KEYT News | August 14, 2026
Miramar Best In Show Returns for 5th Year and Crowns New Winners
LATEST NEWS
August 6, 2026
Seeing Senior and Special-Needs Pets in a New Light
The conversation offered an opportunity to look beyond the challenges that can sometimes come with age or special needs and instead focus on the unique qualities these animals bring to a family. Whether it’s the quiet companionship of a senior pet or the resilience of an animal who has overcome medical challenges, there is so much to discover in these often-overlooked pets.
The Virtual Coffee also offered a glimpse into the exciting progress taking place at Santa Barbara Humane’s new Santa Barbara campus. The new campus is being built to help the organization save more lives, expand access to veterinary care, and create an even stronger safety net for pets and the people who love them.
Watch the August 6 Virtual Coffee with Kerri
Missed a Virtual Coffee with Kerri? Catch up on past conversations on our YouTube playlist. There’s plenty to sip, watch, and learn!
July 21, 2026
Summer is Bustling at Santa Barbara Humane
Our community counts on us. It is because of this trust that we are transforming our 1960s campus. Phase I is well underway, and we are eager to implement our vision for Phase II. Although summer should be a lazier time, Santa Barbara Humane has stepped up its construction activities with joy, pride, enthusiasm, and gratitude. Our new campus is taking shape as we had imagined.
How have we come this far? Community investment in our leadership, our vision, and our impact has given us the resources, courage, and energy to move forward.
With us, you have believed that when you let go of what no longer serves you, you create space for what’s meant to be. Santa Barbara Humane is meant to be a 21st-century resource for people with pets and pets without people. It is meant to reflect a community that is aligned with forward thinking and committed to excellence. It is meant to be a place of pride in community achievement and gratitude for community investment.
Year after year, we have been here for those who rely on our services, but as demand increases, we have significantly outgrown our 60-year-old facility. We are close to reaching our goal for Phase I. We are inviting community leaders and institutional funders to help us meet our goal. Your ideas and partnership as we close this Phase are welcome. And needed.
Watch the Phase I construction time lapse of the new Santa Barbara campus.
April 15, 2026
A Year of Making a Difference
March 22, 2026
SB Humane Gala Annouces Whiskers Under the Moon
NOOZHAWK | February 28, 2026
134 Local Animals Spayed or Neutered on World Spay Day
August 13, 2025
A new era has begun at Santa Barbara Humane!
With a toss of his nose and careful placement of his paws, Potato (Po) and two tail-wagging colleagues made the first giant move towards a new campus for animal care and community service at Santa Barbara Humane. With more than 150 friends and supporters joining staff and volunteers on the morning of August 13, the three dogs happily broke ground in the best way possible!
Making the first symbolic digs, they launched the future.
Phase One construction of our new campus will begin in September, and our 60+ year old facilities will gradually be replaced with pet and family-friendly centers for intake, adoption, veterinary services, and behavior training. With a design that considers the well-being of animals “from the paws up,” we will be able to meet the growing needs for our services while expanding our impact.
More than a million pets and their families have come to Santa Barbara Humane since its founding in 1887. The generosity and support of the Santa Barbara community for more than 138 years have sustained and grown our ability to serve people with pets and pets without people.
This new era is possible because of people like you who have believed in us, utilized our services, and supported us through their volunteering, giving, and professional staffing.
Thank you for supporting our vision and our work!
Read all about it!
Noozhawk | Montecito Journal | Santa Maria Times | Edhat | Lompoc Record | Locale
MONTECITO JOURNAL MAGAZINE | Summer 2025
CEO Kerri Burns Recognized as One of Montecito Journal Magazine’s Women Transforming Our Community
Celebrating its 138th anniversary, Santa Barbara Humane stands as one of the oldest and largest animal welfare agencies in the region—yet its evolution in recent years is what’s most striking. Since 2018, under the leadership of Kerri Burns, the organization has undergone a thoughtful transformation, expanding its reach and redefining its role in the community.
“When I first arrived, it was about listening—really understanding what the community needed and expected from us,” says Burns. That commitment to community led to a bold move in 2020: merging with the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society. The result was a unified, county-wide organization capable of offering accessible, compassionate care to more families than ever before.
