Santa Barbara’s 24/7 Veterinary Centers of America (VCA) Care Specialty and Emergency Animal Hospital at 301 E. Haley St. — which closed temporarily in June of last year for construction — will now close permanently, according to mass emails sent out to area partners and pet owners Monday night.
The facility has been closed since June. A VCA spokesperson had previously told Noozhawk that the pet hospital, which largely functioned as a 24/7 emergency room for local pets in distress, was undergoing construction and would reopen in early 2026.
In mass emails sent out Monday night, a VCA spokesperson said the decision to close the facility permanently “was not made lightly” and credited “operational challenges” as the reason for the permanent closure.
“We are deeply grateful for your partnership with us over the years. Your trust and collaboration have been invaluable in helping us care for pets and their families in our community,” a spokesperson said in an email sent out to VCA Care’s area partners, such as Santa Barbara County Animal Services.
In an email sent out to pet owners who had previously visited the facility, a VCA spokesperson said: “We deeply appreciate your trust and support over the years our hospital has served this community. It has been a joy and a privilege to care for your pets.”
A 2025 building permit notification card remained up on the building on Thursday. A spokesperson with the city of Santa Barbara’s Building & Safety Division told Noozhawk on Thursday afternoon that the building underwent construction and received final approval from the city’s inspection team earlier this year.
VCA Care was one of two pet hospitals that offered 24/7 care in Santa Barbara’s South County.
Now that VCA Care isn’t reopening, the area is down to one 24/7 animal hospital: Advanced Veterinary Specialists at 414 E. Carrillo St. in Santa Barbara.
Beyond AVS, the other nearest 24/27 pet hospitals available for South County pet owners are PETS Hospital in Orcutt at 4854 S. Bradley Road, Suite 109; and Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group in Ventura at 2199 Sperry Ave.
Other local VCA daytime clinics remain open, such as a clinic in Goleta at 160 N. Fairview Ave., Suite 5, and one in Carpinteria at 585 Walnut Ave., but those aren’t open 24/7.
The VCA Carpinteria location is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, while the VCA Goleta one is open 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Urgent Veterinary Care of Santa Barbara at 2821 De la Vina St. does offer some nighttime and weekend hours, with a seven-day schedule of noon to 8 p.m.
After the 24/7 VCA Care on East Haley Street closed for what was believed to be a temporary period last June, some of the VCA Care’s specialty departments moved over to the VCA Goleta location.
The hospital’s internal medicine, dentistry and cardiology special departments will be available for patient rechecks and medication refills out of the VCA location in Goleta through March 27, according to the notices sent out Monday.