Santa Cruz SPCA

11/27/2025

On this day of gratitude, we want to take a moment to THANK our incredible GIVERS — those who share their time, their resources, and even their homes with animals who need them.

Whether you volunteer, donate, adopt, foster, or simply cheer us on, your kindness makes a real difference for the homeless animals we care for every day.

From our two- and four-legged family to yours, we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for being part of the Santa Cruz SPCA family.🧡

P.S. The shelter is closed today, though our team is still caring for the animals behind the scenes. We’ll be open for browsing again tomorrow at 11am!

11/26/2025

🌟HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS🌟

Meet Rooster — the dog whose ears always enter the room a full two seconds before the rest of him. He’s a tall, goofy, tender-hearted 3-year-old Great Dane mix who is currently accepting applications for “favorite human.”

Rooster is truly the full package: housebroken, crate trained, and fluent in all the important commands. In his wonderful foster home, he’s been polishing his greetings and manners, settling beautifully in the house, welcoming his people with happy wiggles, and sharing space respectfully with another large dog.

He’s perfecting his loose-leash walking and has fully committed to snuggling as part of his daily wellness plan. Rooster loves playing with dogs his size, sampling every toy in the basket, soaking up sunshine, and curling up next to his humans like a 60-pound cinnamon roll.

Thanks to the generosity of Loren Morse, Santa Cruz County Realtor, Rooster’s adoption fee is fully sponsored — which means the only thing missing in his story is you. Come meet him and make his holiday wish come true. ❤️

11/26/2025

🐾 MATCHING GIFT DAY – Next Tuesday, December 2nd🐾

We have incredible news: Dr. Andrea Moore DVM is matching ALL donations to our Pet Food Pantry dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000 on Giving Tuesday.

That means your $25 becomes $50. Your $100 becomes $200. Every dollar you give will be DOUBLED to help Santa Cruz families keep their beloved pets fed and home.

Why this matters:
Our Pet Food Pantry removes an impossible choice for families facing financial hardship: the choice between feeding themselves or feeding the dog or cat who's been by their side through everything.

When a family can access pet food support, their pet stays home. They don't have to make the heartbreaking decision to surrender their companion to an already overwhelmed shelter system.

The numbers tell the story:
Last year: 69,000+ pounds of pet food distributed
This year: on track for 82,000+ pounds
The need is growing, and we're ready to meet it

Your gift will go twice as far. Twice the food. Twice the families helped. Twice the pets who stay in loving homes where they belong. Will you join us?

The best place for any animal is with a family that loves them.And, if you give today, Andrea Moore, DVM, will match your gift, dollar for dollar, up to $1,000 per gift!All Giving Tuesday gifts to the Pet Food Pantry will be matched up to $10,000, doubling the impact of your gift!

11/24/2025

🎉 EIGHTEEN Adoptions Last Week! 🎉
Another awesome adoption week. Our Home for the Holidays special is in full swing -- waived adoption fees on all Large Dogs (40lbs+), Adult Cats (6mos+) and Adult dogs/cats who've been adoptable for 30+ days! 🐾

Here’s the full list of the wonderful pets who found their families last week:

🐶 Dogs: Manchas, Ovie, Latte, Chaz, Tic, Toe, and Turkey!
🐱 Cats: Lois, Sunday, Zuko, Tia, Erika, Hudson, Summer, Huckleberry & Harper (together!), Azula & Momo (together!)

🐾

11/22/2025

We got the best kind of surprise last week—a visit from alumni pup Redd (who now also goes by Redd Arroyo—because one name simply wasn’t enough for this superstar!). 🐶🌊🌲

His adopter shared the sweetest update:

“Redd is doing great! He received an extra name—Arroyo! It means waterway; as we have one that flows where we live. We love our daily walks thru trails on this redwood forest property. He loves relaxing on his cushy dog-bed. He hasn’t chewed on anything over here and is very docile with the cats. I keep him busy; he rides around in the truck with me most days and sometimes goes with me to landscaping jobs. He enjoys playing rough and rolling around with his buddies next door. He gets warm home-made dinners and loves sleeping next to the fireplace with his salt-lamp nightlight. He has the sweetest, happiest personality. He aims to please and is totally a Mamas’-boy. He is a perfect companion. I’m grateful we found one-another.” ❤️

If that isn’t the definition of living your best life, we don’t know what is! Cozy fireplaces, forest adventures, truck rides, homemade dinners, and neighborhood wrestling matches? Redd Arroyo has officially cracked the code. 😎🔥🍲

We’re so happy for this sweet boy and his family. Happy Tails, Redd—keep shining, trail-blazing, and being the world’s cutest mama’s boy! 🐾❤️

Ready to create your own Happy Tail?! Our Home for the Holidays adoption specials are going on through Jan 3! Come visit us!

11/21/2025

🎉 FOSTER FRIDAY: MEET MISTY! 🎉

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to adopt the world’s sweetest shadow… this is it. Meet Misty, our 1.5-year-old Aussie mix who has been in our care since May and is SO ready to go Home for the Holidays! 🎄❤️
(And yes… her adoption fee is FULLY sponsored!)

Misty has spent the past few months winning hearts in multiple foster homes, and here’s the inside scoop from her current foster:

🐾 Professional Velcro Dog
Misty’s favorite pastime? Being exactly where you are. Couch time? She’s snuggled next to you. Cooking dinner? She’s supervising from the kitchen floor. Upstairs? She’ll settle on the first stair like your personal, fuzzy gargoyle. It’s adorable.

