Mina Wahab

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — A new Santa Barbara nonprofit is working to save dogs at risk of euthanasia while helping families keep their pets at home through training, education and community support. Night Sky Rescue, founded by animal behavior specialist Marlena Piacenza, has been operating for just six weeks. In that time, Piacenza says the foster-based rescue has saved 11 dogs that were facing euthanasia because of medical or behavioral issues.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — One of California's most important marine predators is making a return to Santa Barbara, giving visitors a rare opportunity to see a species scientists hope will one day recover in the wild. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center has welcomed endangered sunflower sea stars as part of an effort to educate the public about the species' role in maintaining healthy coastal ecosystems.

New Published July 23, 2026 6:47 pm SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — As fighting involving Iran, Israel and the United States continues, a UC Santa Barbara global studies professor says the conflict's effects could extend far beyond the Middle East, including economic consequences for Americans at home. Professor Mark Juergensmeyer, a global studies scholar at UC Santa Barbara, says the roots of the current conflict stretch back years.