Kerri Burns | From Disaster Response to Animal Welfare Leadership
Kerri Burns | From Disaster Response to Animal Welfare Leadership
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In this episode of the Top Dog Podcast, Kerri Burns, CEO of Santa Barbara Humane, reflects on more than 27 years in animal welfare and the experiences that shaped her leadership philosophy. From disaster response and animal rescue to shelter innovation and community engagement, Kerri has dedicated her career to helping both animals and the people who love them.
Kerri’s journey into animal welfare took many unexpected turns, including time spent as a police officer, grant writer, and disaster responder. Through it all, she discovered that animals have a unique ability to bring people together during life’s most difficult moments.
“Animals have so much more to teach us than we’ll ever learn in our lifetime.”
One of the biggest takeaways from this episode is the importance of collaboration over competition. Kerri believes animal welfare organizations can achieve far more when they work together rather than allowing ego or differences to stand in the way.
“We can be light years ahead if we just would get out of our own way.”
She also emphasizes the value of listening to communities and investing time in understanding the challenges pet owners face. Through proactive support programs and safety-net services, Santa Barbara Humane helps keep pets with their families whenever possible.
“People want to be heard and they want help.”
As a leader, Kerri focuses on empowering her team, recognizing their strengths, and helping them grow professionally. She believes great leaders listen first and create opportunities for others to succeed.
“How can I help you do your job better?”
At its core, this episode is about compassion — not only for animals, but for people, communities, and colleagues. Kerri believes that animal welfare has the power to inspire kindness far beyond shelter walls.
“It’s about creating compassion and kindness in everything that we touch in our lives.”
This message is especially important for Dooberteers, fosters, volunteers, and animal welfare professionals. When people come together with empathy and a shared purpose, they can create lasting change for animals and their communities.
If you’re passionate about helping animals, join the Doobert community where volunteers, fosters, transporters, and organizations work together to save lives every day. Visit Doobert.com to get involved.
And don’t forget to subscribe to the Top Dog Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode.
Do you know any Top Dogs we should interview? We’re always looking for amazing people in animal welfare to feature on the podcast. Send us an email at tdp@doobert.com.