Christ Yoder
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To prepare for some rooftop construction that must begin in good weather, Santa Barbara County Animal Shelters are temporarily waiving adoption and recouping fees for all creatures from the Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, and Lompoc shelters.
“We have old dogs, young dogs, big dogs, small dogs,” said Sarah Aguilar, who leads shelter services for the county. “Cats, guinea pigs, roosters,” she continued, “and last week we had a cockatoo and a Japanese quail. There’s just a wide variety of pets that all need a home.
The fee waivers are an incentive for adoption as the Santa Maria shelter will upgrade its air system from swamp coolers to heating and air conditioning units, which Aguilar says will make the interior more comfortable for all the animals. Work will continue over the heads of medium to large dogs in 35 kennels, but if the three shelters can all open up spaces, more animals can leave Santa Maria and avoid the stress of construction work.
“Any opportunity to place a pet in a home is always better than being in a kennel,” Aguilar said. That includes older dogs, she says, who are harder to adopt, even though they have far fewer needs than a puppy. “It’s a little more difficult for an older dog in a shelter environment, where he doesn’t get as much comfort from his pain as if he were on a couch, for example,” she said. The shelter even has animals with terminal illnesses who are still enjoying life: “We don’t know how much longer they have, but it would be great for them to be able to live their lives in a house. »
County shelters have waived adoption and recovery fees — and are also asking for more foster homes for animals — through the end of October. Animals available for adoption or placement can be viewed on the Animal Services website, which also has information on the adoption and matching process.
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