Humane Society of Ventura County

It's hard to believe these photos were taken only 2 days apart. Minnie was surrendered to Humane Officer Vail in the field on September tenth along with an adorable hamster named Mr. French Fry. Both animals were living in extremely poor conditions. Upon arrival one of our staff members got Minnie all cleaned up, and by day two she is just as happy as can be! 

SACRAMENTO, CA – Last week the California State Legislature passed a concurrent resolution declaring the Shelter Pet as the official California State Pet. The resolution, ACR 56, was introduced by Assembly member Eric Linder (R-Corona).

The Humane Society of Ventura County hopes that this new resolution will bring awareness to the plight of homeless animals that enter shelters every day.  Making shelter pets the state pet of California encourages people to support and adopt from local shelters.

Each year, over 800,000 animals are taken in by California’s public and private shelters, with fewer than half adopted into new homes. SPCA’s, municipal animal shelters and humane societies often nurse severely sick animals back to health and are able to match them with permanent homes.

Erica Hughes, Executive Director, State Humane Association of California commented, "We are so thrilled that California’s shelter pets have gained official recognition by the Legislature.Sadly, many people are unaware of the tragic plight of shelter animals and their capacity for making wonderful companions. When people adopt from animal shelters, everyone wins:the animal gets a place to call home, the adopter gains a new family member, the burden on our overcrowded shelter system is eased, and each of us enjoys the benefits of living in a more compassionate society. We applaud Assembly member Linder's leadership and commitment to our state's shelter pets."

Introducing, Your Grace, the beautiful Duchess of the HSVC! Duchess was abandoned at the shelter on August 12th. Our security cameras caught someone dumping her at the shelter at 4:30 in the morning then heading down the road to their car parked off property.

Amanda getting some love from The Duchess

A warm welcome to Amanda Volden who has recently joined the Humane Society staff as the new Volunteer Coordinator. The Staff and Board feel very fortunate to welcome Amanda to the team and are excited about the direction our Volunteer program will grow under her supervision. 

The Humane Society of Ventura County will hold its ninth annual “Cats in the Canyon & Hounds in the Hollow” fundraiser on Sunday, September 27, at Boccali’s Pizza and Pasta Restaurant in Ojai.

It doesn't get much cuter than our girl Baby! Baby is a Shiba Inu and Terrier mix who was transferred from Ventura County Animal Services last week. Baby is listed as 14 years old, which is hard to believe with all the energy and spunk this little girl has! 

Photos by: Greg Cooper, Claudia Figueiredo, and Dougal Brownlie

Last weeks Clear The Shelter Adoption event was a huge success! On Saturday, August 15th, 19 animals (9 dogs and 10 cats) found their forever homes. A very special thank you to NBC News for orchestrating this wonderful event. Over 18,000 shelter animals found homes across the nation!

Last week the HSVC Humane Officer Division had a hard earned victory in court when a Ventura County jury found a Simi Valley woman guilty of animal cruelty in connection with her care of a horse.

On February 14, 2014 officers Hoffman and Mrvichen responded to an anonymous call about a emaciated palomino horse named Dandylion. Officers and a veterinarian examined Dandylion and it was determined that the horse was in imminent peril due to a lack of adequate food and care. The Humane Society of Ventura County seized Dandylion and he has remained in their care ever since. 

Dandylion is up to a healthy 765 pounds from his previous weight of 570 pounds at the time of his rescue. The horses previous owner could face up to a year in the county jail and probation with terms that would limit her ability to own any horses in the future.