The State - News from July 18, 1988

Homeless advocates asked Santa Barbara city officials to change their policy on stray pets, because Bubba the dog is facing a possible death sentence if his transient owner cannot pay $350 to free him. Bubba, an 8-year-old German shepherd-Doberman mix, belongs to Larry Sheppard, 41, a homeless man who just spent three months in jail on a drunk driving conviction. “He’s kind of my family,” Sheppard said of Bubba. “I did mess up and I went to jail. But Bubba didn’t do anything wrong and he’s the one who has to pay.” When Sheppard was released June 28, he learned he owed more than $350 for the boarding of Bubba at the Santa Barbara County Animal Shelter. He has until Tuesday to make the payment. The Santa Barbara Homeless Coalition contends that animal control officers should be more flexible. But animal officials say they already have been lenient toward Sheppard, because owners of pets usually get just 72 hours to reclaim them before they are put up for adoption or put to death.