Supporting the Mission of the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter

Supporting the Shelter through education, advocacy and fundraising

As the largest and most comprehensive animal care and rescue organization in the county, the open-admission Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter serves over 7,000 animals each year (intake is almost 6,000 and outreach programs help another 1,000+). Government funding is limited, so they depend on the community to sustain their life-saving and pet homelessness prevention programs. With two locations in Santa Cruz and Watsonville, the Shelter budget is underfunded, and Shelter workers are primarily focused on providing care and crisis intervention to the county's neediest animals. There is no Shelter staff to lead on community partnerships, humane education, or fundraising so this is where the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Foundation steps in.

The Foundation's mission is to support the Shelter through education, advocacy and fundraising. It helps cover costs for core services such as animal control, licensing and rabies vaccinations, safe housing for strays and surrenders, and intervention in animal abuse cases. Key proactive initiatives — spay/neuter clinics, training classes, and public advocacy — address root causes of animal overpopulation and suffering.