DEI Trailblazer Honorees
At the Humane Society of the United States, we are committed to cultivating diverse emerging leaders. The DEI Trailblazer Award is available to those working and volunteering in animal welfare.
The DEI Trailblazer Award recognizes the unsung heroes in animal protection who are breaking barriers and forging new paths toward a more equitable and inclusive animal protection movement. The DEI Trailblazer Award recipients are animal welfare professionals who represent, work alongside and serve historically marginalized and underserved communities to provide equitable access to animal care support services.
This award is designed to recognize individuals from around the country who have demonstrated a passion for protecting animals while increasing the representation of racial and ethnic minorities, women, men, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities, to ensure all underrepresented groups at all levels of the animal welfare movement are welcome at Animal Care Expo. The Trailblazer Award includes on-site recognition and a grant to attend Expo, including full conference registration, hotel and flight. All are welcome to apply.
2024 DEI Trailblazer Honorees
Colin Akemoto
Hawaiian Humane Society
“It has been proven that pets help with our mental health. They help us feel loved, less lonely, lower blood pressure-stress-anxiety. The love we give our pets increase our serotonin and dopamine levels which increases the “feel good” emotions. We need to help keep pets with their owners always, but especially with the unhoused/underserved communities. This will assist to keep their mental health level in a positive state and keep any other negative emotions they experience through their circumstances lower.”
Keera Bobelu
Zuni Game & Fish
“A diverse and inclusive environment encourages a broader range of perspectives, leading to more innovative solutions and a deeper understanding of the communities served.”
Oné Carrington
Ahimsa House
“Love and care for animals is a shared experience amongst the human race. Despite this universality, marginalized groups do not see themselves in this movement and are often targeted as opponents. But we know that a slew of systematic and interpersonal biases results in this division. This is why having various voices in this movement is important to address our particular needs and fill these gaps.”
Christine Davis
SPCA Serving Erie County
“Animals are universal and have the power to transcend cultural, economic, language, and social barriers. People from all walks of life will experience animals whether it is a positive or negative but often a large majority of communities are excluded or disregarded when it comes to animal issues. Animal welfare has not been the most inclusive field which has led to a lot of bias and lack of equitable status. It is important that more diverse voices have a seat at the table because of their lived experiences and unique perspectives. It is important to welcome all voices in animal protection, a lack of diversity means that voices are being missed and we need to work harder to make room at the table for these voices. Especially, if want to overcome biases and stigmatization of specific groups of people who have animals and live in the very communities, we are tasked with serving.”
Connie Donnellan
Asheville Humane Society
“My inclusive vision for the future of the animal welfare movement is one where every individual, regardless of background or circumstance, has equal access to resources, support, and education to care for and advocate for animals. It's a future where cultural diversity is celebrated and respected, and where inclusivity is ingrained in every aspect of our work. I envision a collaborative and intersectional approach to animal welfare that recognizes the interconnectedness of social justice issues and actively works to dismantle barriers to compassion and care for all beings.”
Sandra Duran
City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Dept.
“I have a passion for animals and I am pleased to provide them the care, dignity, respect, and compassion they deserve while they wait to be adopted. The work I do to help animals find a home and the aspirations I have for my future in animal care give me the drive and motivation that is needed to strive for a better future for animals. [Representation] serves as an ability to speak on behalf of those without a voice.”
Memo Fachino
Wisconsin Humane Society
“Asking for help can be intimidating and often embarrassing. Approaching an organization that isn't able to understand your language, your needs, or identify with your reality can make accessing help almost impossible. Reflecting in your organization the community that you serve, their culture, their faces, their language, and their experiences, allows for more intentional protocols and proactive programs, and promotes building stronger and lasting relationships with the people and the animals they love. Being able to share a common ground and a common goal helps us care for our animals better, and brings us together in the work we do every day.”
Lucy Fernandez
Austin Pets Alive!
“Saviorism and privilege have had a crippling impact on defining what a “good home” looks like for pets and people. By addressing the foundational injustices of underserved communities is how we can make a longstanding impact on becoming more human and humane to the family as a whole. Being a voice for the voiceless and saving them all REQUIRES listening, learning, and collaboration from all walks of life.”
