The Santa Maria animal shelter is facing a staff and volunteer shortage.
The staff told KSBY News at least 15 volunteers are needed each day to assist with daily tasks, but they are seeing less than 10 volunteers daily.
As of right now, the shelter only has 71 dog kennels, and 77 dogs need to stay there.
“We are facing a shortage of volunteers and staff and we are at max capacity,” said Ernesto Poblano, Santa Barbara County Animal Services operations manager. “We have these two things coming together and now we’re adding a third situation."
Poblano says the shelter is replacing its air-conditioning system next week and it will be placed on top of one of their buildings that houses 36 dogs.
He’s hoping community members will stop by this weekend to adopt or foster before construction takes place.
“We have this large air conditioning system that needs to be put up into one of the buildings now and when they do that, they're going to be tearing up the old one, putting in the new one with a lot of construction going on," said Poblano. "And a lot of people running around on the roof, causing a lot of noise."
As the staffing shortage continues, one volunteer at the shelter says her passion for dogs inspired her to assist the animal shelter.
“I started volunteering here two years ago, back in June, as soon as I graduated high school,” said Ashley Aguilar, a Santa Maria Animal Shelter volunteer. “What made me get into volunteering was my love for the animals. I truly recommend people to come in to volunteer. It’s super fun.”
Aside from caring for these furry friends at the shelter, volunteers at the Santa Maria animal shelter also help with laundry, cleaning dishes, and assisting staff in the medical clinic.
“They also help with organizing our enrichment room that which we are in right now, our kitchen, hanging out with cats, making them more social,” said Aguilar.
Community members interested in volunteering can fill out an application online or at the shelter; however, there is some basic training involved beforehand to help you prepare.
“We have scheduled dates for volunteer orientation that volunteers do need to go through,” said Aguilar. “It’s a basic tour of the shelter, more information about training, and how to handle different colored dogs and different colored cats.”
The Santa Maria Animal Services shelter is also holding a name-your-price adoption campaign through the end of March. Dog licensing will cost $14.
*This story has been updated to reflect the county animal shelter in Santa Maria is not a non-profit organization.
