Number of dogs in Santa Barbara County animal shelters reaches maximum capacity

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Santa Barbara County Animal Services has announced the dog population within its three shelters is at its maximum capacity limit.

The number of dogs currently being housed by Animal Services is 185, a number the department is calling "unsustainable" and requiring "immediate action."

"Santa Barbara County Animal Services currently is at maximum capacity right now, said Ernesto Poblano, Santa Barbara County Animal Services Operations Manager. "Normally, we can house up to 165 dogs, but currently we're at 185, so it's really critical situation. We want to help maintain the health and well-being of the dogs, and when we get to this certain point where we're at now, all that starts to decline."

In an effort to encourage pet adoptions and lower the dog population at the shelters as quickly as possible, Animal Services is waiving adoption fees this weekend, February 16-18.

"Waiving adoption fees is a pretty great deal because all of the pets that are adopted are spayed or neutered, microchipped, fully vaccinated and current on their flea and tick preventative, which would cost up to a couple hundred dollars if one were to buy a pet and get that done at a regular vet clinic," said Anastacia Funes, Santa Barbara County Animal Services  Marketing and Events Coordinator.

In addition, community members are also being asked to consider becoming a volunteer at any of the three county shelters in Santa Maria, Lompoc, or Goleta.

"We do have volunteer orientation monthly," said We are looking for a Fosters anyone to foster. If you have the space and time, it is free. You just have to be 18 years old. We supply the food, the bedding."

Animal Services points out that volunteers play a crucial role in enriching the lives of shelter animals through socialization, exercise, and companionship.

"Having this many dogs right now in this shelter has a very high negative impact on the dogs because we don't have the time now to spend with each dog like we normally would every day," said Poblano. "We want to take them out and have them playing in groups and spend time with them to make sure that they're getting some enrichment, but once we get to this level, dogs are going to have to stay in the kennels all day. Unfortunately, they're not going to get that one-on-one time when our staff or volunteer just because we have so many, so now when we have this cascading effect of dogs not getting that interaction they need, then their well-being starts to diminish and that just increases over time, and so right now we're in a situation that we want to prevent dogs from going downhill. We really want to help them out as we can."

For more information about pet adoption or any of the services provided by Santa Barbara County Animal Services, click here.