Santa Barbara Humane’s services have grown by 25% annually since the merger, far surpassing the public’s traditional view of it as “just the place to adopt a pet.” Today, it’s a full-spectrum resource for pet families—offering veterinary care, dog training, a pet food pantry, and a referral network. “We want people to think of us if they have an issue or even a question about their animal,” Burns explains. “If we don’t have the answer, we’ll connect them to someone who does.”
The organization operates with a singular philosophy: “How do we get to yes?” That mindset drives every service and interaction. “We don’t judge,” says Burns. “Animals don’t judge us—why would we judge the people who love them?”
Equally important, Santa Barbara Humane is a fully independent nonprofit. “We don’t receive city, state, or national funding. Every dollar comes from our donors or program revenue,” she says. That financial model reflects its deep-rooted connection to the local community: “We’re here for the community and by the community.”
For Burns, leadership is about empowerment. “My staff are experts, and they’re encouraged to grow,” she says. “We’re not just reacting—we’re being proactive. We’re doing what’s best for the people and pets of Santa Barbara.”
At Santa Barbara Humane, it’s not just about animal welfare—it’s about building a resilient, compassionate community… especially for the furriest members of it.
Read the article at Montecito Journal Magazine >>
Santa Barbara Humane’s recent achievements have not gone unnoticed. In just the past year alone, the organization and its leadership have received several honors, including Pacific Coast Business Times’ Top 50 Women in Business (featuring Kerri Burns), Best Place to Adopt by the Santa Barbara Independent, Best Nonprofit in Santa Maria by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, Montecito Journal Magazine’s MJ Women Issue (featuring Kerri Burns), and being named one of Pacific Coast Business Times’ Top 50 Places to Work.
May 29, 2025 • PACIFIC COAST BUSINESS TIMES
Santa Barbara Humane named one of the Top 50 Best Places to Work on the Central Coast
Santa Barbara Humane is honored to be named one of the Top 50 Best Places to Work on the Central Coast by the Pacific Coast Business Times. This recognition is a testament to the culture of compassion, collaboration, and dedication that defines our organization. It reflects our unwavering commitment not only to the animals and people we serve, but also to the incredible team that makes our mission possible every day. We are proud to foster a workplace where our employees feel valued, supported, and inspired to make a difference in our community every day.
SB Humane CEO Kerri Burns (center) and staff came to the MClub to talk about all they do for animals and the community (photo by Priscilla)
May 6, 2025 • Richard Mineards • THE MONTECITO JOURNAL
Dogs in the MClub
Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub went to the dogs when 45 guests attended a Lunch and Learn event at Santa Barbara Humane, which has helped 8,502 animals get adopted since 2020 with more than 360,000 veterinary services performed.
The four-acre site in Goleta, a former walnut farm, has now started a major campaign to improve its 138-year legacy of services on a campus not renovated for more than 64 years.
Phase 1 includes a new dog behavior center, an intake building, and a mobile veterinary clinic to be completed in 2027. And Phase 2 is scheduled to take 22 months, and will include an adoption reception building, a medical center building, and administration building.
“Together, we will create a 21st century community destination where all pets receive the holistic, compassionate care they need and deserve,” says the campaign.
Among the animal lovers taking part were Jim and Robyn Barbabella, Maria McCall, Juliette Castagnola, Gerd Jordano, Dana Mancini, Keith Moore, Sandra Stingle, and Paige Van Tuyl.
Read the article at montecitojournal.net >>
February 20, 2025 • SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT
New Small Dog Basic Manners Class at Santa Barbara Humane
SB Humane is launching a Small Dog Basic Manners class at its Santa Barbara Campus, designed specifically for dogs 25 pounds and under.
This six-week course, starting Tuesday, March 4, provides a safe and supportive environment where small dogs can learn essential skills like sit, stay, polite leash walking, and greeting people without jumping—without the stress of larger classmates. Using positive, reward-based training, this class helps build confidence and strengthen the bond between pets and their people.
