24/7 Pet Hospital in Santa Barbara Closes Permanently

Emergency after-hours care for pets in Santa Barbara has been cut in half. One of South County’s only two 24/7 pet hospitals is now permanently closed.  

The Veterinary Centers of America (VCA) Care Specialty and Emergency Animal Hospital at 301 East Haley Street temporarily closed its doors in June for construction, but due to “operational challenges,” they will not reopen. 

It was one of only two locations in South County providing emergency veterinary services for the region’s pets and animals — whether it was serious injuries, routine check-ups, or those pesky foxtails that pop up in spring and summer. 

Overall, the hospital was caring for around 400-500 pets per month. It first opened in 2002 and has since served more than 30,000 of Santa Barabra’s pets. It once earned the distinction of being the most referred-to veterinary practice in Santa Barbara County, according to its website.

In September 2025, a VCA spokesperson told the Independent that the hospital was fixing a “major leak.” Once it finished remediation and rebuilding, she said, it would reopen by 2026. 

The city confirmed that construction work was completed in early 2026 and the hospital had received final inspection approval from Santa Barbara’s Building & Safety Division shortly after. 

But in emails sent out to pet owners and partners last week, the hospital announced it would close permanently. The decision was “not made lightly,” the hospital said, and stemmed from “operational challenges.” 

In emails, a hospital spokesperson told pet owners and VCA Care’s partners, such as Santa Barbara County Animal Services, that they were thankful for their trust, collaboration, and support over the years. “It has been a joy and a privilege to care for your pets,” the message to pet owners read. 

The one remaining 24/7 pet hospital in South County is Advanced Veterinary Specialists at 414 East Carrillo Street in Santa Barbara.

“So you can imagine, like with any kind of business, when you have two service providers and it’s cut in half, for the one business that remains, the need almost doubles,” Santa Barbara County Animal Services Director Sarah Aguilar told the Independent in September. 

She said that, with the VCA hospital closed, Animal Services will have to send emergency calls up to North County. They have a Santa Maria clinic open during business hours and are contracted with the 24/7 PETS ER Hospital up in Orcutt for after-hours calls.

But otherwise, the closure will have no operational impacts for County Animal Services, Aguilar confirmed on Friday. 

For pet owners whose own animals are injured, there are other options, including Advanced Veterinary Specialists on Carrillo Street and Urgent Veterinary Care Santa Barbara on De la Vina Street, though the urgent care is only open from noon to 8 p.m.  

That being said, Dr. Addie Crawford, owner of the urgent vet clinic, noted that they “kind of operate” as an ER, as they are walk-in only and treat patients with symptoms from mild to critical. 

There are other VCA daytime clinics that will remain open, including a location in Goleta at 160 N. Fairview Ave., Suite 5, and in Carpinteria at 585 Walnut Avenue. However, they are not open 24/7. When Santa Barbara’s VCA clinic closed in June, some of its specialty departments moved to the VCA Noah’s Ark in Goleta.

Patient rechecks and medication refills will be available through the internal medicine, dentistry, and cardiology special departments out of the VCA location in Goleta through March 27.

Although other services in Santa Barbara County can help fill the gap left behind by VCA’s closure, veterinary services nationwide have been stretched thin due to a nationwide veterinarian shortage. 

“It [VCA Care] is definitely a significant service for the community, and to have them closed, I think increases the chance that animals are going to suffer or people aren’t going to be able to get service,” Aguilar told the Independent in September. 

County Animal Services has an officer on call until midnight. People can call the non-emergency sheriff dispatch line at (805) 683-2724 to reach them.

Clients can contact VCA Noah’s Ark at (805) 683-7788 during business hours (Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.) to reach its specialty department teams. Former VCA clients may obtain a copy of their pet’s medical records by emailing recordsrequest@vca.com.