Santa Barbara Animal Services Volunteers Go the Extra Mile and Then Some

People Power the County’s Animal Shelters

By Lee Heller Mon Jan 29, 2024 | 11:22am

It truly takes a village to care for the nearly 5,000 stray and abandoned animals that come into Santa Barbara County Animal Services’ shelters each year. Fortunately, there are an abundance of dedicated volunteers giving generously of their time and energy to provide that care. Their involvement is why Santa Barbara County has dodged the bullet on having to kill healthy animals for lack of space.

Meet four of those animal-life-saving heroes.

Double Duty in Santa Barbara and Goleta

It’s hard to tell just one story of volunteer contributions at the Santa Barbara shelter, so here are two whose dedication is making a difference.

DeAnn Turner has a special project: focusing on the dogs who live for long periods at the shelter. “I help to advocate for dogs and to focus on a particular dog until it gets adopted,” said Turner, noting the heartbreak of dogs who have been in a kennel for a long time.

To bring these dogs to public attention, Turner takes them on “day fostering” to various public places (coffee shops, hiking trails, parks) where they might meet their forever family. She also posts widely on social media. What’s her favorite story? Dexter, a sweet mixed breed who was on the urgent list to be placed or euthanized. Dexter went into a foster home, then Turner worked with the foster mom to promote him until Dexter caught the eye of someone in Oregon — where he is now living his best life!

Her biggest wish? That others will join her as advocates picking a dog to promote, taking it on day foster trips, promoting it, and seeing it find its forever family.

Don’t Forget the Rabbits

Jean Silva went to the Santa Barbara shelter in 1992 looking for a rabbit trap. Instead, she found a calling.

Where dogs and cats get attention, rabbits and other small mammals often fall between the cracks. Silva saw how much there was to do to improve the lives of shelter rabbits and guinea pigs, so she and her husband, Phil Seymour, joined a small group of volunteers, feeding and exercising the little mammals. Later, they formed Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter (BUNS), a nonprofit that partners with Animal Services, to pay for better shelter and medical care.

After decades building a program to care for bunnies and guinea pigs, Silva has expanded her efforts to enrich the lives of shelter animals more broadly. Her perspective, which describes her own work perfectly: “Today the shelter is a better place because volunteers are the eyes and heart of the community. Volunteers lobbied to replace a decrepit shelter in Santa Maria and reopen the shelter in Lompoc. Volunteers raise money for vet care, supplies, and facilities. Volunteers serve on advisory councils and attend City Council and Board of Supervisors meetings. Together with staff, volunteers have made our shelters more welcoming and more accountable. Over 90 percent of all animals entering the shelter leave for a new home. Volunteers save lives.”

Silva’s wish: that more people will come to help. As she says, “There is always more for volunteers to do. Spend an hour with an animal that is stressed and confused. Promote a special animal on your social network. Help with a cleanup or daily chores. Raise money or hold a food drive. In 1992 I came to the shelter for the animals, but I stayed because amazing people were doing amazing work.”

Lucky Lompoc

A volunteer at the Lompoc Animal Shelter (LAS) since 2015, Jan Kays couldn’t resist stepping up to help a shelter that was the middle child in the Animal Services system. Drawing on her skills as a graphic designer and photographer, Kays started promoting adoptable animals. The local nonprofit, Companion Animal Placement Assistance (CAPA), took notice, and in 2016, Kays joined their board, becoming president in 2018.

Like Turner in Santa Barbara, Kays sees the value of getting the word out about animals in order to help them get out of the shelter and into loving homes. She expanded marketing efforts, creating campaigns to draw attention to individual animals (dogs, cats, and rabbits). You might have seen one of her beautiful portraits and write-ups in local media!

CAPA Jan (as many know her) took it to the next level when LAS closed in 2020: She was sworn in as an emergency volunteer, taking care of the closed Lompoc shelter to help her community. She and CAPA partnered with CARE4Paws and Animal Services to open a Pet Pantry for families in need. When LAS reopened in 2023, CAPA Jan helped prepare the shelter to again house animals. CAPA Jan’s new mission and her wish list? Raising money to replace the shelter’s 50-plus-year-old kennels with new, state-of-the-art housing. As she said, “Homeless animal care has changed radically since the shelter’s kennels were built and are in great need of updating to current standards. Santa Barbara County should have the very best homeless animal care facilities and programs.”

All in the Family in Santa Maria

Myrna and Taylor Taira are a mother/daughter team who have been volunteers with Animal Services in Santa Maria for the past 12 years. They spent their first 10 years fostering kittens, helping these fragile creatures get ready for adoption. Then they decided it was time to change their focus. The last two years have been spent helping the dogs at the Santa Maria Animal Center (SMAC).

As Taylor sees it, “With a steady stream of animals coming into SMAC each day, providing care and socialization is crucial for their physical and emotional well-being. Dedicated to make a difference in the life of each animal, we are committed to doing just that.”

Taylor and Myrna consider themselves fortunate to be able to interact and learn about every dog at SMAC. They begin the day supporting Animal Services kennel staff by moving dogs to outdoor day yards and cleaning kennels and feeding. “Learning about each dog along the way allows us to provide important insights, especially when it comes to speaking with potential adopters. We often provide adoption counseling to help ensure that it is a good match for both the dog and the family.”

Another favorite shelter “job” is to find play buddies for each dog. Having a playmate helps dogs cope during their stay. Taylor and Myrna love to see the transformation in a dog’s confidence and demeanor when they have a friend and a chance to be a dog.

Taylor and Myrna’s motto would describe all of these volunteers and the many others working to help Animal Services: “Making even a small difference makes it all worthwhile.”

Get Involved

Director Sarah Aguilar’s take on these dedicated souls? “Animal Services could not do what we do — caring for every stray and abandoned animal — without the dedication of volunteers like these and so many more. We welcome all the help our community can give!”

How can you help? In addition to shelter activities, you can foster in your home or take a dog out for “day foster” jaunts. If you can’t handle animals directly, you can help market them and much, much more. To join this team of amazing dedicated animal lovers, please visit the Animal Services volunteer page at countyofsb.org/1549/Volunteers to submit your application and get the ball rolling!

At Independent.com, we regularly spotlight adoptable pets. See independent.com/category/special-stories/adoptable-pets for more information.