Learn more about dog training classes offered at SB Humane >>
Santa Barbara Humane CEO Kerri Burns, center, and shelter volunteers with a few of the dogs transferred from L.A. shelters during the wildfires. (Daniel Green / Noozhawk photo)
January 10, 2025 • Daniel Green • NOOZHAWK
Santa Barbara Groups Step Up to Provide Aid During L.A. Fires
As Los Angeles residents continue to suffer the effects of the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire, Santa Barbara groups have responded with volunteers, resources and services to provide relief.
Since Tuesday, multiple fires have raged through parts of Los Angeles County and have burned more than 40,000 acres and killed at least 10 people.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department has mobilized five fire engines, a battalion chief and a public information officer to help fight the fires.
Local nonprofit organizations also have worked to provide resources or just open their services to L.A. residents affected by the blazes.
The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and Food Share of Ventura County provided 10 pallets of water, which were sent to the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank to distribute in affected areas.
Laurel Alcantar, the foodbank’s director of marketing, said the efforts are part of ongoing coordination among multiple organizations in the region.
“We work with our partner food banks across the state in different areas to ensure that each food bank has support in the event of any kind of a natural disaster or disaster situation,” Alcantar said.
She said the relationship also benefits Santa Barbara County when disasters occur because other food banks provide resources.
Alcantar added that the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County will be better able to provide supplies when it opens its new Goleta facility in March. The site will allow the organization to store more food in case of disasters. Direct Relief has provided medical supplies to evacuation centers and health facilities in the L.A. area. Supplies donated include N95 respirators, prescription medicines, Tdap vaccines, medical supplies, personal care items, and protective gear for post-fire recovery efforts.
Brea Burkholz, a spokeswoman for Direct Relief, said the organization works to serve the community as a whole but also tries to support areas that have historically been disadvantaged.
“We always say, ‘Those who are the most vulnerable in times of disaster were vulnerable the day before,’” Burkholz said. “So, we look to our network of established relationships in the community, and we work through them as a support organization to provide them with everything they need to serve their population and their patients.”
The organization’s primary goal is to help people manage or protect their health during a crisis. She said that when disasters occur, many people do not have time to gather medications, or the supply chain is cut because of a lack of pharmacies. The other issue is smoke inhalation or particulates, which can damage the eyes, throat or lungs.
“In times it’s been Santa Barbara that’s been impacted by fires and other disasters, and so we want to be there for our neighbors to the south in their time of need great,” Burkholz said. In addition to supplies, other organizations are opening their doors.
In the past week, Santa Barbara Humane has begun accepting dogs from shelters in the Los Angeles area.
“Santa Barbara Humane is going down and we’re taking adoptable animals from Pasadena and transferring them up here to our facility to make them available for adoption,” Santa Barbara Humane CEO Kerri Burns said. “That clears up space for the evacuated animals to be able to come into their shelters.”
Burns added that many people in the area remember the 2017 Thomas Fire and the 2018 Montecito debris flows, which happened seven years ago Thursday. Providing relief such as this is one way the shelter can provide help. The shelter has transferred 13 dogs to Santa Barbara this week and has plans to transfer more. Plans are also being made to transfer about 30 cats as well. Staff have made the trip to the Los Angeles area to provide relief to shelters and offer their services. Burns said staff can help care for the animals or even provide medical services.
“If you think about it, their staff is so overwhelmed with all the animals coming in, and their staff is probably dealing with their own issues. Maybe their house burned down or maybe they have to care for their (own) animal in the shelter,” she said.
October 17, 2024 • Steven Libowitz • THE GIVING LIST
Organizations don’t last 137 years if they’re not capable of changing with the times.
For Santa Barbara Humane, the local nonprofit that – despite the mistaken notion that they’re part of a big network – is not affiliated with any national groups, the mission that guides them is that of championing both animals and the people who love them; leading to a vision of creating a healthy and happy community for all animals.
Rolling with the era is what they’re all about.
“Our philosophy as an organization always circles back to ‘How do we get to yes,’” explained CEO Kerri Burns. “We want to help as many animals as we can, and we find we are most successful doing that when we address what people and their pets need the most. We’ve been part of the community for a long time, and our goal is to continue to grow with the evolving needs of the times for animals and their owners.”
Those needs nowadays include not only the basics of finding loving homes for cats and dogs but also offering behavioral dog training classes for both the animals and their families, providing pet food and supplies for those who need assistance, and offering accessible medical care for all pets.
