Cali is an 8-year-old Husky Shepherd mix from the Aussie Rescue Networking Group.
"She's been such a light for us and keeps us up and active, and she is hilarious to have around. She was always making all of us smile, so she's awesome to have around," says foster Erick Nisich.
Nisich says Cali was surrendered to the rescue when her owner was deported, and he says her story isn’t unique.
"We’ve heard of multiple dogs that are in a similar position where families have either been deported or have had to self-deport, and so now they're getting a lot of dogs that are coming in in similar situations that are just looking for a place to go and at least be fostered for a little bit."
The issue of abandoned pets isn’t just isolated to rescues; Santa Barbara County animal shelters are also seeing an influx of uncommon strays.
"We've really started seeing in the last two to three weeks [there] have been little cute dogs like this who are coming in as strays, and nobody's coming to get them," explains County Animal Services Director Sarah Aguilar.
She says she can’t say for sure, but she suspects this trend may be linked to deportations and increased ICE activity in the area.
"So, for example, this little girl here came in as a stray from the unincorporated part of Carpinteria, and nobody came for her, and this is the kind of dog who is friendly, cute, seems well-trained, and social, and typically, an owner would show up within 24 hours," Aguilar explains.
This growing number of strays has caused the shelter to reach capacity—something they haven’t seen in over a year.
"She's just one of a handful of dogs that we're just surprised are here," Aguilar says, stressing that all pet owners should have a plan in place for their animals in case of emergencies. "Talk to the people that you know, whether it's coworkers or neighbors, and ask if anyone would be interested in caring for your pet."
As for Cali, she’s still searching for her forever home.
"You know, we love having her here, but we want her to have her forever home. I just encourage everybody to reach out and try to foster a dog if you can," Nisich says.
- Dogs up for adoption at Santa Barbara County Animal Shelter - https://www.countyofsb.org/1383/Dog-Adoptions---All-Shelters
- Aussie Rescue Network Group - https://www.rescuenetworkinggroup.com/