Maggie Hernandez
The Anti-Cruelty Society
“Pet equity and access to care in underserved and historically marginalized communities are important to me because I have seen firsthand the impact that it has when you get involved with them directly. You start learning more about what they need, you gain their trust to become a voice alongside them and be able to meet them where they are. Everyone deserves to have pet equity and access to care because it is a necessity. This not only helps the animals but the pet owners who care for them so much and do the best that they can for them.”
Colette Junod
Justice for Paws Animal Rescue
“Animal welfare is intertwined with broader social justice concerns like race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Effectively addressing these intersections demands a diverse array of voices and experiences within the movement. Diversity fosters accessibility and inclusivity, dismantling barriers to participation and ensuring that all individuals feel embraced and respected in the quest for animal protection objectives.”
Leticia Lopez
Animal Fix Clinic
“Pet equity is extremely important to me because I believe that everyone should have the same treatment regardless of their race, gender or financial situation. As someone who can relate to many of our clients, I have witnessed and experienced the different treatment clients get when they might not have the money to help their pet. I believe that by promoting and helping clients get access to affordable veterinary care and resources, we can contribute to reducing the number of animals suffering from preventable illnesses or having to euthanize their pet because of cost. Also, it helps with clients being able to afford spay and neuter surgeries which helps less animals ending up at a shelter. At the end, what really matters is that regardless of their circumstances, clients should have the ability to provide a healthy and loving environment for their pets.”
Chad Mahkee
Zuni Game and Fish
“Diversity is important because fair treatment of animals should extend to all animals regardless of their background.”
Lissette Peralta
Humane Society of Greater Miami
“Representation shows the next generation of young animal welfare advocates they can have a seat at the table in this movement. When I meet with students in our shelter, I want them to see that the daughter of immigrants from an inner-city school can hold a leadership position in our community. The animal protection movement needs diverse perspectives to effectively care for our most vulnerable communities.”
Nicole Perez
Placer SPCA
“Diversity in our field is so incredibly important because we all have so many different experiences to share and learn from each other. We all think differently, have different strengths and weaknesses, and figuring out how to use all that to the best of our advantage could lead to endless possibilities. Our differences can be what strengthens us by forcing people to look beyond privilege and pride, and promote solutions like furthering education opportunities and improving access to care in our communities.”
Lex Quarles
Humane Animal Partners
“Community engagement can be easier to facilitate when the helpers reflect the backgrounds of those needing help. People appreciate it when they have a connection to someone who can better understand things from their perspective.”
Tiffany Roland
SPCA of Wake County
“I am a firm believer that “If you can see it, you can be it.” I’ve made a point to be the representation that I didn’t get to see growing up or working my way up in the animal service industry. You will never know an opportunity is available if you don’t get to see it, and it takes a village to cultivate the next generation to further our positive impact on the lives of animals and each other.”
Shawn Shebola
Zuni Game and Fish
“Diversity is important in the line of work because it is very beneficial to have different ideas and perspectives to solve different issues that may come up in this line of work. The representation of the organization is important to help inspire more people to join in the animal care services, and to gain more trust with the community members to not hesitate to call on us for help. I hope to see a future where there would be more veterinarians available as well as humane and adoption centers on reservation because there is a large number of stray animals, and all the pet owners need better care for their animals. Pet equity and access to care in underserved communities is important to me because this is what my community struggles with right now, we need a veterinarian and a humane center, to give the community better access to care and have better options with what to do with unwanted animals.”
Miguel Sheets
The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County
“I’ve seen many families shy away from having pets because they are discouraged from doing so. They don’t speak the same language as the staff in the shelter, they cannot afford vet care, or they don’t have adequate transportation to the shelter or pet supply store, for example. I want to give support [to] those community members that may have historically been ignored by our industry. Nearly everyone could benefit from a pet, and we can help empty our shelters if we gave equitable access to those animals to those people.”
Kimberly Thompson
Bitter Root Humane Association
“Pet equity and access to care in underserved and historically marginalized communities is important to me because every animal deserve the absolute best care when they need it in the community that they are in. The lack of resources in these areas make it stressful for not only for the workers and volunteers, but also for the animals in their care, which can cause the animals to be in the shelter for longer periods of time and that is not good for them.”
