With #GivingTuesday tomorrow, November 28th, we invite you to join Noozhawk and support the causes closest to your heart. Explore our Giving Guide to discover meaningful ways to contribute to the betterment of our community.
Engaging in #GivingTuesday extends beyond a mere financial donation; it offers an opportunity to enrich the lives of others and cultivate a spirit of kindness and community. Together, let’s transform this holiday season into a time of abundant generosity, compassion, and positive transformation. Your support has the power to shape a brighter and more hopeful future for those who could use a little help.
Our Good for Santa Barbara Nonprofit Section provides all the resources you need to donate this holiday season!
In this interview Noozhawk spoke with Susan Park, Executive Director at Spark Rescue to learn about the nonprofit’s mission to provide care and shelter to animals in need.
Spark Rescue Santa Barbara
Question: What is the name and mission of your nonprofit?
Answer: Spark Rescue is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit charity animal rescue organization, founded in February 2014, in Santa Barbara, CA. We are a foster based rescue that relies on people opening their home and hearts to saving animals in need.
Q: How long has your nonprofit been in service, and who are its founders?
A: Spark Rescue has been in service since November 2014 and received our determination letter from the IRS February 24, 2015. The founder and executive Director of Spark Rescue is Susan Park.
Q: What was the inspiration behind your nonprofit?
A: I grew up and attended St. Raphael’s School in Santa Barbara, where my passion for animals blossomed. Regularly visiting our local Animal Control and Humane Society, I would often leave with my backpack filled with kittens or young cats, driven by my deep love for them. This continued throughout high school, where I made it a mission to rescue underaged kittens whenever I could.
My family played a vital role in this endeavor, dedicating their time to bottle-feeding and caring for the kittens until they found their forever homes. We were committed to following up with every adoptive family, ensuring that the animals were spayed or neutered and settling well.
After ASAP formed I continued to help only the most urgent of cats and kittens.
The passing of the Hayden Act in 1999 brought a sense of security for animals in California shelters, which was a significant step forward.
However, in 2011, I came across a distressing online post about the LA County shelter in Lancaster, CA, euthanizing animals. This deeply saddened me and brought back memories of the neglected and discarded animals I had witnessed in my early shelter experiences. Driven by compassion, I felt compelled to take action.
I decided to visit the shelter in Lancaster with my son, and what I saw there was heart-wrenching. Neglected and abandoned animals tugged at my heartstrings, igniting a spark within me. It was from this wellspring of compassion that Spark Rescue was born.
Our journey is rooted in the core value of compassion. The distressing realization in 2011, as we walked through those buildings in Lancaster, witnessing the suffering of innocent animals, struck a chord deep within our souls. It reignited our commitment to making a difference and inspired us to create Spark Rescue Santa Barbara.
Spark Rescue is more than just a rescue organization. It embodies the belief that every life deserves care and love. We are driven by a genuine love for these creatures and a firm belief that no animal should be left behind. Our journey is a testament to the enduring spirit of compassion that guides us.
Together, we strive to create a world where no animal is forgotten or neglected, and where every heart is touched by the warmth of empathy.
Q: How is your nonprofit primarily funded and what are your greatest needs?
A: We greatly appreciate the support we receive from our adoption donations and funds raised through Facebook fundraisers plays a significant role in covering the costs of medical treatments, food, shelter, and other necessary supplies for the rescued animals.
Furthermore, the yearly grant from the May and Bill Allison Foundation has been instrumental in supporting our rescue efforts and ensuring the overall well-being of the animals in our care.
However, as the demand for our services continues to grow, we recognize the need to secure additional funding. This will allow us to rescue more animals and provide them with the necessary medical care, rehabilitation, and support they require.
To achieve this, we are actively seeking partnerships with other organizations, exploring various fundraising initiatives, and engaging with our community to raise awareness about our mission and the importance of animal rescue and adoption.
By coming together and supporting our cause, we can continue to make a positive impact in the lives of countless animals. Your help in reaching our additional annual fundraising goal of $80,000 will enable us to sustain our rescue efforts and ensure that more animals find their way to loving homes.
Thank you for considering supporting Spark Rescue. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of these deserving animals.
Q: In what ways does your nonprofit utilize its funding?
A: Our funding plays a crucial role in supporting our mission to rescue and provide essential care for animals in high-risk areas. Thanks to the generous contributions we receive, we are able to allocate funds towards a range of vital services that ensure the well-being of these animals.
One of the key areas where our funding is utilized is in the transportation of animals from high-risk areas to safer environments. This process allows us to remove them from challenging situations and give them a chance at a better life. Once they are in our care, we provide comprehensive medical attention, including treatment for internal and external parasites, thorough temperament testing, spaying or neutering, microchipping, and vaccinations.
In addition to these essential services, our funding also helps cover the costs of diagnostic tests for diseases such as giardia, parvo, FLV, and FIV. These tests are crucial in identifying and addressing any potential health issues, ensuring the animals receive appropriate medical treatment.