“More than ever, we are not just a shelter in this post-pandemic era,” she said. “We play a unique role as a social service agency for pets without people and people with pets, serving a crucial need in our community.”
Access to veterinary care is a huge problem because it’s so expensive, Burns said. But Santa Barbara Humane stands ready to help at every turn.
“Our unique position as a humane organization with veterinary clinics in both Santa Barbara and Santa Maria allows us to serve in a special way,” she said. “We have strong partnerships with our local rescues and private veterinarians, meaning we get a lot of referrals. Last year that enabled us to assist nearly 29,000 animals with our low-cost and free veterinary care.”
But what people may not know is the organization’s clinics also serve as a teaching hospital for vet students hailing from veterinary colleges all across the United States. With eight full-time veterinarians on staff and a large support group, Santa Barbara Humane’s clinics are open seven days a week.
Still, the needs that grew exponentially during the pandemic have not slackened. Demand for services has only increased even as life returned to normal, Burns said.
The statistics show that Santa Barbara Humane facilitated 2,127 adoptions in 2023, a 28% increase year-over-year, while the total number of veterinary procedures spiked 78% to 28,656. Financial assistance rose almost as aggressively, as the nonprofit provided financial assistance through its TLC Fund totaling $515,000, representing a 71% increase, while more than 1,000 animals benefited from dog training.
Pretty impressive numbers, but Santa Barbara Humane knows that additional increases are coming, not least due to the continually-evolving relationship between the domesticated pets and their human families.
September 6, 2024
Santa Barbara Humane: Champions for animals and the people who love them.
Founded in 1887, Santa Barbara Humane is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and one of the first animal welfare agencies in the country. With campuses in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, Santa Barbara Humane provides low-cost veterinary care, vaccines, and spay/neuter; affordable and humane dog training classes; pet adoption; and animal rehoming services. As a local community organization not funded by any national agency, Santa Barbara Humane relies on the generous support of our community to ensure cats and dogs receive the care they need.
May 28, 2024
We are thrilled to announce that the Santa Barbara Humane 2023 Annual Report is now available online!
Please enjoy perusing our annual report and seeing the impact the community’s support has made over the past year.
We are not just a shelter; we are also a hospital, a school, and a sanctuary. Our annual report features stories of rescued animals, program updates, donor recognition, event highlights, and details on how your donations support our mission of animal welfare through safety net programs, affordable veterinary care, education, and adoption services.
We hope you enjoy reading about the wonderful achievements made possible by your generosity. Thank you for being a vital part of our Santa Barbara Humane family!
January 26, 2024 • NOOZHAWK
Santa Barbara Humane Celebrates Successful 2023, Looks Forward to Bright 2024
Thanks to the unwavering support and loyalty of residents of Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara Humane has a lot to celebrate. Operating through its two campuses in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, SB Humane has achieved remarkable milestones in 2023:
- 28,656 animals received affordable or free expert veterinary care
- 5,961 animals and families received financial assistance for veterinary care through the TLC Fund
- 2,127 animals were adopted into loving homes
- The first SB Humane Gala was a smashing success, with more than 300 guests and volunteers in attendance.
In 2023, SB Humane saw a 28% increase in adoptions from 2022, resulting in 2,127 animals finding homes. One such animal was Sage, a 3-month-old English bulldog, who was surrendered to Santa Barbara Humane due to a severe respiratory infection and lack of appetite. Her owners were unable to afford her medical care. As a brachycephalic (short-nosed) breed, bulldogs are prone to respiratory issues, and the veterinarian team’s main concern was determining how severe the respiratory condition was.
The team was able to physically examine her and run chest X-rays to assess Sage’s condition. The results showed mild pneumonia, but her overall health was good. She was started on antibiotics to treat the infection while closely monitoring her appetite. Within a few days, Sage’s health improved dramatically. Her appetite and energy returned as the pneumonia cleared. Her new family met her, fell in love, and adopted her on the same day.
Like so many other animals, Sage arrived at Santa Barbara Humane as an owner surrender. As an open-admission shelter, Santa Barbara Humane accepts pets surrendered by their owners regardless of the animal’s age, health, or circumstance. In 2023, 1,229 animals were surrendered to Santa Barbara Humane by their owners, an increase of more than 25% from the prior year.
