Oxnard shelter gets rescued; Pets won't be euthanized

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. - The Instagram post was filled with joy. 

"Hi everybody. If you can’t tell, we were hugging and crying. We got approved!" Brittany Vizcarra said in a social media video.

The pressure on Vizcarra, Director of Operations at Paw Works, and others who work, volunteer and support the Oxnard animal rescue was overwhelming.

That’s because before the Thursday meeting of the Ventura County Planning Commissioners, Vizcarra and her team were staring down the barrel of shutting down and having to euthanize their 100 or so cats and dogs.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Oxnard shelter may have to euthanize animals if faced with shut down

Dogs like "Doofy." He has an anxiety disorder and crawls under a security blanket when he’s nervous!

And, this day was nerve-racking because as Vizcarra explained it to the commissioners, "County shelters are already overrun. The animals would be left without homes and facing potential euthanasia." 

The county’s Planning Director Dave Ward called Paw Works "a compassionate business."

"It is a business. My job as Planning Director is to administer the zoning code," he said.

To Ward, it wasn’t properly followed.

The county said there were issues in completing the appropriate zoning applications. Vizcarra says their delays were due to a neighboring company’s technical issues. 

She wanted an exception to the commercial use permit problem that was about to close them down. She made her plea. 

"We have rescued 14,000 unwanted animals that range from newborns, mothers and babies, medical, seniors and behavioral case animals as well. Please help us by accepting our appeal," she told commissioners.

The vote was unanimous – They won and not only was Vizcarra and all the Paw Works gang overwhelmed with excitement, but she couldn’t wait to tell "Doofy." 

In a high-pitched voice she excitedly told the little dog, "Did you hear?... We did it!"