Santa Cruz SPCA
Our Mission
The Santa Cruz SPCA provides a safe harbor for animals in need and promotes an active, humane community through dedicated adoption, advocacy, and education. We are driven by a spirit of courageous compassion, ensuring every animal receives the love and individualized care they deserve while awaiting their forever home.
Our History and Community Roots
Founded in 1934 by Dr. Charles Edward Graves, we have proudly served Santa Cruz County for decades as a fully independent, community-supported nonprofit. We receive no government funding or national assistance, relying solely on the generosity of our friends and the passion of our volunteers to keep our life-saving programs running.
How We Care
Since opening our state-of-the-art facility in 2020, we have prioritized creating a modern, purpose-built space designed for animal comfort and individualized attention. Our dedicated staff and volunteers provide essential medical treatment, behavioral training, and tender care for every cat and dog that comes through our doors. Beyond our shelter, we actively support local pet owners through initiatives like Heather’s Pet Food Pantry, which distributes over 60,000 pounds of food annually to help keep pets with their families.
Your Partner in Adoption
We believe that adoption is a joyful, life-changing partnership, and our adoption team is here to help you find the perfect match for your lifestyle. By taking the time to understand both the animal's needs and your household, we ensure that every adoption is a lasting, happy success. We invite you to visit our shelter on Chanticleer Avenue to experience this bond for yourself.
Join Us Today
Ready to meet your new best friend? Browse our adoptable animals online or stop by our shelter Tuesday through Sunday to chat with our friendly staff. Your support—whether through adoption, volunteering, or donation—makes our work possible and helps us touch even more lives in our community.
- Community support services
- Accessible pet pantry
- Withholding behavioral history
6/29 - Supporting pets, people and community: Santa Cruz SPCA joins Lookout's Civic Partner program
At Lookout Santa Cruz, our Civic Partnerships are rooted in a shared commitment to community care. We’re proud to partner with the Santa Cruz SPCA, an organization that has spent decades supporting both pets and people across Santa Cruz County through rescue, adoption, education and outreach.
5/29 - Strictly Business | Behind the Scenes of Saving Animals - Press Banner | Scotts Valley, CA
At the Santa Cruz Gala event last month, hosted by the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, I was lucky to be seated next to Nancie Newby, executive director of the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Foundation. Sometimes at large events you can be seated with people you have never met before and either the experience […]
5/21 - A most worthwhile day: Adopt-a-Pet on June 6
There are certain occasions that deserve a place on your calendar, and June 6 is one of them. On that Saturday, the Santa Cruz SPCA and the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter will once again join more than 150 other shelters across California for the third annual Adopt-a-Pet Day, a coordinated effort to place at […]
