Volunteers For Inter-Valley Animals (VIVA)

Volunteers For Inter-Valley Animals was founded in 1981 to help improve conditions at the County Animal Shelter.  We raised money to purchase cages so the cats could be moved from their dark  locked room to a bright room for public viewing.  We helped make other improvements and established a Pet of the Week Program with the Lompoc Record.  The County agreed to keep animals longer than 72 hours to promote adoptions.

 

A local hardward store, Cram's Hardware, was VIVA's first private shelter.  At one time, 26 cats lived in the store.  In 1982, we started a shuttle to the Santa Barbara Humane Society for low cost spay/neuter surgeries as a public service.  We spayed and neutered over 4,000 cats on these runs.

 

In 1985, we rented a small house and established the VIVA Thrift Store.  We brought dogs and cats from Animal Services to the shop for adoption with great success. In 1990 we opened Sylvester House, a retirement home for cats.

 

In 1993 we found a small house on D Street in Lompoc, CA.  We renovated it with the help of a VIVA Member who did all the plumbing and electrical work.  It is without a doubt , one of the finest cageless cat shelters in the area!

 

Many volunteers and generous donors continue to move VIVA forward.  We are working to make Santa Barbara County a no-kill county which means that every adoptable animal finds a home.