On May 4, about 200 supporters of CARE4Paws gathered at the Cabrillo Pavilion for the annual Happy Tails event, celebrating this treasured nonprofit and raising $210,000 for the veterinary services, food, and other assistance it provides to low-income and homeless pet owners.
In the program and in an interview, Cofounder and Executive Director Isabelle Gullö shared how CARE4Paws’s mobile veterinary clinics, which are conducted in two specially outfitted vehicles, continue to grow each year. Last year, nearly 20,000 dogs and cats received care — spay/neuter surgeries, vaccines, and other medical services. The clinics serve all of S.B. County and southern S.L.O. County, with the focus on where the need is greatest: northern S.B. County.
Boardmember Dr. Alex Gomes related how CARE4Paws’s spay and neuter program addresses the issue of pet overpopulation, relieving the strain on shelters. More broadly, the clinics deliver veterinary care that overcomes financial barriers as well as transportation and language barriers, enabling pet owners to get the care their pets need. The clinics address the harsh reality that these barriers are real and prevent many pets from getting the care that they need.
When the pet’s need is beyond the scope of what CARE4Paws’ clinics can provide, it funds the care at AVS (Advanced Veterinary Services) and other partners that provide discounted rates. Last year, through its Albus Fund, CARE4Paws provided $100,000 in funding for needed medical care.
CARE4Paws continues to provide several tons of pet food each month to low-income and homeless pet owners. Since the start of the pandemic, it has supplied more than six million pet meals. It distributes food largely through partners, including S.B. County Animal Services, PATH S.B., United Boys & Girls Clubs, Good Samaritan Shelter, the S.B. Rescue Mission, and a few animal-focused nonprofits. It delivers pet food directly to senior and disabled owners at their homes and to homeless pet owners at Alameda Park. Pet Food Experts in Fontana has been a generous in-kind donor, helping to sustain the program.
CARE4Paws delivers its services with a lean staff, lots of volunteers, and little overhead. It uses mobile clinics, according to Board Chair and CPA Christopher Harris, “not just to deliver services where they are needed, but also to keep our costs as low as possible by not having the expense of physical offices or brick-and-mortar facilities.” Harris noted further that “not only do 90 percent of our donors’ dollars go directly to our mission and programs, but those programs are delivered in an extremely cost-efficient manner.”
In addition to donations to support its programs, CARE4Paws is seeking volunteers, with the greatest need being for foster homes for its Safe Haven Program. In partnership with Domestic Violence Solutions, this program provides anonymous foster care for pet owners leaving an abusive situation. Other volunteer needs are to help staff its mobile clinics and to run pet food drives.
An inspiring volunteer, San Marcos High School senior Ava Vasquez, has run pet food drives in each of the past four years at Vieja Valley Elementary School. Last year alone, Vasquez and some collaborators brought in 1,220 pounds of food. As Gullö related, “Times are tough for many community members. Thousands of families in Santa Barbara County still struggle to pay rent and bills, let alone feeding their four-legged companions.”
Guests enjoy the reception. | Gail Arnold
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