Santa Barbara County Animal Services is reminding the public about its policies and the law against abandoning an animal after a puppy was left outside its Santa Maria shelter overnight.
A shelter employee found the puppy, believed to be a Jack Russell terrier mix, curled up behind a trash can outside the facility.
Animal Services believes someone left her there during the early morning hours on Wednesday, along with a bag of food.
“It’s lucky. She’s a smart little girl. She didn’t wander off, she stayed right in front of our door until someone got here for several hours,” said Jennifer Adame, registered veterinary technician.
It’s illegal to abandon an animal.
Animal Services says if you’re unable to care for a pet, surrender it to the shelter during regular business hours. If you find a stray when the shelter is closed, there are on-call animal control officers who can respond.
They say they will not turn away any pets.
Shelters are located at:
- 548 W. Foster Rd., Santa Maria – (805) 934-6119
- 1501 W. Central Ave., Lompoc – (805) 737-7755
- 5473 Overpass Rd., Santa Barbara – (805) 681-5285
Shelter workers have named the puppy “Halo.” They believe she is about three-months-old.
