A Central Coast nonprofit, C.A.R.E.4Paws, is working to ensure that families facing emergencies don’t have to choose between their safety and the animals they love.
C.A.R.E.4Paws operates throughout Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. They have launched a fundraiser to build a confidential pet refuge designed to serve individuals and families during moments of crisis.
The refuge will provide temporary, free shelter for pets whose owners are escaping domestic violence, undergoing medical treatment, facing housing instability, or affected by immigration enforcement.
“When people go through incredibly difficult times, the last thing they should have to worry about is what will happen to their beloved pets,” said Chris Harris, the C.A.R.E.4Paws Board President. “This refuge will help ensure that no one has to surrender their pet or leave a four-legged companion behind to seek safety.”
The new facility will be located at an undisclosed site in San Luis Obispo County to protect the confidentiality of the individuals it serves. It will include 10 indoor/outdoor dog kennels, a 40,000-square-foot exercise yard, and homelike rooms for cats.
Pets housed at the refuge will have access to veterinary care, grooming, and training through the organization’s Mobile Community Medicine and Spay/Neuter Outreach program.
Harris said the idea for a dedicated facility came out of repeated challenges the nonprofit faced while operating its Safe Haven foster program, which connects pets with temporary homes during family crises. The foster model, while effective in many cases, often proves difficult to coordinate during nights and weekends or when multiple animals need shelter quickly.
“The way we usually describe it is it’s like Friday night at 10 p.m., and we get a call about two dogs that haven’t been socialized,” Harris said. “It’s hard to find placement on the spot. This refuge is the solution to that.”
C.A.R.E.4Paws says the refuge will also fill a growing need tied to local immigration enforcement. In recent months, the group has supported pet owners who were detained, deported, or forced to relocate unexpectedly.
“We’ve had recent immigration actions that left pets without owners or with owners who couldn’t support them,” Harris said. “This facility gives us a known place to house those animals safely.”
Safety remains a core priority for the program, particularly for survivors of domestic violence. For those individuals, the location of the refuge will remain confidential, even to the pet owners themselves.
“Once we take an animal into care, the owner doesn’t know where the pet is,” Harris said. “That’s critical for the safety of all involved.”
The organization is currently working to raise $150,000 to build the refuge. The bulk of that cost includes prefabricated, climate-controlled kennels and essential infrastructure such as fencing, plumbing, and electrical work. Harris said the group has raised about $30,000 so far and is in discussions with a donor who could contribute an additional $30,000 to $40,000.
C.A.R.E.4Paws says all donations will be carefully tracked and used in accordance with donors’ wishes, despite the sensitive nature of the project.
“Any donor-restricted fund that comes into an organization must be used for the purpose it was given,” Harris said. “That’s our obligation. Even though the location remains confidential, we still provide funding status updates and adhere to strict financial oversight.”
In the meantime, the nonprofit continues offering other services for low-income and vulnerable pet owners. On Aug. 17, C.A.R.E.4Paws will host a free large-scale spay and neuter event in Santa Maria in partnership with Santa Barbara County Animal Services. The group expects to perform up to 90 spay and neuter surgeries in a single morning and provide vaccinations and basic care for another 150 to 200 animals.
Libby Cabral, assistant manager for C.A.R.E.4Paws, said barriers to care often prevent people from seeking help, not because of their own needs, but because they fear being separated from their pets.
“If they don’t have a safe place for their animals to be, they are not going to seek that help for themselves,” Cabral said. “This program creates that safety net.”
Angela, a longtime local resident, knows firsthand how vital that connection can be. She experienced homelessness for over a year and credits her dog for getting her through it.
“She got me up and out every morning,” Angela said. “That was my whole purpose. Her.”
C.A.R.E.4Paws plans to open the refuge this fall and hopes the community will support its mission to keep families and their pets together through some of life’s most difficult challenges.
To learn more or donate, visit care4paws.org/petrefuge.
