Two Santa Barbara County animal welfare and shelter organizations are combining resources to improve services for unwanted animals.
Dog Adoption & Welfare Group and the Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society will join forces in March 2020, and that is when DAWG will leave its facility at 5480 Overpass Road and move to the Buellton site at 111 Commerce Dr.
“We will take in as many dogs at the DAWG shelter beginning March 2020,” SYVHS board President Bob Jennings said. “We are currently working together to adopt out as many of the dogs on the DAWG campus as we can to ensure we can accommodate the influx of dogs in March.”
The merger is consistent with a nationwide trend among small and medium-sized organizations to share resources, expand services and reduce administrative costs, he said.
Both organizations have a history of providing important services for animals.
Founded in 1979, SYVHS operates a 3,805-square-foot building located on land it owns. It plans to add a new play yard and change some boarding kennels into adoptable dog kennels, Jennings said, adding, “Our future goal is to expand, but that will not have to happen initially.”
DAWG has leased out property from Santa Barbara County since the organization was created in 1991. Its lease ends in March, and the county decided not to enter negotiations for a new lease, according to DAWG.
“DAWG has been fortunate to be at our location for many years, but considering our non-renewable lease option, we felt this was the time to make a positive step forward and merge with the Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society,” DAWG board president Onalisa Hoodes said. “Our organizations share the same animal welfare philosophy, we have similar adoption and veterinarian care programs.”
By combining, the organizations will be able to save more animals and keep providing community support to animals and their owners, Hoodes said.
“Each year, as a struggling nonprofit, we discovered it was more challenging to find and retain employees, maintain the cost of equipment, facilities and a robust vet program,” Hoodes said. “In the rescue world we have the additional responsibility of utilizing trainers and behaviorists, all the resources are spread thin among many animal welfare organizations.”
The organizations will share fundraising efforts and development “that will be greater than it was before our merger,” Hoodes said, adding, “Donor dollars will go further, which means saving more animals.”
The merged organization will serve all of the county and remain a partner with the Santa Barbara County Animal Services and other animal welfare organizations.
“Both organizations are excited about this opportunity,” Hoodes said. “We are hopeful supporters of both DAWG and SYVHS continue to support our new organization now, in 2020 and beyond.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
