Santa Barbara Emergency Animal Clinic Shuts Its Doors (For Now)

Santa Barbara is down half its 24-hour emergency veterinary hospitals, leaving pet owners with fewer options and other clinics with higher workloads.

The VCA Care Specialty and Emergency Animal Hospital at 301 East Haley Street temporarily shut its doors on June 2. It is expected to reopen by the end of the year.

“The hospital is currently undergoing construction to fix a major leak, and remediation or rebuilding is in progress,” said Lyz Smith, hospital manager of VCA Care. “This work is essential to ensure the highest standard of care in a safe and well-maintained environment.”

Until then, Santa Barbara County Animal Services, which contracts with the hospital, is forced to find other ways to help wounded strays after sunset. 

Depending on the time of year, they take in one to two injured animals every night, said Sarah Aguilar, County Animal Services director. Seasonal factors affect influx — during storms, for example, fences can be knocked down, critters can be spooked by loud noises, and roads are slick, leading to more accidents. 

“When those injured strays come in after hours, we rely on emergency hospitals,” Aguilar said.

VCA Care acts as an emergency room for pets with severe illnesses and traumas, such as being hit by a car, as well as pets with more mild injuries or illnesses that are unable to see a primary care veterinarian. Overall, the hospital sees around 400-500 patients each month. 

“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,” Aguilar said. 

While the VCA hospital is 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.

For pet owners whose own animals are injured, there are other options, including the 24/7 clinic  Advanced Veterinary Specialists on Carrillo Street and Urgent Veterinary Care Santa Barbara on De la Vina Street. 

Both AVS and the urgent care clinic have reported an increase in patients and are working to address needs. AVS, which contracts with the cities of Santa Barbara and Carpinteria’s animal control services, cautioned of potentially longer wait times at their hospital while VCA Care remains closed.

Dr. Addie Crawford, owner of the urgent vet clinic, said she has “definitely seen an influx of patients, especially over summer.” She explained that summer is always a busier time due to people visiting Santa Barbara from out of town and the foxtail season — the little weeds that get in pets’ paws, nose, and ears.

“But now it’s kind of settled in, and we’re more than capable of taking that workload on. We’re here to help the community,” Crawford said. They are open from noon-8 p.m. but “kind of operate as an ER,” as they are walk-in only and treat patients with symptoms from mild to critical. 

“Whatever comes in the door that day, you see,” she continued. “We have the people and the staffing and the building and everything ready to go.”

Patients can also still go to VCA Noah’s Ark in Goleta, where the Internal Medicine, Dentistry and Cardiology departments will be operating at limited capacity, VCA Care’s Lyz Smith said.

Although people have options, veterinary services in Santa Barbara County were already stretched thin amid the broader context of 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 said. 

Aguilar advised that people use caution when handling injured or distressed animals, and protect themselves from being bitten. 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. Questions to VCA Care regarding recent visits, medications, medical record requests, or other non-urgent matters may be left via voicemail at (805) 725-0352 or emailed to careclientservices@vca.com.