On May 4, 2025, we hosted our annual Happy Tails Celebration & Fundraiser at the Cabrillo Pavilion in Santa Barbara, supporting pet families on the Central Coast. The event was a heartfelt gathering that showcased our organization’s impactful work and the deep connections forged within the community.

The evening was filled with warmth and generosity, raising more than $250,000 for our programs, a big record compared to previous years. These funds are pivotal in sustaining programs that provide essential services, such as spay/neuter surgeries, veterinary care, vaccines, pet food and supplies to families in need. 

Join us on Sunday, May 4, for our Happy Tails Celebration & Fundraiser 2025 at Santa Barbara’s Cabrillo Pavilion, 4pm to 7pm. The event celebrates the pawsitive outcomes from our community work and heartfelt stories from the families we assist. Enjoy wine, beer, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the oceanfront terrace, a delicious dinner by Whiskey ‘N Rye, and curated live and silent auctions. Please spread the pawsitive news! Sponsorship opportunities are available. 

February may be National Spay/Neuter Month, but really, every day of every month should be dedicated to raising awareness about the importance and benefits of spaying/neutering. For one, shelters everywhere across California and the U.S. are full. Out of the 6.5 million cats and dogs that end up in shelters each year, half of these pets are euthanized due to lack of space or rehoming opportunities. Spaying/neutering is vital to controlling overpopulation and saving lives. It is also essential when it comes to preventing pet disease and improving the quality of life for pets and their families.

A spay/neuter surgery can greatly reduce a pet’s risk of getting cancer and other serious health issues as the dog or cat ages. It can also prevent or improve many unwanted behaviors, such as excessive marking, cat screaming and the pets’ urge to escape. Learn more about the benefits, myths and facts here.

Additionally, spaying/neutering reduces financial pressures on the community, including taxpayers and local agencies, as the sheltering of abandoned pets costs millions of dollars annually.

“If we’re ever going to solve the pet overpopulation problem we’re facing, locally and everywhere around us, we have to ensure families have access to affordable spay/neuter surgeries,” says Isabelle Gullo, executive director and cofounder of C.A.R.E.4Paws, a Central Coast nonprofit that provides low-cost veterinary care in its two mobile clinics. “We also have to change mentalities around spaying/neutering and get the whole community behind us. Because if families keep breeding pets and having accidental litters at this rate, our shelters will remain full, animals will continue to suffer and more dogs and cats will be euthanized due to lack of space.”

If you cannot afford the spay/neuter surgery at your pet’s regular veterinarian, C.A.R.E.4Paws provides free and low-cost options.

Our humane society partners also provide affordable care on the Central Coast:

Santa Barbara Humane

Woods Humane Society

Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society & DAWG

Due to many factors, including the economy, soaring vet costs and an 11% increase in homelessness in Santa Barbara County, demand for access to affordable pet care has hit an all-time high in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

Since 2009, C.A.R.E.4Paws has made a tremendous impact. We tirelessly serve thousands of pet families in marginalized communities by providing access to affordable veterinary care, pet food, dog training, foster care, and other critical resources. In 2024 alone, we provided critical resources to over 30,000 pets, which includes assisting 19,200 cats and dogs with affordable wellness services and thousands more with pet meals and supplies!

The inability to care for a beloved pet—a vital source of comfort and companionship—takes quite a toll on community members, especially those already experiencing hardship.

“We are here to help ensure families have access to pet care and other resources they need,” says C.A.R.E.4Paws’ Cofounder and Executive Director, Isabelle Gullö. “Can you imagine the pain of not being able to feed or provide medical treatment for your cat or dog? Or having to give up your beloved companion to seek shelter from homelessness or domestic violence? Our programs support people experiencing financial hardship and temporary life transitions, and the demand for help is only increasing. With the community’s support, we can continue making an impact and prevent more suffering!”

Check out the heartfelt testimonials from numerous pet families impacted by our programs at Happy Tail Stories. Each story is a powerful tribute to the impact that C.A.R.E.4Paws programs have made. 

