To prep for some rooftop construction that needs to get underway while the weather is good, the Santa Barbara County animal shelters are temporarily waiving adoption and reclaiming fees for all the creatures in the shelters in Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, and Lompoc.
"We have old dogs, young dogs, big dogs, small dogs," said Sarah Aguilar, who heads shelter services for the county. "Cats, guinea pigs, roosters," she went on, "and last week, we had a cockatoo and Japanese quail. There's just a huge variety of pets who all need a home."
The fee waivers are an adoption incentive as the Santa Maria shelter will be upgrading its air system from swamp coolers to heating and air conditioning units, which Aguilar said will make the interior more comfortable for all the animals. The work will go on over the heads of medium- to larger-sized dogs in 35 kennels, but if the three shelters can all open up spaces, more animals can move from Santa Maria and avoid the stress of the construction work.