Published: Wednesday, Nov 01, 2023 | 4:15pm
Santa Barbara, Calif., November 1, 2023 – As the cost of living on the Central Coast continues to rise, thousands of families struggle to pay household bills and put food on the table. This includes feeding and caring for their four-legged family members.
To help provide pet food and supplies, as well as veterinary services for community members in need, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties and C.A.R.E.4Paws cohost a donation drive this weekend from 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at two locations. On Saturday, November 4, supporters can drop off dog and cat food, new or gently used pet supplies and monetary donations at Berkshire Hathaway’s Santa Barbara office at 3868 State Street. On Sunday, November 5, the drive takes place at Santa Barbara County Animal Services’ (SBCAS) shelter in Goleta at 5473 Overpass Road.
The donations raised on Saturday will be distributed directly through C.A.R.E.4Paws’ Companion Pet Assistance program, which has provided more than 1.5 million free pet meals since the start of the pandemic, including weekly food distribution to unsheltered community members at locations such as Santa Barbara’s Alameda Park.
Donations raised on Sunday will support the Pet Resource Centers (PRCs) located at SBCAS’s Goleta, Lompoc and Santa Maria shelter facilities, where families in need can pick up food, supplies and sign up for mobile clinic veterinary services through C.A.R.E.4Paws. The PRCs are co-operated by SBCAS, C.A.R.E.4Paws and Companion Animal Placement Assistance (CAPA) in partnership with Animal Shelter Assistance Program (ASAP), Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter (BUNS), K-9 PALS and Santa Barbara County Animal Care Foundation.
Community members can also visit C.A.R.E.4Paws’ Amazon Wishlist to purchase items to be delivered. Monetary gifts, which can be donated anytime at care4paws.org/help, will pay for pet food and veterinary services provided in C.A.R.E.4Paws’ mobile clinics, including free and low-cost spays/neuters, medical care and vaccines.
“We are thrilled to partner with C.A.R.E.4Paws so food and other resources can be collected and distributed directly in the community,” says Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties’ realtor Charlotte Cross, who is organizing this weekend’s donation drive.
“When people live in poverty, so do their pets,” says C.A.R.E.4Paws’ cofounder and executive director, Isabelle Gullo. “No one should have to choose between paying household bills and feeding or providing veterinary care for their beloved four-legged family members. We thank Berkshire Hathaway and realtor Charlotte Cross for spearheading this donation drive, which will help keep pets healthy and with the people who love them.”
For more details about how to support the Pet Food Donation Drive, go to care4paws.org/events. For more information about C.A.R.E.4Paws and its services, visit care4paws.org or reach out via info@care4paws.org or 805-968-2273.
About C.A.R.E.4Paws
C.A.R.E.4Paws—short for Community Awareness, Responsibility & Education—works to reduce pet overpopulation, keep animals out of shelters and improve quality of life for pet families in need. Its critical services include free and low-cost spays/neuters, veterinary care and vaccine events in C.A.R.E.4Paws’ own mobile veterinary clinics; distribution of pet food and supplies; support for pet families exposed to domestic violence through Safe Haven; Paws Up For Pets humane education; and Pet Emergency Training (P.E.T.) for First Responders. C.A.R.E.4Paws has worked in Santa Barbara County since 2009 and, in 2022, the nonprofit expanded its mobile clinic services to San Luis Obispo County.