The #1 priority of the Santa Barbara County Animal Care Foundation is to make a positive impact upon the lives of companion animals in our local community: one animal at a time ? one family at a time ? one neighborhood at a time ? one community at a time. There are many ways that we are working to achieve this.

     The SBCACF works to assist the homeless, abandoned and neglected animals in all three of our local County shelters. We are an all-volunteer organization and 100% of all donations go make a direct difference to the innocent lives within our local shelters. Our money does not go to the County of Santa Barbara. The SBCACF was formed to provide philanthropic support to enhance what the County Animal Services is obligated to provide our community. Our SBCACF directors review requests made through the shelter and based upon research and pertinent information decide if the request meets the guidelines of our values, our vision and our mission, and how we can best meet these needs. Payments are made directly to vendors to purchase equipment and/or pay for life changing surgeries.

     The SBCACF was instrumental in bridging the financial gap that caused an ongoing hold on the Santa Maria Animal Center. The project had been on the books for 12 years and with each additional year that passed the need for the new building became more and more desperate. The SBCACF was able to raise close to one-million dollars through fundraising, donations and generous grants, to get the project back on track again. Because of our diligence and the community's dedication and interest the Santa Maria Animal Center is no longer a dream, but a reality. The building of this new shelter is a stepping stone to continue the mission of our Foundation. The Spay and Neuter Clinic is named in honor of our Foundation.

     Many animals that enter the doors of our local shelters are in need of medical attention to become adoptable. Whether it be a car accident, an abandoned animal on the run, an overwhelmed owner, or a sick or deformed baby dumped by a profit oriented breeder there is a daily need for medical treatment. The cost of medical care is expensive. Even with the generosity of local vets and budgeted county funding there are many animals that sadly cannot be treated because of the cost. The SBCACF Sebastian Medical Treatment Fund was established in the Spring of 2003 to help with this need. Our vision is that someday no adoptable homeless or rehabilitatable animal will be euthanized within Santa Barbara County. Our Sebastian fund is currently actively making an impact by benefiting hundreds of these helpless and innocent local creatures.

     How we treat our companion animals is reflective of what we know. Sometimes unintentional community ignorance leads to heartbreaking realities. Through public outreach the SBCACF shares information with our community to empower them to make informed decisions for a better tomorrow. A respect for oneself and others can be enhanced through education and increasing ones knowledge base. By reaching out to the public we can cause a ripple to actively shape our community through the promotion of humane ethic and the responsible treatment of all animals.