One inspiring story is that of Hunter and his newly adopted dog, Dixie (in the photo below), who urgently needed a large, malignant mammary tumor removed. C.A.R.E.4Paws, with the help of PetSmart Charities, stepped in to fund Dixie’s surgery, which Dr. Alex Gomes performed at a heavily discounted cost at Main Street Small Animal Hospital in Templeton. Dixie was spayed at the same time. Grateful for the support, Hunter shared, “It’s absolutely amazing. We would never have been able to do this, as it’s a really expensive surgery. This will help her live!”

We invite the community to play an active role in providing solutions with us!

Mobile Clinic Sponsorships

In 2024 alone, C.A.R.E.4Paws’ Mobile Community Medicine & Spay/Neuter Outreach program provided low-cost and free vaccines, spay/neuter surgeries, and other medical services to 19,200 cats and dogs in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo (SLO) counties surpassing the 17,000 served in 2023 and the 13,000 the year before. Businesses and individual supporters can have their logos and names on the backs of the nonprofit’s two mobile veterinary clinics. Sponsorship opportunities are available at the Gold, Platinum, and Lifetime levels; visit Clinic Sponsorships to learn more.

Monetary Gifts

Financial contributions help fund essential services such as mobile veterinary care and pet food distribution. You can donate directly at this link: Donate.

Foster 

Fostering helps pet families exposed to domestic violence. Studies show that many survivors stay an average of two years longer in a violent situation when family pets are involved. C.A.R.E.4Paws’ Safe Haven program provides immediate, anonymous shelter for animals until they can be reunited with their loving owners. Foster requests also come from community members going through a temporary transition, such as hospitalization and homelessness. Find out more at Foster a Pet in Need.

Volunteer

Volunteer support is critical for C.A.R.E.4Paws’ programs and events, including pet wellness clinics, Paws Up For Pets early education and outreach, Community Outreach, and Companion Pet Assistance (delivery of pet food and supplies). Visit this volunteer link to fill out an application and learn more.

Pet Food and Supplies

Since the pandemic, C.A.R.E.4Paws has distributed more than 5 million pet meals. Donation-drive support includes dropping off pet food at a partner location, donating monetary gifts, shopping wish lists or organizing a donation drive. Learn more at our Donation Drive link.

With ongoing community support, C.A.R.E.4Paws can continue bridging the gap for those needing affordable pet care, serving as a vital lifeline for beloved companion animals. Thank you for being part of this incredible effort—together, we’re making a profound impact!

On January 12, C.A.R.E.4Paws collaborated on a transport of 34 cats and dogs from three LA shelters alongside Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society & DAWG, ASAP Cats, Meade Canine Rescue and Cold Noses, Warm hearts.

LA shelters are filled with amazing animals looking for homes, and especially large dogs. Our goal was to free up kennel space for all of the pets that are entering shelters due to the devastating LA fires.  

Several of the dogs we planned to pull were at risk of being put down for lack of space or medical issues. Many of the 11 cats, all rescued by ASAP Cats, needed extensive medical attention.

Our teams signed the paperwork and carefully loaded all the animals. The shelter staff we met were so excited to see the cats and dogs leave, especially the long-timers and the pets at risk for being put to sleep.

Late on Sunday evening, the transport vehicles pulled up to ASAP Cats and SYVHS/DAWG to drop off pets and also to meet up with foster families taking in some of the C.A.R.E.4Paws dogs.

All 34 pets are safe and many are receiving medical care and lots of love from the rescue staff and volunteers and their foster families.

 C.A.R.E.4Paws is not a rescue, but we decided to pull 10 at-risk dogs to help save more lives. Nine of these dogs are now in foster and need to find forever homes. 

To support our partner rescues, visit their individual webpages and view adoptable pets.

Big sweet pups Moony and Dougie in the photos above are among nine dogs adoptable through C.A.R.E.4Paws. The kitty is available at ASAP Cats. 

Please also consider adopting or fostering from an LA shelter, as so many of the dogs, especially, are being put to sleep due to lack of space.

Thank you for making a pawsitive impact and saving lives!