Mama Honey was brought to Santa Barbara Animal Services (SBAS) after being found as a stray in Santa Maria in mid-May. She was very pregnant at the time and gave birth to eight adorable pups shortly after arriving. Like many shelters, SBAS was at full capacity at the time of Honey's arrival. They put out a plea to their community in hopes of finding a foster for Honey and her litter of fur babies. Ann, a local animal lover, learned about Honey and her pups through the Nextdoor app. She reached out to the HSVC to see if we could take them under our care and volunteered to foster the bunch until they were ready to find their forever homes. The pups were just a few days old at the time, but Ann was up for the challenge!

Foster mom Ann brought in the eight pups, affectionately nicknamed the "pitatoes" by our staff, each week to be examined by our Veterinarians. Our staff loved watching each pup grow week by week as they slowly began developing their unique personalities. Each pup was named after a sweetener to go along with Mama Honey's name. Before long, Maple, Jaggery, Agave, Stevia, Splenda, Monk Fruit, Sugar Cane, and Molasses were ready to be fixed and made available for adoption!

Last week our marketing team posted a video to social media announcing the puppies were available for adoption, and it blew up fast! Pitbull lovers from all over began showing interest in the litter. Within three days, eight amazing families came forward to adopt the members of Honey's pack. Thank you to all the adoptive families for opening your hearts and homes to these deserving fur babies!

These cuties have all found their happily ever after, but we still have so many animals patiently waiting to be so lucky. Visit our website to check out our available animals, or stop by the shelter (402 Bryant St. in Ojai, CA) during visiting hours Monday - Saturday between 10 am and 4:30 pm to meet them. We are also always looking for new foster pawrents! If you're interested in joining our foster team, please visit our website to learn more or email our Foster Coordinator, Cheney, at [email protected].