Leadership at San Francisco Animal Care and Control is switching after a new executive director was announced.
Amy Corso, who has served as deputy director since 2023, will head the city’s animal shelter. She succeeds Virginia Donohue, who held the position for more than 10 years.
“I am deeply honored and excited to step into the role of Executive Director for San Francisco Animal Care and Control,” Corso said in a statement Friday. “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.”
Corso has been at ACC since 2015, starting as an assistant supervising animal control officer and later managing the Field Services Division. She has worked on animal cruelty investigations in partnership with the San Francisco Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office.
Corso won a San Francisco Good Government Award in 2024 for her work to expand access to veterinary care and pet food through fee waivers and partnerships.
“Amy Corso has dedicated her career to keeping animals and people safe and healthy,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a statement. “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.”
ACC is the city’s only open admission shelter, taking in around 8,000 to 10,000 animals annually. It also enforces all state and local animal control and welfare laws. Its staff responds to calls to help animals who are injured or in distress
The shelter underwent a major transition under Donohue’s leadership when it opened a new location, transferring all shelter operations to a seismically safe headquarters with more space for animals.
“It has been an honor to serve San Francisco’s animals and the people who care about them,” Donohue said in a statement.
Corso’s appointment will become effective in June.