Jessica Umunnabuike
San Diego Humane Society
“I’d love to see a future where the animal protection movement is aligned with the broader equity issues faced by the communities we serve, and where inclusion is co-owned by everyone, not just one role or leader, and is actionable from every individual’s sphere of influence. To me, inclusion is seen when we celebrate and amplify what makes each of us unique, when we elevate our colleagues, when we interact with our guests with empathy and without judgment, and when we examine how we are serving our neighboring communities. Every interaction we have with a staff member, guest, volunteer, donor and community member is a building block of another person’s experience of feeling included in the animal protection movement, so the way we treat each other matters!”
Dr. Faye Varias
Hearts Alive Village
“Pets often play a crucial role in the well-being of individuals and families. Access to pets and veterinary care can contribute to emotional support, companionship, and a sense of purpose, particularly in underserved communities where other forms of support may be limited. Providing access to pet care resources in underserved communities empowers individuals with knowledge about responsible pet ownership. Education on topics such as nutrition, preventive care, and behavioral training can enhance the overall well-being of both. Lack of access to veterinary care can contribute to situations where pet owners feel they have no choice but to surrender their animals. By providing affordable and accessible care, communities can help prevent unnecessary animal surrenders and support the longevity of the human-animal bond.”
Greg Wilkins
Dallas Animal Services
“Representation in the field of animal welfare leadership is essential because diverse perspectives bring about innovative solutions to complex issues. When leadership reflects a variety of backgrounds and experiences, it ensures that the needs of all animals and just as important, all people including those often marginalized, are considered and addressed. Animal welfare should always look to improve the space to help foster a more inclusive and welcoming environment for individuals passionate about animal welfare but who may feel underrepresented. Ultimately, diverse representation in animal welfare leadership is not just about fairness; it's about creating a more effective and empathetic advocacy system for all. Simply put, diverse perspectives strengthens the possibilities of understanding.”
2023 DEI Trailblazer Honorees
Altamush Saeed
Center for Animal Law Studies, Lewis and Clark Law School
Charity Doings Foundation
Portland, OR
“As the second animal rights lawyer from Pakistan to study Animal Law LLM at Lewis and Clark, back home in Pakistan, I have been running a nonprofit called Charity Doings Foundation… We [provide] food and emergency veterinary care to livestock animals affected by the ongoing Pakistan floods which at one point had drowned one-third of the country and killed over a million livestock animals. I aim to use this as a precedent to amend Pakistan's disaster laws to include animal protection measures.”
Bryan Canty
Etowah Valley Humane Society
Cartersville, GA
“Since 2010, EVHS has rescued over 28,000 lives and reduced euthanasia in Bartow County, Georgia, by 95.5%—from 82% to 3.7%. In addition, NO healthy animals have been euthanized in over three years! We are working on four years of ‘no-kill’ status.”
Cierra Hughes
Maricopa County Animal Care and Control
Phoenix, AZ
“I am proud to be able to offer a resource to our community that promotes responsible rehoming. I piloted a Last Litter program for our shelter in 2021. The Last Litter program supports pet owners by coordinating free spay surgery for the mother and offering adoption outlets for the litter at the shelter. Intake fees are waived through this program, and litters adopted out through our shelter are altered, vaccinated and microchipped before going to their new homes.”
Dr. Danielle Lasley
High volume s/n veterinarian in the LA area
Los Angeles, CA
“[I have] performed thousands of high-volume, high-quality spays and neuters for underserved communities as a spay and neuter surgeon. I spearhead events for the local communities around the shelter where I work—the Palmdale Animal Care Center. These events range from free monthly vaccine clinics, public-owned spay and neuter, and community cat spay and neuter. We've been hosting events at our local parks in which we offer free vet exams, free microchips, free vaccines and free pet food.”
Helen Traphagan
Humane Society of Greater Kansas City
Kansas City, KS
“[At our] Humane Society, I have seen a commitment to increase the number of bilingual staff members, which made adoptions and obtaining veterinary care easier for our community. Important forms and documents are available in English and in Spanish, so language barriers aren't a concern [when people are seeking medical care or wanting to adopt].... I set a personal goal to adopt out 100 cats [over the course of] 100 days, and I reached that goal with five days to spare!”