Shelter animals like Sage weren’t the only ones helped by Santa Barbara Humane’s safety-net programs in 2023. Thanks in part to grants and generous donations from the community, Santa Barbara Humane offers low-cost and free medical services to thousands of pets throughout Santa Barbara County through the TLC Fund. This fund made a difference in the lives of 5,961 owned animals in 2022, a 51% increase from 2022 and more than a 650% increase from when the TLC Fund was started in 2020.
December 15, 2023 • SANTA BARBARA INDEPENDENT
Santa Barbara Humane Celebrates 2,000 Animal Adoptions in 2023
As a dog named Tiger was walked out the door by his new adopter, the staff of Santa Barbara Humane took a moment to celebrate a momentous achievement. With the adoption of the two-year-old Anatolian Shepherd, the organization has reached 2,000 adoptions in 2023, already a 20% increase from last year’s totals.
Santa Barbara Humane has seen a steady and heartening increase in adoptions in the past few years. The organization found homes for 1,263 cats and dogs in 2021 and 1,666 animals in 2022. This upward trajectory reflects the hard work of Santa Barbara Humane’s hard-working staff, dedicated volunteers, and the community’s tremendous support.
Kerri Burns, Santa Barbara Humane’s CEO, expressed gratitude for the community’s support and reflected on the achievement, stating, “Reaching the milestone of 2,000 adoptions in a single year is a remarkable accomplishment for our organization. We are profoundly grateful for the growing number of families choosing to adopt their pets from us. ” While Burns is thrilled with 2023’s adoption numbers, she is already looking to the future, “this is just the beginning. We are looking forward to building on this success in the years to come.”
December 13, 2023 • JORGE MERCADO • PACIFIC COAST BUSINESS TIMES
Santa Barbara Humane Shares Need for Renovation
A visit to the Santa Barbara campus today reveals the extraordinary need for a complete transformation.
Indoor and outdoor facilities are from a bygone era in animal welfare, and coincidingly, there has been a 20% increase, year over year, in the use of Santa Barbara Humane’s services.
Enter a visionary master plan: A phased renovation that promises not just a transformation of animal care for the community but an expansion of services, enhanced accessibility, increased opportunities for veterinary staff training, and a steadfast commitment to infusing every moment with hope and compassion.
In a recent article in the Pacific Coast Business Times, CEO Kerri Burns shares more:
For the past six years, Santa Barbara Humane has been expanding its services to better help the animals in the area and the surrounding community. But now the nonprofit is undertaking its largest expansion yet, with the announcement that it will be retrofitting its current 5399 Overpass Rd. location in Goleta in an approximately $60 million project that will help Santa Barbara Humane “bring the services people need right to them.”
Once complete, it will be the largest nonprofit shelter on the Central Coast.
“We feel we are the best-kept secret in Santa Barbara and we don’t want to be anymore,” Kerri Burns, CEO of Santa Barbara Humane, told the Business Times Dec. 12. “We offer so many services beyond a traditional shelter because we want to meet the people of the community where they are.”
Burns, who joined the nonprofit six years ago, said the project will be done in phases so that people of the community can continue to access Santa Barbara Humane throughout. The first phase of the process will cost approximately $16 million while the second phase, which would begin a couple of years later, will cost approximately $46 million, with the entire project hoping to be completed within five years of the launch of phase 1.
So far, Santa Barbara Humane has raised approximately $10.5 million toward the goal, secured preliminary approvals from the City of Goleta and aims to begin phase 1 in the summer of 2024.
“Our mission is to be champions for animals and the people who love them and through this build, we will be able to continue to do that,” Burns said. “We are a local nonprofit and we have only come so far because of our community and now we are excited to unveil this project and one day soon finish this beautiful project with our community, together.”
Burns noted that when she first took over the role, after having spent nearly two decades in the animal welfare business, the adoption rate for the nonprofit was a couple hundred animals per year. Since taking over in 2018, Burns said Santa Barbara Humane has seen over 9,000 animals adopted and has taken in about 5,000 animals from other overcrowded shelters throughout the state.
