Santa Barbara County Animal Services took in 300 birds and 21 dogs after a major rescue effort in Santa Maria on October 14.
Due to limited space at the County’s three animal shelters, the agency is looking for foster homes for the mix of pigeons, chickens, cockatiels, parakeets, and dogs that it possessed through the recent operation, said Animal Services Director Sarah Aguilar.
Aguilar said officers seized the animals after serving a warrant to the owner who the agency has been “involved in multiple issues with” for several years. The investigation reportedly involved hoarding.
“Thanks to various witnesses and neighbors, we were able to pull together enough evidence for a judge to grant us a warrant,” she said.
Animal Services is a law enforcement agency that can conduct investigations and write warrants, she explained. However, because animal control officers are not equipped by the county to properly serve a warrant, the agency partnered with the Santa Maria Police Department to do so safely and effectively, she said.
“The dogs we impounded from the home are Australian Shepherd mixes, with a significant amount of inbreeding,” Aguilar said. “Once the dogs are evaluated medically and behaviorally, we will notify the public that they are available for adoption or foster.”
In the meantime, she added, the county’s shelters have 92 other dogs available to take home. Fostering animals already in the agency’s care helps alleviate potential overcrowding and create space for new arrivals, she said.
Shelters are based in Santa Maria, Lompoc, and Goleta.
“As of this morning, we had nearly 500 animals in care across our three shelters and our amazing network of foster homes, not including the 21 dogs and approximately 300 birds,” Aguilar said.
4•1•1
Do you have room for a loving pet? Fostering is simple. Residents can visit any shelter to meet an animal and talk with staff about a good match.
Those interested in fostering birds are encouraged to speak with staff about the birds available and their housing needs.
SBCAS provides all supplies and ongoing support.
All three shelters are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays):
• Santa Maria: 548 W. Foster Rd.
• Goleta: 5473 Overpass Rd.
• Lompoc: 1501 W. Central Ave.
Interested in fostering? Visit Foster | Santa Barbara County, CA – Official Website to learn more.
Can’t foster but still want to help? Support these animals with a donation https://sbcanimalcare.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donate
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