On May 4, about 200 supporters of CARE4Paws gathered at the Cabrillo Pavilion for the annual Happy Tails event, celebrating this treasured nonprofit and raising $210,000 for the veterinary services, food, and other assistance it provides to low-income and homeless pet owners.
In the program and in an interview, Cofounder and Executive Director Isabelle Gullö shared how CARE4Paws’s mobile veterinary clinics, which are conducted in two specially outfitted vehicles, continue to grow each year. Last year, nearly 20,000 dogs and cats received care — spay/neuter surgeries, vaccines, and other medical services. The clinics serve all of S.B. County and southern S.L.O. County, with the focus on where the need is greatest: northern S.B. County.
Boardmember Dr. Alex Gomes related how CARE4Paws’s spay and neuter program addresses the issue of pet overpopulation, relieving the strain on shelters. More broadly, the clinics deliver veterinary care that overcomes financial barriers as well as transportation and language barriers, enabling pet owners to get the care their pets need. The clinics address the harsh reality that these barriers are real and prevent many pets from getting the care that they need…