MISSION STATEMENT


C.A.R.E.4Paws promotes responsible pet ownership and animal welfare in Santa Barbara County. We create awareness through educational programs and dog training intervention and provide the resources necessary to make spaying and neutering a viable option for all. We collaborate with private and public institutions in the community to decrease the number of animals that enter shelters and rescue groups as well as to increase adoption rates within these organizations.

OUR MISSION IN DETAIL

C.A.R.E.4Paws—short for community awareness, responsibility and education—was created with the mission to help put an end to pet overpopulation in Santa Barbara County, and to inspire a greater sense of accountability, compassion and respect for animals in the process.

A 501(c)3 nonprofit, C.A.R.E.4Paws serves as an umbrella organization for local shelters and rescues. We support and collaborate closely with these groups—as well as the Humane Society and Santa Barbara County Animal Services—to boost pet retention, increase adoptions, lower the number of unwanted pets born and, ultimately, decrease the amount of adoptable animals found in shelters and euthanized each year.

To make our mission a reality, C.A.R.E.4Paws has implemented several programs that in a short period of time have had a significant impact on the community:

Early Education Outreach: We need to teach today's children how to be great pet caretakers as adults. C.A.R.E.4Paws visits schools to talk about responsible pet ownership. Our Pawsitive Thinking student workshops cover topics such as basic animal care and behavior, pet overpopulation, and adoption. We have also released a children's book— Pawsitive Thinking : How to be Your Pet's Best Pal .

Bilingual & Bicultural Community Outreach: Our community awareness campaigns—in collaboration with Santa Barbara County Animal Services and the Santa Barbara and Santa Maria Valley Humane Societies— promote responsible pet ownership, addressing the importance of spaying/neutering, licensing, rabies vaccination and microchipping.

Spay & Neuter Assistance: In partnership with the Santa Barbara Humane Society and the local veterinarian community, C.A.R.E.4Paws arranges Spay Days and spay/neuter appointments to low-income pet owners and rescue groups. The program includes free spays/neuters for pit bulls.

Dog Training Intervention: To increase pet retention, we offer free dog training classes that help owners work and bond with their dogs. As part of this program, Project ResponsiBull is created specifically for owners of pit bulls and pit mixes, and includes breed education, free training and a free spay/neuter.

Companion Pet Assistance
We assist senior and low-income pet owners in need with the feeding and basic care of their dogs and cats to keep these pets from ending up in a shelter. Program volunteers deliver pet food and supplies and offer assistance with pet care, including grooming. If a client's pet is in need of vet care, we work with the person's vet to provide care (to the extent we are able, on a case-by-case basis).

Adoption Events: C.A.R.E.4Paws organizes regular adoption events that join local shelters and rescues in featuring dogs and cats outside the shelter environment. The biggest adoption event in Santa Barbara County, our 2010 Wags n' Whiskers Festival at Girsh Park included 19 rescues and shelters along with 25 pet service providers and animal welfare groups. This year's event led to 32 dog and cat adoptions and provided great exposure for the animal organizations, and the important work they do, in our community.