agency’s transition to its new operating location at 1419 Bryant St, transferring all shelter operations to a new, seismically safe headquarters that provides sanitary and humane conditions which meet animal health and welfare standards. The new shelter provides twice as much space per animal and is equipped with advanced cleaning and ventilation systems to improve the wellbeing and adoptability of its animal occupants. 

Prior to becoming Executive Director of ACC, Donohue co-founded and operated Pet Camp, a pet lodging facility for dogs and cats. Donohue previously held management roles in public affairs for the US Environmental Protection Agency, working in the Chicago and San Francisco regional offices.  

“It has been an honor to serve San Francisco’s animals and the people who care about them,” said Virginia Donohue. “Animal Care and Control is powered by an extraordinary team that works every day to protect both the public and the animals in our community. We are deeply grateful to our adopters, our volunteers, and the many residents who contact us with animal welfare concerns — their partnership makes our work possible.” 

Donohue has a Master’s degree in Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, both from Northwestern University. She is a parent to four adult children.