Published August 10, 2023 | 6:00pm | Oceano, San Luis Obispo County, California –

Three mobile clinics rolled into Oceano on Aug. 6, aiming to treat animals in the community at no cost to town residents in need. Although Santa Barbara-based C.A.R.E.4Paws charges for its services on a sliding scale and does comp services for those who can’t afford to pay anything, the nonprofit is now able to help the seaside berg’s pet population for free thanks to a $120,000 grant from PetSmart Charities.

“Only 10 nonprofits in the United States have received this grant, so it’s an incredible honor and a wonderful opportunity to be a part of this innovative initiative,” C.A.R.E.4Paws Executive Director Isabelle Gullö said. “This grant is part of PetSmart Charities’ visionary new $100 million grant program focusing on underserved communities.” 

C.A.R.E.4Paws had the opportunity to pick one community to serve when it applied for the Access to Care project grant. Gullö said Oceano is a fairly remote area where pet families have zero access to veterinary care or even affordable pet food, about 42 percent of the community members are Hispanic, and the per-capita income is less than $34,000 per year. 

As part of the first Pet Wellness Clinic event at the Oceano Parks and Recreation facility on Aug. 6, the nonprofit provided free spay/neuters and medical care inside its mobile units by prior appointment, as well as a walk-in clinic with free vaccines, microchipping, flea treatment, deworming medication, and nail trimming. Gullö said C.A.R.E.4Paws will be back in Oceano on Aug. 11 and 18 and then either weekly or biweekly, depending on the turnout to the first couple of events. 

“It’s a bit hard to say how huge the need is going to be, but we are definitely planning on having a regular presence there going forward,” she said. 

The nonprofit’s aim is to qualify again for the grant in future years and possibly expand the program to other underserved areas in SLO and Santa Barbara counties.

Gullö co-founded the nonprofit in 2009 with fellow Santa Barbara County Animal Services shelter volunteer Carlos Abitia, C.A.R.E.4Paws’ mobile clinic manager. She said they realized that the main contributor to shelter overpopulation is a lack of access to affordable pet care, so they launched the nonprofit that would work directly with communities, providing low- and no-cost care to pet families in need. In 2022, C.A.R.E.4Paws expanded its mobile community outreach and spay/neuter outreach program into SLO County with plans to do more in the future, including serving communities in northern SLO County.

On Aug. 6, the nonprofit debuted its new 37-foot mobile clinic in Oceano, which C.A.R.E.4Paws raised money for over the last three years. 

“The new clinic is larger and better equipped than our existing 26-foot units, with capacity for two surgery teams and increased kennels space, which allows us to house more large dogs during clinic days,” Gullö said. “This means we will use it the most going forward, but we plan to double up or use all three units as often as resources allow. The need for help keeps growing in both Santa Barbara and SLO counties, and we want to do all we can to meet that demand.” 

Published July 27, 2023 | 8:40 am |

Having access to veterinary care improves the lives of pets and their people. Yet, for many families, gaining that access is difficult, unless pet wellness services are brought directly to a family’s neighborhood, which is what C.A.R.E.4Paws does in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo (SLO) counties through its Mobile Community Medicine & Spay/Neuter Outreach program.

In August, the nonprofit will open its third mobile veterinary clinic, as well as an Access to Care initiative in the city of Oceano, made possible through grant funding from PetSmart Charities.

The Access to Care project starts Sunday, Aug. 6 with a Pet Wellness Clinic for Oceano families in need at Oceano Community Services District, 1655 Front St.

C.A.R.E.4Paws will provide free spays/neuters, health exams and other medical care by appointment in its two 26-foot mobile clinics and the new, 37-foot unit. (Apply through care4paws.org/oceano).

Outside the mobile units, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., C.A.R.E.4Paws offers free vaccines, flea treatment, deworming medication, microchips and nail trims for dogs and cats on a walk-in, first-come, first-serve basis.

The mobile clinic includes a double surgery suite, added equipment, and ample kennel space to house animals, including more large dogs. The unit allows C.A.R.E.4Paws to increase both the number of pets served annually and the geographical reach of its services.

“Many small, remote communities on the Central Coast, like Oceano, have chronically lacked access to pet wellness services of any kind,” says Isabelle Gullö, C.A.R.E.4Paws’ executive director/cofounder.

Of Oceano’s roughly 7,200 community members, 42 percent are Hispanic and the per-capita income is less than $34,000 per year, she said.

“When people struggle to care for their companion animals, it affects everyone in the family. The PetSmart Charities funding allows us to provide free veterinary services in Oceano on a continued basis, which helps keep pets healthy, out of shelters and with the people who love them,” she said.

“Most people today consider pets family, yet 50 million pets in the U.S. struggle to access even basic preventative care such as spay/neuter procedures, vaccinations and annual exams,” says Kate Atema, director of community grants and initiatives at PetSmart Charities.

“While this issue affects families in nearly every community, those who have been historically excluded from human social services are most in need of pet services, too,” she said. “We’re proud to support this innovative approach that meets the unique needs identified by those living in the communities themselves.”

C.A.R.E.4Paws’ new mobile clinic, the result of a three-year fundraising effort, will play a key role in the organization’s work in Oceano, as well as its work in other SLO and Santa Barbara County communities.

For more about C.A.R.E.4Paws’ Mobile Community Medicine & Spay/Neuter Outreach, its Access to Care project, and to make an appointment, visit care4paws.org/clinicservices and care4paws.org/oceano. 

Published July 14, 2023 | 9:57 am |

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – C.A.R.4Paws is on a mission to promote safety for animals through its “Paws up for Pets” campaign.

“Our goal with this program is to really help out with animal welfare and help reduce any pet from suffering,” said programs coordinator Wendy Domanski of C.A.R.E4Paws.

As a way to teach kids kindness compassion and empathy, the nonprofit organization launched the program in collaboration with the United Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara County.

“They teach the kids how animals are supposed to be handled … instead of a child curiosity to just go after the animals. So they are creating positive experiences for both our kids and the animals they encounter in the future,” said assistant director Azalia Urena of the Goleta Boys and Girls Club.

This week the nonprofit organization known as Buns brought bunnies and guinea pigs to the Goleta Boys and Girls Club.

As a way to teach kids kindness compassion and empathy, the nonprofit organization launched the program in collaboration with the United Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara County.

“They teach the kids how animals are supposed to be handled … instead of a child curiosity to just go after the animals. So they are creating positive experiences for both our kids and the animals they encounter in the future,” said assistant director Azalia Urena of the Goleta Boys and Girls Club.

This week the nonprofit organization known as Buns brought bunnies and guinea pigs to the Goleta Boys and Girls Club.

The program is aimed to enhance empathy among friends, family members and the community as a whole.