But what people might not know is that Santa Barbara Humane offers much more than just the adoption of animals. Burns said the nonprofit offers dog training, affordable veterinarian services, free food for those who cannot afford it for their animals and many other services.
In regards to medical care, Santa Barbara Humane has completed over 100,000 medical procedures. The new facility would help their mission as it would expand their medical services capability by making it three times larger, offer classes to upcoming and hopeful veterinarians because “there is a massive shortage right now” and give people a place to seek anything they might need.
“We want to offer all the services people don’t think exist or can’t afford right to them,” Burns said. “I could envision the new facility being complete every day and I could feel what an accomplishment it would be for this community.”
Along with growing its services, this also isn’t Santa Barbara Humane’s first expansion opportunity. In 2020, the nonprofit merged with Santa Maria Valley Humane Society, making that its second location in the county. In 2023, Santa Barbara Humane is also expecting its best year yet, adopting out over 2,000 animals with their vet team providing care to nearly 30,000 public animals, meaning that doesn’t include the care provided to those in the shelter.
“When this project is completed, I am going to be so proud of this community for recognizing and stepping up and building the next campus for generations to come and to help more people and pets stay together,” Burns said.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many more people began adopting animals as a way to cope with being indoors as well as the other difficulties at that time. Burns said she expects that trend to continue even as the pandemic seems to have subsided.
“If you look at any major way or major situation, people have taken in pets and we know now it is because of what it does for the health and the emotional well-being of humans,” she said. “Animals create a host of feelings for us and as time has progressed we understand what animals can do for us and our lives and I don’t think that will slow down at all. It will only grow.”
May 8, 2023
Story Poles Signal a New Era at Santa Barbara Humane
It is time that our facilities grow along with our programs, services, and vision for the next 136 years.
Today we will be erecting some story poles at our Santa Barbara campus, which will be up for the next week or two. These story poles signal the work we’ve done to support a new era of animal welfare at Santa Barbara Humane.
We have been working with a professional team to identify a renovation plan that will offer a celebrated resource for sheltered animals and community animals. We are looking to include state-of-the-art veterinary facilities; enlarged pet enclosures optimized for security, support and stimulation; and adapted spaces for behavioral training.
We are early in the planning phase, and the story poles are a required precursor to presenting the City of Goleta with our conceptual plans.
There will be a great deal more information coming out on our renovation efforts as we officially move forward with our planning and fundraising.
We look forward to having your support as part of this exciting new chapter.
April 4, 2023 • JOANNE CALITRI • MONTECITO JOURNAL
Talking TLC with SB Humane
This week we visited with Kerri Burns, CEO of SB Humane and her team of CFO Paige Van Tuyl, and COO Dori Villalon at the Santa Barbara location on Overpass Road. The four-acre property holds a veterinary clinic and surgery center, food, lodging and training of dogs, a cat hotel, and offers shelter during local disasters for pets like rabbits, chickens, and horses.
It is obvious this team loves animals and their job, as evidenced by the animals that are there. The tour started with the vet clinic where we were greeted by the dog manning the clinic; yes, seriously. Dogs are assigned to various tasks for socialization skills. This dog was great, smiling, attentive, and followed us around – it did appear he was managing the place!The Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Katie Marrie, holds a Masters in Shelter Medicine, and the clinic is staffed with licensed veterinarians. They perform up to 30 surgeries a day, do blood work in-house, sterilize equipment via autoclave, do health exams, and provide vaccinations.
Burns said that services for animals are provided whether the pet owner has funds or not. “Those who can pay are actually helping pay for those who cannot, and of course anyone can make a donation towards that.”
The cat shelter features music – which research has shown calms the cats – and pheromones released into the air which smell like a mother cat, so the cats instinctively feel safe. The cats’ cages are roomy and split-level, and have a doggie door so the felines can go outside.
We next toured the property where there are large open areas for individual dogs to run and play on a rotating basis. There is a recreation and skill learning plan, so dogs are both exercised and socialized. They go to the beach, to Home Depot, and other types of outings. The dogs have heated individual outside pens they go to only for sleep at night and feedings. Burns asked if I noticed any dogs barking. There was a friendly bark as we walked through, but not the expected chorus of barking from all the dogs. She mentioned this was because of the programs they have at the center.