Kelvina Lee
Zuni Animal Care Services
Zuni, NM
“I have been able to run this clinic on my own as the veterinary technician, creating exam sheets, organizing vaccine drives or appointments at our clinic and setting up spays and neuters with new organizations for the pueblo. Also doing PSA of the diseases in the village for outreach until COVID restrictions are lifted. I have been able to help this reservation with all the knowledge I have gained from previous jobs.”
Lora Luton
Maui Humane Society
Puunene, HI
“[Having] turned my passion of fostering dogs into a career, [now I can] place foster dogs [and] save a lot more lives.... My family has joined me in the fostering journey. My daughter was 2 years old when she started fostering, and she still talks about our two fospice dogs and how much she misses them and wishes she could help more. I am proud of the dogs we helped rehab, the dogs we showed ‘you deserve to be loved,’ and the dogs we gave a loving peaceful home to in their final days.”
Marisa Hernandez
Ruff Haven Crisis Sheltering
Salt Lake City, UT
“I am the owner and co-founder of Ruff Haven Crisis Sheltering, the first and only pet-retention-based organization in Utah. I volunteer my boarding facility to house animals in our temporary sheltering program. We provide other programming, such as a mobile pet food pantry, grooming and vaccinations. All our services are free. I am proud of the services I can provide to my community as a Latina business owner.”
Pornin Tauthong
Animal Care Centers of NYC
New York, NY
“In December 2022, I was awarded a certificate of Fear Free excellence in recognition for exemplifying a Fear Free work ethic and decreasing fear, anxiety, stress and frustration for shelter animals. I am proud of this accomplishment because I integrate appropriate techniques and tools to improve the overall well-being of animals with whom I interact and handle. Implementing a considerate approach in my work as a feline behavior specialist has positively impacted the ability for cats to adjust to the shelter environment, thus allowing opportunities to focus on behavior modification, which increases the likelihood of cats being adopted and achieving our organization's mission of ending animal homelessness.”
Ramona Griffin
Illinois Humane
Chicago Animal Care and Control
PAWS Chicago
Chicago, IL
“[My commitment to promoting inclusion is through] the Veterinary Assistant Apprenticeship program—[a paid, 12-week training program focused on hiring from] Englewood, a back-of-the-yard community [and veterinary desert]. The program is open to anyone who wants to explore a career with animals. After completion of the training program, we then hire them at our medical center and help them to apply to vet school if they wish. [We also] provide pet pantries, vaccine clinics, doggie day out and doggie overnight, agility and nose work program at our municipal shelter.”
Renena McCaskill
Detroit Animal Care and Control
Detroit, MI
“I [am proud to have] started an adoption and foster program at Detroit Animal Care and Control with the help and backing of Friends of DACC, of which I am currently the founder and nonvoting board member....My vision for inclusion is to have more [BIPOC] advocates who strive to make a difference and provide knowledge to the right community leaders to push for change.”
Dr. SaiRadha Ganesan
Northwest Spay and Neuter Center
Tacoma, WA
“Prior to my current role as lead veterinarian for the Northwest Spay Neuter Center, I worked for the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society. This is the only animal shelter within the North Central Washington. I helped lead the transition into a clinic facility for the shelter and worked as the sole shelter veterinarian. During this time, while serving the shelter population, I helped to expand our income-qualified spay/neuter services. I also provided several soft-tissue procedures for income-qualified families in the area. I am proud of the services we were able to expand as it was a reflection of my own growth as a leader.”
Shirrice Conney
Maryland SPCA
Baltimore, MD
“I started out at my job in the kennel many years ago and rose through departments to become the surgery/exam tech that I am today. I have had my hand in changing the lives of hundreds of animals and people every single year, but what I am most proud of is being able to connect with the pets and people in our community at their level on their streets and provide them with food, information, health services and in some cases shelter and building fences. Our outreach program has grown so much, from not having one at all to contributing to multiple clinics and pet food giveaways, all year, at no cost to the community.”
