C.A.R.E.4Paws is stacked with new dog and cat food items following its Pet Food Donation Drive-Thru Saturday and Sunday.
Spanning across Santa Barbara County, this was the non-profit organization's first countywide donation drive-thru event, according to the C.A.R.E.4Paws website.
C.A.R.E.4Paws executive director and co-founder, Isabelle Gullo, said she hopes to collect fresh food and funds for pet owners in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The pandemic has created a lot of hardships for people, so C.A.R.E.4Paws is here," said Gullo. "We have a big safety net of services which includes distribution of pet food, so we're trying to help as many people as we can so that pets can stay in their homes."
Community members were asked to bring new and unopened dry or canned pet food, as well as new pet supplies such as beds, blankets and pet jackets.
Drop-off sites at the Elks Unocal Event Center in Santa Maria and Ryon Park in Lompoc were accepting donations Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
C.A.R.E.4Paws also had drive-thru donation sites Saturday at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara, Deckers in Goleta and the Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society/DAWG in Buellton.
Other drop-off locations include George's Pet Shop in Montecito, the Animal Medical Clinic in Carpinteria and the Dioji K-9 Resort & Athletic Club in Goleta.
Community members interested in assisting C.A.R.E.4Paws do not need to step outside of their home to do so — people can shop from the comfort of their own home on the organization's Pet Food Amazon Wish List or make a financial donation online.
Monetary donations can also be mailed to C.A.R.E.4Paws, PO Box 60524, Santa Barbara, 93160.
