On September 21, the nonprofit S.B. County Animal Care Foundation hosted Tails of Hope at Elings Park to raise much needed funds for S.B. County Animal Services, the government agency that, among other services, provides shelter for stray, neglected, and abused animals in the city and county of S.B. The bulk of foundation funding goes to medical care for shelter animals. The more donations received, the more shelter animals who can receive the medical care necessary to get them to a state where they can be adopted.
Actors Bo Derek and John Corbett, shelter animals and their handlers, and a host of other volunteers greeted the more than 300 guests on the main soccer field. Many other nonprofits serving animals in the county had booths at the event, sharing with guests the good work of their organizations. A joyful spirit permeated the event, with guests united in their support for the highly regarded county agency, which has wildly successful foster and adoption programs.
As emcees for the program, Derek and Corbett entertained guests and endeared themselves to them with their passionate support for Animal Services. Corbett noted that this was the first time he has ever emceed an event, which in itself was a testament to how much he values this agency.
Over the years, he and Derek have adopted three rescues from Animal Services’ Lompoc shelter, including the most recent, a German Shepherd whom they named Ringo because of his likeness to Ringo Starr. Corbett paid a huge tribute to Lee Heller, who tapped him for the role and organized the event.
Derek, a longtime advocate for the welfare of horses, shared her love for all animals and urged guests to support Animal Services, which she noted cares for not just dogs and cats, but other animals as well, in times of natural disasters and otherwise.
A live auction and ask raised critical funds for the foundation, which last year provided more than $80,000 for medical care and more than $25,000 for other support of Animal Services. The event sold out and overall netted more than $200,000.
In an interview, Animal Services Director Sarah Aguilar explained that the county receives funding to carry out its mandated duties — to pick up strays, ensure rabies vaccinations are registered, investigate animal cruelty and dangerous animals, and house and make strays comfortable. County funding, however, is insufficient to cover the diagnostics and treatment necessary to get all shelter animals to a state where they are adoptable. That is where the foundation comes in, funding care for the most serious and expensive cases.
Costs have been increasing faster than Animal Services’ budget, making foundation funding even more critical now. The more donations the foundation receives, Aguilar shared, the more abused, neglected, and stray animals coming into the shelter can be saved.
The numbers of animals coming into the shelter system are astounding. In 2024, it took in more than 2,800 dogs, of which 94 were euthanized. It took in more than 2,700 cats and euthanized 208. The vast majority of euthanasia cases are for medical, not behavioral, reasons. Of the 6,568 total animals that came into the shelters last year, Animal Services performed or arranged for nearly 4,500 medical exams and arranged for more than 1,300 surgeries. Animal intakes, and thus procedures, occur disproportionately in North County.
This year, Animal Services was able to hire a veterinarian for the first time, which has enabled it to rely less on outside providers. The foundation has funded an anesthesia machine, surgical tools, and other clinic supplies. The clinic still lacks an x-ray machine and hopes for funding for this and for other in-house equipment, which in the long run will make it operate more cost effectively than relying on outside providers.
The foundation funds other types of facility improvements, such as a current $70,000 project replacing the play yards at the Goleta shelter. It previously funded a similar project in Santa Maria. It funds supplies, such as martingale collars, so each dog goes home with a good quality collar that it can’t slip out of. The foundation is funding a part-time coordinator to provide a volunteer-staffed enrichment program for shelter dogs. It will soon launch countywide DIY microchip scanning stations to quickly reunite lost pets with their families.
S.B. County Animal Services provides enforcement, licensing, and sheltering services to several cities in the county and to unincorporated parts of the county. It provides full shelter services for the City of Santa Barbara, but the city uses its own enforcement officers. The S.B. County Animal Care Foundation is its nonprofit partner.
The foundation runs very leanly — it has no office and is all-volunteer, except for the recent hiring of a part-time marketing/development contractor to augment its fundraising efforts. It is seeking volunteers for fundraising. While big donations are of course welcome, Aguilar emphasized that for the shelter animals, every dollar donated is impactful.
S.B. County Public Health Director Dr. Mouhanad Hammami and Event sponsor La Lieff Wines proprietor Gretchen Lieff | Gail Arnold
Guests settle in for the program. | Gail Arnold
Guests settle in for the program. | Gail Arnold
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