Three mobile clinics rolled into Oceano on Aug. 6, aiming to treat animals in the community at no cost to town residents in need.
Although Santa Barbara-based C.A.R.E.4Paws charges for its services on a sliding scale and does comp services for those who can’t afford to pay anything, the nonprofit is now able to help the seaside berg’s pet population for free thanks to a $120,000 grant from PetSmart Charities.
“Only 10 nonprofits in the United States have received this grant, so it’s an incredible honor and a wonderful opportunity to be a part of this innovative initiative,” C.A.R.E.4Paws Executive Director Isabelle Gullö said. “This grant is part of PetSmart Charities’ visionary new $100 million grant program focusing on underserved communities.”
C.A.R.E.4Paws had the opportunity to pick one community to serve when it applied for the Access to Care project grant. Gullö said Oceano is a fairly remote area where pet families have zero access to veterinary care or even affordable pet food, about 42 percent of the community members are Hispanic, and the per-capita income is less than $34,000 per year.
As part of the first Pet Wellness Clinic event at the Oceano Parks and Recreation facility on Aug. 6, the nonprofit provided free spay/neuters and medical care inside its mobile units by prior appointment, as well as a walk-in clinic with free vaccines, microchipping, flea treatment, deworming medication, and nail trimming. Gullö said C.A.R.E.4Paws will be back in Oceano on Aug. 11 and 18 and then either weekly or biweekly, depending on the turnout to the first couple of events.
“It’s a bit hard to say how huge the need is going to be, but we are definitely planning on having a regular presence there going forward,” she said.
The nonprofit’s aim is to qualify again for the grant in future years and possibly expand the program to other underserved areas in SLO and Santa Barbara counties.
Gullö co-founded the nonprofit in 2009 with fellow Santa Barbara County Animal Services shelter volunteer Carlos Abitia, C.A.R.E.4Paws’ mobile clinic manager. She said they realized that the main contributor to shelter overpopulation is a lack of access to affordable pet care, so they launched the nonprofit that would work directly with communities, providing low- and no-cost care to pet families in need. In 2022, C.A.R.E.4Paws expanded its mobile community outreach and spay/neuter outreach program into SLO County with plans to do more in the future, including serving communities in northern SLO County.
On Aug. 6, the nonprofit debuted its new 37-foot mobile clinic in Oceano, which C.A.R.E.4Paws raised money for over the last three years.
“The new clinic is larger and better equipped than our existing 26-foot units, with capacity for two surgery teams and increased kennels space, which allows us to house more large dogs during clinic days,” Gullö said. “This means we will use it the most going forward, but we plan to double up or use all three units as often as resources allow. The need for help keeps growing in both Santa Barbara and SLO counties, and we want to do all we can to meet that demand.”
To make an appointment, visit care4paws.org/clinicservices and care4paws.org/oceano. To learn more about C.A.R.E.4Paws and find out how to contribute to the organization, visit care4paws.org.
Highlight:
• Leadership Lompoc Valley announced enrollment for its class of 2024. For more than 36 years, current and future Lompoc leaders have participated in this program to cultivate their leadership skills in relation to the Lompoc community. Participants explore Lompoc and network with local leaders through a series of hands-on activities between November and May, covering topics like public safety, local government, media and communications, education, business, and military and aerospace. The program’s application deadline is Sept. 1, and it kicks off Oct. 13 with a Meet the Class Reunion Mixer where participants, board members, and alumni meet up for a one-day retreat designed to introduce participants to the program. Visit lompoc.com/llv.html to download the application and submit it to the Chamber of Commerce, 111 South I St. The $700 tuition fee covers program costs and meals. Employers may sponsor the cost, and partial scholarships are available for those requiring financial assistance.
Editor Camillia Lanham wrote this week’s Spotlight. To get in touch, email [email protected].
