After 20 years in animal welfare, Midcoast Humane Executive Director Jess Townsend has learned that sustainable change takes patience, perspective, and a willingness to address the human challenges behind the animals entering shelters.
The PEDIGREE Foundation and its partners are putting $240,000 toward expanding foster care nationwide. Deb Fair shares how Foster 50 grew from an idea into a movement and why collaboration can help more dogs find homes.
After nearly 30 years in animal welfare, Brittany Tennant has learned that setbacks are rarely the end of the road. From founding Black Dog Animal Rescue to leading Wyoming’s largest shelter, she shares why resilience, adaptability, and people-first leadership matter.
Christine Kim shares how a single encounter with a person experiencing homelessness and their pet inspired My Dog Is My Home, a national organization working to make shelters and housing more inclusive for people and animals.
Daniel Roselle shares how the Humane Society of Ventura County is evolving beyond traditional sheltering through accessible veterinary care, innovative programs, and a broader vision for what an animal welfare organization can provide to its community.
Brittany Vanderstine shares how working with tigers, lions, monkeys, and other exotic animals revealed a major gap in animal rescue, inspiring her to create Wild Exotics Animal Refuge and help animals affected by the exotic pet trade.
Aldwin Roman shares how a career that began as a kennel technician evolved into animal welfare leadership, and why the biggest changes happen when shelters move beyond rescue to prevention, access to care, and long-term community impact.
Katie Dwight shares how a career as an immigration attorney led to an unexpected life running a farm animal sanctuary, where education, advocacy, and compassion are helping people see farm animals in a whole new way.
Melissa Shupak shares how Toronto Humane Society is transforming animal welfare by shifting from a reactive shelter model to a proactive community support system that helps families stay together with their pets.
Cheryl McCormick shares how the Athens Area Humane Society is redefining animal welfare by putting people first, building trusted community partnerships, and creating compassionate programs that keep pets with the families who love them.
