Giving Tuesday is celebrated around the world, but in Santa Barbara County, it becomes something more—a meaningful moment to support the people and places that make our community special. At Noozhawk, we’re committed to uplifting local efforts and showing how everyday generosity can create lasting impact right here at home.
Through our Good for Santa Barbara County Nonprofit Section, we spotlight organizations working tirelessly to serve our neighbors. Whether you choose to contribute financially, volunteer your time, or share their stories with others, your support truly makes a difference.
Browse our Giving Guide to discover ways you can help brighten the holiday season for community members who need it most.
For this feature, Noozhawk spoke with Isabelle Gullo, Executive Director & Co-Founder at C.A.R.E.4Paws, to learn more about the nonprofit’s mission to expand access to affordable pet care and support families in need across the Central Coast.
Q: What motivated the creation of your nonprofit?
A: C.A.R.E.4Paws was founded in 2009 with the goal to prevent dogs and cats from ending up in shelters and improving quality of life for pet families in need in Santa Barbara County. We have since expanded many of our services to San Luis Obispo (SLO) County.
Our founders, started out as shelter volunteers for Santa Barbara County Animal Services, where they experienced firsthand how dogs and cats were abandoned at an alarmingly high rate. They realized that the main contributor to shelter overpopulation was lack of access to affordable pet care, from spays/neuters and veterinary treatment to pet food and animal behavior training.
The founders envisioned that by working directly in the community to provide a safety net of accessible services to pet families in need, they could alter the outcome for animals and the people who love them, preventing suffering and pet homelessness.
Over the last 16 years, this vision has become a reality. C.A.R.E.4Paws supports more than 25,000 Central Coast pet families annually through the provision of affordable spay/neuter services, veterinary care and vaccine clinics, pet food distribution, and assistance for families exposed to domestic violence and those experiencing homelessness.
Q: How is your nonprofit primarily funded, and what are its biggest needs right now?
A: C.A.R.E.4Paws is funded entirely through grants, individual donations and business sponsorships, with some earned income generated by our low-cost mobile clinic services.
Our greatest current need is funding for pet wellness services, as so many families are struggling to access veterinary care. In 2025 alone, our Mobile Community Medicine & Spay/Neuter Outreach team will assist more than 16,000 dogs and cats with vaccines, flea treatment, spays/neuters, medical exams, bloodwork, mass removals, dental care, and treatment of skin, ear and eye issues. Every dollar donated goes a long way in keeping our two mobile clinics rolling.
Also, as emergency veterinary care becomes increasingly expensive, many families simply cannot afford the critical treatment their pets require. Some animals also need services beyond the scope of our mobile clinic setup. This is why we created the Albus Fund alongside Advanced Veterinary Specialists (AVS) and two generous Santa Barbara animal lovers, Andrew and Kendra Feshbach. As resources allow, the Albus Fund assists with urgent and lifesaving care at C.A.R.E.4Paws’ many partner veterinary clinics, helping to ensure that pets get the treatment they deserve and families receive the support they desperately need.
This holiday season, for the third year, the Feshbachs invite the community to join a $25,000 matching gift challenge to support the Albus Fund. All donations up to $25,000 will be matched, dollar for dollar, preventing suffering, saving lives and keeping pets healthy and with their people. Learn more about the Albus Fund’s incredible impact in our inspiring video.
Additionally, right now, more families than ever struggle to feed themselves, let alone their beloved dogs and cats. If you want to help ensure no pet in our community goes hungry, we invite you to join us for our Howliday Donation Drive-Thru Saturday, December 6, from 11am to 2pm, with drop-off hubs at several Central Coast partner locations, including Santa Barbara’s Earl Warren Showgrounds and La Cumbre Feed, Klondike Pizza in Santa Maria and Arroyo Grande, Dr. Greenthumb’s Dispensary in Santa Maria and Edwards Barn in Nipomo.
If you cannot make it but would like to contribute, visit care4paws.org/drive to find places to drop off food anytime of the year, donate funds or shop our Amazon and Chewy wish lists.
Q: What types of events or programs do you run to engage your community and raise funds?
A: All of C.A.R.E.4Paws’ programs allow for the community to get involved. For example, individuals and companies can become sponsors of our two mobile clinics, which helps provide pet wellness services to those who need them the most. Businesses can become Corporate Partners, sign up to be a hub where people can drop off pet food donations or host their own food drives for families in need.
Students, too, can host donation drives, like high-school student and C.A.R.E.4Paws volunteer Ava Vasquez does annually at her former elementary school, Vieja Valley, raising several tons of food each time!
C.A.R.E.4Paws’ largest event is our Happy Tails Celebration & Fundraiser at the Cabrillo Pavilion in Santa Barbara. This inspiring event highlights the ongoing growth of C.A.R.E.4Paws’ programs, and we are soliciting sponsorships as well as silent and live auction donations for our 2026 gala, which takes place May 3.
Q: What sets your nonprofit apart from similar organizations?
A: C.A.R.E.4Paws is the only animal organization on the Central Coast that delivers such a broad range of pet family resources directly in the community—and across two large counties. We know that access to veterinary care improves the lives of pets and their people, yet many families face significant barriers unless services are brought straight to their neighborhood. That’s exactly what our Mobile Community Medicine & Spay/Neuter Outreach program provides throughout Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
Also, since the start of the pandemic through fall 2025, we have distributed more than 7 million free pet meals to ensure no animal goes hungry.
Our support for unhoused pet families continues to grow in collaboration with close partners such as Street Dog Coalition, Good Samaritan Shelter, 5Cities Homeless Coalition, Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness and Community Action Partnership San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO).
C.A.R.E.4Paws’ strong partnerships with both human-service and animal-welfare organizations are part of what makes us unique. These relationships allow us to reach families who otherwise would have little or no access to care.
