Santa Cruz Spca And Humane Society

THE SANTA CRUZ SPCA PROVIDES SAFE HARBOR FOR ANIMALS IN NEED AND PROMOTES AN ACTIVE HUMANE COMMUNITY THROUGH ADOPTION, ADVOCACY, AND EDUCATION.

OUR GENERAL OPERATIONS PROVIDE SAFE HARBOR FOR ANIMALS IN NEED IN AND AROUND SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, INCLUDING MANY ANIMALS THAT OTHER SHELTERS ARE UNABLE TO CARE FOR. OUR STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY, ON CHANTICLEER AVENUE IS AN IDEAL ENVIRONMENT TO PROVIDE SPECIALIZED CARE. ANIMALS THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE BE OVERLOOKED FIND LOVE AT THE SCSPCA, WHERE THEY BECOME MEMBERS OF OUR FAMILY FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES TO FIND THEIR FOREVER HOMES. COMMUNITY SUPPORT ALLOWS US TO SAVE HUNDREDS OF ANIMALS EACH YEAR, INCLUDING THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND THOSE THAT MIGHT BE A BIT ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES. ANIMALS RECEIVE HEALTH AND BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENTS, PREVENTATIVE HEALTH CARE, AND NECESSARY TREATMENT NEEDED PRIOR TO ADOPTION, ALONGSIDE ENRICHMENT AND TRAINING, SPAY/NEUTER SURGERIES, VACCINATIONS, MICROCHIPS, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER MEDICAL NEEDS. THROUGH OUR ADOPTION PROGRAM, WE MAKE GREAT MATCHES BETWEEN PEOPLE AND THEIR NEW PETS, AND PROVIDE BOTH PRE- AND POST- ADOPTION COUNSELING TO SUPPORT SUCCESSFUL ADOPTIONS. ALTHOUGH OUR TOTAL ADOPTIONS DURING FISCAL YEAR 2021-22 REMAINED LOWER THAN PRE-PANDEMIC FIGURES (WITH 315 HOMELESS ANIMALS FINDING NEW FAMILIES), WE EXPECT TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LIVES SAVED IN FISCAL YEAR 2022-23 AS ANIMAL FLOW RE-NORMALIZES, ALLOWING US TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE INCREASED CAPACITY OF OUR NEW FACILITY.

SECOND CHANCE FUND PROVIDES "ABOVE-AND-BEYOND" CARE FOR NEEDY ANIMALS. THIS INCLUDES EXTENSIVE VETERINARY CARE FOR ANIMALS WHO ARE SICK OF INJURED AS WELL AS EXTENDED CARE FOR ANIMALS WITH BEHAVIOR CHALLENGES. MANY OF THE ANIMALS SAVED BY THIS LIFESAVING FUND WERE PREVIOUSLY AT RISK FOR EUTHANASIA AND TRANSFERRED FROM SHELTERS THAT LACKED THE RESOURCES TO PROVIDE THE SAME LEVEL OF CARE AS THE SANTA CRUZ SPCA.

RECOGNIZING THE NEED FOR A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ANIMAL WELFARE, OUR PET FOOD PANTRY IS A VITAL "SAFETY NET" PROGRAM WHICH KEEPS PETS WITH THE FAMILIES THAT LOVE THEM AND OUT OF THE SHELTER SYSTEM. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2021-22 OUR PET FOOD PANTRY PROVIDED OVER 21,000 POUNDS OF DOG AND CAT FOOD TO STRUGGLING FAMILIES, AND DEMAND FOR THIS SUPPORT CONTINUES TO INCREASE. WE HOST A WEEKLY ONSITE WALK-UP PANTRY, WHICH IS RUN BY A DEDICATED TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS; WE ALSO PARTNER WITH HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS TO EXTEND OUR REACH AND ALLOW THE DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD AND SUPPLIES TO MORE FAMILIES IN NEED.