Other Assistance Programs

MISSION: The Center’s Pet Bereavement Support Group provides an opportunity for guardians to honor their beloved pets and learn strategies for coping with the loss of them.

MISSION: to be a resource and advocate for senior dogs and senior people on California’s Central Coast.

They focus on taking senior dogs from shelters and taking dogs of any age directly from seniors in the area who can no longer care for them due to illness, death, etc.  They suggest that a donation be made to the organization at the time of intake, but the donation is not a requirement.

They also provide financial assistance to people on a limited income who have a dog/cat of any age that needs emergency medical care.  Qualifying applicants can get up to $250 once in a lifetime. 

Their Helping Paw program provides temporary assistance to seniors who need help caring for their dog in order not to have to surrender the animal.  Assistance may include dog walking, transportation for the dog to the groomers or vet, etc.

MISSION: helps feral cats and kittens in Santa Cruz County by offering a free feral Spay-Neuter and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program and offers resources for feral cat colony caretakers and those who want to learn more about TNR.

MISSION: provides temporary shelter and limited veterinary care for stray cats and dogs from the City of Salinas.  Works to find new adoptive homes for pets not claimed by their owners.

MISSION: provides temporary shelter, humane care and limited veterinary services for stray, unwanted, abandoned, mistreated, neglected and injured animals.  This is an open-admission shelter providing animal rescue for Santa Cruz City and County, and the cities of Capitola, Scotts Valley and Watsonville; however, “open-admission” means the shelter will not turn away ANY animal.

MISSION:  focuses on rescue, adoption, humane education and community assistance. Provides a shelter for unwanted, abused, neglected and orphaned animals, including those in need of socialization, training, medical care or simply more time.  Provides humane education programs for adults and youth, veterinary care assistance to low-income seniors, and a free food bank available to anyone who needs help feeding their animal companions.

BLACKIE’S FUND is offered through the Santa Cruz SPCA and connects senior people with senior pets by providing a waived adoption fee when a great match is found. The fund also provides veterinary care assistance to seniors living on a low fixed income in two ways: 1) free twice-yearly preventative care Wellness Days and 2) a veterinary care assistance grant of up to $500 for private diagnostic and treatment appointments available all year at a Santa Cruz SPCA contracted veterinarian (dental procedures and preventative care are not included in this option).

To benefit from Blackie’s Fund, you must be: 62 years of age or older, on a fixed or low income, able to provide proof of income, and willing sign a contractual agreement.

MISSION: to provide rescue and assistance for domestic animals. Its goal is to significantly reduce the homeless population of domestic animals in South County through safe rescue and adoption services, awareness and education.  Founded in January 2016, the foster-based rescue strives to establish relationships with other rescue agencies and collaborate to save more lives. The rescue both adopts out and transfers out animals.

Mission: shelters homeless, neglected and abused pets and livestock, provides humane education, investigates animal cruelty, provides disaster relief for animals and animal owners, and rescues and rehabilitates injured wildlife.  This is an open-admission shelter that accepts all owner-surrendered animals and contracts with the cities of Gonzalez, King City, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Sand City, Seaside, and Soledad to shelter strays from those jurisdictions.  The SPCA also accepts and shelters strays found at large in Monterey County or Salinas on days the municipal shelters are closed, then contacts those shelters to take possession of animals from their jurisdictions to provide their owner (if any) the opportunity to find them.

The SPCA also operates a public low-cost spay/neuter clinic (M-F), offers “no appointment” low-cost vaccination (M-F) to the public, provides behavior training classes and consultations to help keep animals in homes and out of shelters, and provides low-cost humane euthanasia services for owners faced with that difficult decision. The SPCA also has a Barn Cat Program to adopt out cats who otherwise are not adoptable.