Images Credit: Ventura County Animal Services
Different animals, different needs, the same truth: they will not get better in a shelter
(CLAIR | Simi Valley, CA) — Ventura County Animal Services is asking the community for help with animals who cannot remain in the shelter environment without putting their health or wellbeing at risk.
These pets appear on the agency’s Call to Action list, a roster of dogs and cats who need experienced adopters, fosters or rescue groups with the skills to manage medical or behavioral needs.
Readers can view the flyers included with this story, which show the animals needing help now.
The list changes often because new cases arrive daily. Some pets are recovering from serious injuries. Others are overwhelmed by the noise and pressure inside the kennels. All of them need people who understand what specialized care looks like and are willing to step in.
Luna is one of the dogs hoping for a safe landing. She is a 6-year-old German shepherd mix described by staff as happy and playful, especially when she gets time in the water.
She also has a heart condition that requires medication and may eventually need surgery.
Even with that diagnosis she has remained gentle and has done well meeting other large dogs in playgroups. She has also been cooperative during offsite cardiology and grooming visits, Ventura County Animal Services said. Luna needs a rescue partner or an adopter prepared to manage a dog with advanced medical needs.
In the feline area, Dartanian waits in kennel 2000.
He arrived with severe wounds on his legs and feet and has been under intensive treatment since October. Healing has been slow but steady, and he is not yet cleared for general adoption. His recovery would benefit from a foster or experienced rescue placement where his care can continue without the daily disruptions of shelter life.
Clark, a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, is another dog who needs to leave the shelter soon.
His handlers are limited to the most skilled staff and volunteers, which restricts his enrichment and social time. VCAS says this level of handling is necessary because of a bite incident believed to have been a redirected response during a high-arousal moment while he was being returned to his kennel. Staff have adjusted handling protocols and reduced exposure to known stressors, yet the shelter continues to add strain. A foster or rescue placement is urgently needed to help him decompress and give him a better chance to succeed outside the pressures of shelter life.
Many more animals appear on the Call to Action flyer. Each one has a story shaped by medical challenges, trauma or the simple reality that some pets cannot stabilize in a shelter no matter how much care they receive. Helping them takes time and experience, but it also brings real change. It gives an animal a chance to heal, learn and feel safe again.
VCAS welcomes adopters, fosters and qualified rescue partners who can support these animals.
Anyone interested in a specific pet should email [email protected] and include the animal ID. The shelters in Camarillo and Simi Valley are open for visitors during adoption hours. For details, visit https://animalservices.venturacounty.gov/
These animals are waiting for people who can offer what the shelter cannot.
For those with the skills and heart to help, this is the moment to step forward.