We understand that neglected or sick animals may require emergency veterinary care, which can result in substantial bills. Our funding is also used to assist with these unexpected expenses, ensuring that these animals receive the urgent care they need to recover and thrive.
While we strive to help as many animals as possible, the reality is that our resources are limited.
As an organization, we deeply understand the urgency and importance of providing medical care for animals in need. However, the costs associated with extensive medical treatments can be substantial, and it becomes challenging for us to cover these expenses without sufficient funding.
We continuously explore various avenues to secure additional funding and seek partnerships with other organizations to expand our capabilities. Through increased support and donations, we can enhance our capacity to rescue and provide the necessary medical care for animals with high medical needs.
We are committed to transparency and ensuring that every dollar donated is used efficiently and effectively to make a difference in the lives of animals.
By contributing to our cause, you are directly helping to provide the necessary resources and medical care that can transform their lives.
Q: Describe your organizations staffing models and internal operations. Has anything changed since the start of your nonprofit?
A: Spark Rescue is a nonprofit organization with an amazing group of volunteer animal lovers who give so much of their time to help at risk animals! Most of our volunteers start out by fostering and move into key volunteer positions within our organization.
The key positions are:
Rescue Coordinator: Works closely with partnered shelters to evaluate dogs and cats at risk of euthanasia. Coordinates transportation to Spark Rescue Santa Barbara and ensures foster homes are available. Provides supplies and medical care for incoming rescues.
Adoption Coordinator: Matches rescue animals with suitable forever homes. Responds to inquiries and encourages applicants to consider other adoption options if not suitable for Spark Rescue. Works to ensure all applicants are treated respectfully and guided towards finding a rescue dog.
Foster Coordinator: Reviews foster applications, communicates with the rescue coordinator, and updates Spark Super Foster Facebook page with animals in need of foster homes. Provides support and answers questions for foster families.
Adoption Events Coordinator: Coordinates adoption events with partner stores, sets up displays, and facilitates interaction between foster families, volunteers, and potential adopters.
Fundraising Coordinator: Secures venues and donations for fundraising events, communicates with key volunteers and foster families, and promotes upcoming events.
Social Media Coordinator: Updates social media platforms and website with available animals, communicates with foster families for content, and responds to inquiries on social media.
The rescue has been running on this platform since its inception the only things that have changed is the amount of animals we are rescuing has tripled!
Q: What makes your nonprofit different from others?
A: What sets Spark Rescue apart from other nonprofits is our unwavering commitment to putting an end to the euthanasia of healthy companion animals. We firmly believe in advocating for spaying and neutering as a means of preventing overpopulation and reducing the need for euthanasia.
As part of our efforts, we have implemented a policy to ensure that the mother of any rescued litter is altered. By doing so, we not only prevent future litters but also contribute to the overall well-being and health of these animals.
Our approach is driven by compassion and a deep understanding of the importance of responsible pet ownership. We recognize that by spaying or neutering the mother, we are taking a proactive step towards reducing the number of animals in shelters and giving each one a chance at a loving home.
With sincerity, we work tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of these animals. By advocating for spaying and neutering, we aim to create a future where euthanasia of healthy companion animals becomes a thing of the past. Together, we can build a community that embraces responsible pet ownership and ensures a brighter future for all animals.
Q: How does the work of your nonprofit get communicated to the public?
A: Our organization primarily communicates its work through a variety of channels, including meet and greet events, social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, and our official website, which can be found at www.sparkrescue.org.
These channels play a vital role in keeping our supporters, volunteers, and the general public informed about our rescue efforts, upcoming events, success stories, and ways to get involved. We utilize meet and greet events as an opportunity for individuals to interact with our rescued animals firsthand, fostering a connection and understanding of the work we do.
Additionally, our active presence on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram enables us to regularly update our followers with heartwarming rescue stories, educational content, and fundraising initiatives. By leveraging the power of social media, we strive to build a community of compassionate individuals who are passionate about animal welfare.
Our website, www.sparkrescue.org, serves as a comprehensive hub of information about our organization. Visitors can learn more about our mission, browse through our available animals for adoption, access resources on responsible pet ownership, and find details about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.
We believe that effective communication is essential in creating awareness and garnering support for our cause. Through our various communication channels, we aim to inspire and engage individuals who share our passion for animal rescue and welfare.
For more information, please visit our website at www.sparkrescue.org or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Q: Why should donors trust your organization and are there other ways to help outside of donations?
A: We are a transparent organization who publishes our taxes on various platforms including Guidestar.
Q: Can you tell us one short-term goal AND one long-term goal that your nonprofit has for the next year?
A: One short term goal is to incorporate affordable software to make our day to day operations a little bit easier. Our long term goal is obtain commercial property to house, dogs, and cats that do not have a foster home ready to go to, a place to call home.
Click here to learn more about Spark Rescue Santa Barbara’s goal to rescue more animals and provide them with the necessary medical care, rehabilitation, and support they require.
Check out Noozhawk’s Guide to Giving for a full list of nonprofits to donate to this giving season.
If you would like to include your nonprofit in our Good for Santa Barbara section and Giving Guide click HERE.