The human-animal bond is powerful, and we are committed to preserving it.
Q: Could you share a story or two about individuals whose lives have been positively impacted by your organization?
A: Zero sent C.A.R.E.4Paws a note to share that he’s deeply thankful for everyone at C.A.R.E.4Paws who helped his kitty Herbie fight through her battle with the deadly FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). “My emotional support and service animals keep me going daily, and the kindness we’ve received has meant the world.
Herbie got the treatment, vet checks and spaying she needed and I feel incredibly blessed. If you’re able, please consider donating to C.A.R.E.4Paws and support these amazing people and the life-saving work they continue to do.”
Nine years ago, Jon adopted Peanut from the Santa Barbara County Animal Services’ Santa Maria shelter, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. For several years, Peanut has received pet wellness services through C.A.R.E.4Paws, and Jon couldn’t be more grateful for our support.
He says he loves our affordable services and compassionate team. “C.A.R.E.4Paws has been helping my little girl Peanut a lot, including with the medications that she needs,” says Jon. “Without their support, I wouldn’t be able to afford it. I’ll be honest; I don’t know what I would do. Thank you, C.A.R.E.4Paws.”
Q: How do you share your nonprofit’s impact and updates with the public?
A: We have an informative website and very active social media pages, including Facebook, Instagram as well as LinkedIn. We also partner with dozens of animal welfare and family welfare agencies as well as local businesses that help spread the word to those in need. For special events, we place ads, post flyers and send press releases to the media.
Q: What makes your organization trustworthy for donors, and are there other ways people can support your cause beyond donations?
A: We are a boots-on-the-ground organization whose goal is to meet pet families where they are and to deliver services as efficiently as possible. We know our supporters have many worthy causes to choose from, and they want their gifts to create real, measurable impact. At C.A.R.E.4Paws, we make every dollar count, stretching each donation to help as many animals as we can.
As core donors John and Karen Jostes affirm: “C.A.R.E.4Paws does amazing work for pet families without a lot of overhead. They use resources very effectively, which makes every dollar you give go further. It’s a great investment!”
There are many ways to give beyond actual funds. We always welcome volunteers to help with programs and events. We have a truly fantastic team of volunteers who donate their time and talents and we could not do our work with them!
Q: Can you highlight one immediate goal and one long-term vision your nonprofit aims to achieve in the next year?
A: We believe no family should ever be forced to choose between their own safety and the well-being of their beloved animals, or have to relinquish a pet to a shelter because they have nowhere else to turn. This is why we’re launching C.A.R.E.4Paws’ Pet Refuge, our region’s first confidential emergency boarding facility to provide temporary, free shelter for Central Coast pets whose families are navigating life crises such as domestic violence, deportation, and fires and other natural disasters. The location will remain undisclosed to protect the families we are helping, and pets will be reunited with their people when the time is right.
The Refuge will house dogs in a state-of-the-art, 10-bay dog kennel structure with an adjacent, 40,000-square-foot play-yard, while cats stay in cozy rooms in a separate, quiet building. A third-party partner will provide the day-to-day care of the animals, with C.A.R.E.4Paws staff and volunteers supporting animals with extra one-on-one time and exercise as well as wellness appointments.
We still need to raise $65,000 to meet our $220,000 goal. We offer many ways to support the Refuge—including sponsor and naming opportunities—and are truly grateful for the amazing gifts we have received so far! For details on sponsor and naming opportunities, or to donate toward animal care, please visit care4paws.org/petrefuge.
Q: Is there anything important or unique about your nonprofit that we haven’t covered yet?
A: Collaboration is at the heart of our mission. It takes a village, and our partnerships allow us to reach families who otherwise would have nowhere to turn. One powerful example of how these relationships keep pets and people together is our partnership with 5Cities Homeless Coalition (5CHC), and the story of Kenny and his beloved dog, McKenzie.
Kenny rescued McKenzie a little over a year ago, and for their first 12 months together, they were homeless. For McKenzie, who’s roughly 10 years old, the cold nights were tough, which made Kenny rethink his next steps. “I ended up in my circumstance due to personal choices, and it’s one thing to put myself through that, but I couldn’t put her through it.”
In October, Kenny was offered pet-friendly housing in the Cabins for Change at 5CHC. However, per the shelter rules, McKenzie had to get spayed first and so the staff reached out to C.A.R.E.4Paws for help.
“We do housing and shelter incredibly well, but we don’t do vet care,” says 5CHC’s Associate Director, Devon Mcquade. “That’s where C.A.R.E.4Paws comes in. They make sure the pets staying here are well fed and cared for.”
Before McKenzie’s spay at Monarch Dunes Vet Clinic, Dr. Tim Bell was already prepared to remove several mammary gland tumors but then, during surgery, he discovered very large ovarian cysts, too. This meant the surgery was even more invasive and significantly more costly.
Thankfully, we were able to pull funding from our generous Womenade grant and the Albus Fund and now, more than a month later, McKenzie is on the mend and as sweet and loving as ever.
“Life is far more optimistic now,” says Kenny, who helps with the landscaping at 5CHS. “C.A.R.E.4Paws’ ability to go above and beyond is an understatement.” He looks down at McKenzie resting comfortably in his lap and adds, “Consistent therapy. That’s what it’s like for me to have her.”
Kenny and McKenzie’s story is a testament to what collaboration and community support can achieve for pet families in need. Learn more about their journey by watching our video here.
Click here to support C.A.R.E 4Paws efforts to reduce pet homelessness, offer accessible veterinary care, and support vulnerable pet families throughout Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
Check out Noozhawk’s Guide to Giving for a full list of nonprofits to donate to this giving season.
If you would like to include your nonprofit in our Good for Santa Barbara section and Giving Guide click HERE.