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Santa Barbara, Calif., December 2, 2025 – As thousands of Central Coast families struggle to make ends meet, many are fighting to keep their beloved pets fed, healthy and home. To provide urgently needed support, C.A.R.E.4Paws hosts its Howliday Donation Drive-Thru on Saturday, December 6. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., community members can drop off dog and cat food and monetary gifts at donation sites that span Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo (SLO) counties. This includes Santa Barbara’s Earl Warren Showgrounds and La Cumbre Feed, Klondike Pizza in Santa Maria and Arroyo Grande, Dr. Greenthumb’s Dispensary in Orcutt, Edwards Barn in Nipomo, and Creekside Pet Boarding in Arroyo Grande.
“Right now, so many of our neighbors are facing impossible choices, and pets often feel the impact,” says executive director and cofounder Isabelle Gullö. “When families don’t have enough resources, animals are at greater risk of being surrendered to already overwhelmed shelters. C.A.R.E.4Paws is here to prevent that, and we simply can’t do our work without the generosity of this community.”
This holiday season, supporters can also make a big impact through a $25,000 matching gift challenge for the Albus Fund, which helps provide lifesaving veterinary care for pets in crisis. All donations will be matched dollar for dollar. “The cost of urgent veterinary services is out of reach for a growing number of pet families,” says Gullö. “The Albus Fund match is an incredible opportunity to be there for pets when their people have nowhere else to turn.”
For 16 years, C.A.R.E.4Paws has provided access to critical resources for low-income, senior, disabled and unhoused community members. This includes free and low-cost veterinary care, spays/neuters and vaccine clinics in the organization’s two mobile clinics, provision of pet food and supplies, and support for pet families exposed to domestic violence through Safe Haven. In 2025 alone, C.A.R.E.4Paws helped 16,000 dogs and cats with pet wellness services and distributed 25 tons of pet food.
Most of the food is distributed through Pet Resource Centers co-operated with several animal and human welfare partners, such as Santa Barbara County Animal Services’ (SBCAS), ASAP Cats, Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, People Helping People in Solvang, and 5Cities Homeless Coalition. Food is also provided to pet families staying at Good Samaritan Shelter locations and during weekly community events at Santa Barbara’s Alameda Park and the Santa Maria riverbed. In fact, this Thanksgiving, C.A.R.E.4Paws and partners like Community Action Partnership of SLO County (CAPSLO) shared meals and supplies with families in the riverbed.
On December 6—or anytime of the year—donation drop-off sites are available at multiple partner locations across Santa Barbara and SLO counties. A full list is available at care4paws.org/drive, where you can also find options to donate funds and contribute food through C.A.R.E.4Paws’ Amazon Wish List.
For more information about the Howliday Donation Drive or the $25,000 Albus Fund matching gift challenge, visit care4paws.org/drive or care4paws.org/albusfund. To learn more about C.A.R.E.4Paws’ year-round support programs, visit care4paws.org or reach out via info@care4paws.org or 805-968-2273.