🐾 Polite Queen Energy
House-trained? Check.
Sits and stays instantly—even without treats? Check.
Offers her paw like a refined little lady? Check, check, check. Sometimes she even offers it unprompted because she’s just that polite.

🐾 Certified Goofball
On the couch she makes silly little grumbles that sound like a barnyard cameo 🐷🐮 (10/10 entertainment). Her signature move is the “belly to the sky” pose—she’s basically a living “rub my tummy” button.

🐾 Playtime Pro
She LOVES her hedgehog toy, rotates through all her backyard toys like she’s hosting Toy Olympics, and also enjoys quietly bird-watching in the shade like someone’s grandma in a dog body.

🐾 Keeping It Real
Misty is a sensitive soul. She can be timid with new spaces and new people, and she’s still working on feeling safe out in the world. On walks, she has big feelings about other dogs as well as at home when men come up to the door (delivery drivers, we’re looking at you). But with patience and consistency, she’ll continue building confidence.

💛 Misty is the total package: sweet, silly, loyal, and ready to be part of a family who loves her gentle spirit.

✨ Ready to meet her? She'll be back in the shelter next week!
We’re open Tuesday–Sunday, 11–5!
📞 Call our Adoptions Team to schedule a meet & greet, or📝 fill out an Adopter's Profile and we’ll set everything up!

Let’s get Misty home for the holidays! 🏡🎁✨

11/20/2025

✨🎁 Home for the Holidays Feature: APPLE! 🎁✨

Meet Apple, our sweet ~3-year-old brown tabby who is absolutely made for cozy holiday vibes. 🍎🤎

This gentle girl adores head scratches, soft meows, and warm moments with her favorite people. Here at the shelter, Apple greets everyone with friendly leg rubs and the cutest “please love me” purrs. She would love nothing more than to curl up in her forever home just in time for the holidays. 🏡💕

If you’ve been thinking about adding a loving companion to your family, Apple might be your purrfect match. Let’s help her go HOME for the Holidays! 🎄✨

Here's a reminder of which animals qualify for the Home for the Holidays Adoption Special:

🐶 Big dogs (40+ lbs)
🐱 Adult cats (6+ months)
⏳ Adult dogs & cats who’ve waited 30+ days for a home

We’re open Tuesday–Sunday, 11am–5pm.
See all our adoptable animals at www.spcas.org💻🐾

Bring home love this season! ❤️

11/19/2025

Santa Cruz Gives begins today, and we're proud to participate.
Our Vision for 2025: The Journey Home.

It's a thoughtful approach: Every animal that enters our care embarks on a carefully orchestrated journey. First, intake and assessment. Then comprehensive medical care. Training follows. And finally, the most rewarding chapter: adoption into a loving home.

Some animals arrive frightened and uncertain. Others require immediate medical intervention or simply the comfort of a patient, gentle presence. Each one is waiting for that perfect match, the right family to recognize their potential. When it happens, it truly is magical.

Animal shelters across the nation are facing real challenges right now. Adoption rates have declined, facilities are at capacity, and many families are making heartbreaking choices about pets they can no longer keep. But challenges present opportunities for meaningful action.

At the Santa Cruz SPCA, we've committed to excellence in animal care. Every dog, every cat receives proper medical treatment, behavioral training, and individualized attention tailored to their specific needs. This level of care requires dedication, resources, and, most importantly, a compassionate community willing to invest in these deserving animals. Together, we're creating beautiful outcomes, one adoption at a time.

We embrace hard work. It's how good things get done. With your generous support, we'll expand our adoption program and save even more lives.

Our mission is to provide safe harbor for animals in need and promote an active humane community through adoption, advocacy, and education.

11/18/2025

The Santa Cruz SPCA’s Home for the Holidays event starts TODAY -- and our adoptable animals are ready!! Like, brushed-their-fur-and-everything ready.

From NOW through Jan 3, you can meet your future snuggle buddy AND enjoy waived adoption fees for the following animal categories:

🐶 Big dogs (40+lbs)
🐱 Adult cats (6mos+)
⏳ Adult dogs/cats who’ve waited 30+ days for a home!

Come meet your new bestie. They’re cute. They’re available. 10/10 would recommend. 🐾 We are open Tues-Sun from 11am - 5pm.

11/17/2025

🎉 SEVENTEEN Adoptions Last Week! 🎉
What an incredible week for finding forever homes! 🐾💙

And… we have to shout this from the rooftops…
🌟 GRACIE WAS ADOPTED AFTER 301 DAYS IN OUR CARE! 🌟
This sweet girl waited so patiently for her perfect match, and seeing her finally head home has our whole team buzzing with joy. Go, Gracie!! 🥹💛

Here’s the full list of the wonderful pets who found their families last week:

🐶 Dogs: Gracie (!!!), Oscar, Jilly, Pepper, Mattie, Harpo, Chikis, and Leia.
🐱 Cats: Fawn, Mike & Teddy (together!), Wilma, Dash, Cheeto, Herbie & Itty Bitty (together!), and Jasper.

Every adoption is a victory — and this week was full of them. Thank you to every adopter who opened their heart and home. 💕

🐾