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Carrie FritzExecutive DirectorCarrie Fritz was appointed Executive Director of Calgary Humane Society in 2014. Carrie is a CGA-CPA, who was drawn to a career in animal welfare and the not-for-profit sector from the start. Carrie attended the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University, obtaining her accounting designation in 1996. She worked at a public accounting firm focusing on Audit and Assurance. After returning to Calgary from a five year contract in Boca Raton, Florida, Carrie was delighted to accept the position of Controller at Calgary Humane Society in 2007. Since taking on the role of Executive Director, Carrie has focused on building a professional, highly-skilled team in order to further all aspects of animal welfare. Growing up in a family of teachers, she understands the importance of education and uses this to develop her team so they can be successful in inspiring the community to take on the challenges of animal welfare and be responsible pet owners. Carrie lives just south of Calgary, where she shares her home with her daughter, her two dogs – Daisy and Lacey – as well as her two rescue rabbits, Winter and Autumn. |
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Dayna BurghallSenior Manager, FinanceDayna has been with CHS since 2014. She received her Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Professional Accounting from the University of Saskatchewan and earned her Chartered Accountant (CA) designation in 2014. During her articling period in public practice, she gained extensive experience working with not-for-profit organizations.
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Rae FehrSenior Manager, Fund DevelopmentRae joined the Fund Development team in April 2015. With over 15 years of fundraising experience, Rae helps to build lasting relationships with the community and our donors so that the Society has the resources required to do the important work we do. Rae has a genuine love for animals and looks forward to adopting a furry friend in the future.
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Brad NicholsOperations DirectorBrad Nichols has been with Calgary Humane Society Protection and Investigations Department since 2005. Brad has a Bachelor’s degree in Justice Studies from Mount Royal College.
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Lisa OlundSenior Manager, Animal OperationsLisa is a project management professional (PMP) with 20 years of management experience in oil and gas, legislative compliance and healthcare. She started as volunteer at CHS in 2015 and was then hired on as an Animal Care Attendant in 2016. In early 2017, she joined the Animal Health team as an Animal Health Assistant until moving into her current role in January 2018. Lisa was drawn to CHS because of her love for animals which started at a young age. She is an outdoor enthusiast who loves to travel and also attends a rockin’ spin class whenever she can. She shares her home with her husband, daughter, and their two dogs, Baxter and Miles, who are Cairn/Westie crosses, as well as three cats – Kit, Betty and Leonard, who are all CHS Alumni! |
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Melaina SlaterSenior Manager, Human ResourcesMelaina is a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) and holds her certificate in Human Resource Management through the University of Calgary. She has been involved in the animal welfare industry since 2004 and started her career at CHS in 2006. She is a firm believer in lifelong personal and professional development with a keen interest in human rights, leadership development, employment legislation, and psychological health and safety in the workplace. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her spouse, their dogs – Jasmine and Terry, two birds – Eddie and Chuck, and the infamous Gary Van Meowski, who retired from his residency as CHS Office Cat and made his home at the Slater household. |
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Jessica BohrsonSenior Manager, CommunicationsJessica has been with CHS since 2019 and brings with her a background in entrepreneurship, government policy and non-profit work. She holds degrees in Political Science and Communications from the University of Calgary. She’s an avid antique hunter, film lover and world traveller. Jessica has been a two-time CHS ‘foster fail” and has a deep love for animals. Jessica is a licensed private investigator and speaks Mandarin Chinese from her years of living in China.
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Sally JohnstonManager, Animal Operations
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Anna-Lee RiebManager, Community Support & EngagementAnna-Lee has been with the Calgary Humane Society since 2015. Her previous roles within the organization include: Foster, Animal Care, Adoptions and Volunteer Resources. Anna-Lee is currently working towards her professional designation in the field of Volunteer Administration and is passionate about helping connect others to the rewarding work of animal welfare. |
Since 2013, Calgary Humane Society is proud to be one of the only open-admission animal shelters in North America able to say this simple phrase:
“At Calgary Humane Society, every single healthy and adoptable animal is able to stay until they are adopted.”
Calgary Humane Society is an open-admission shelter. This means one simple thing: We never say no. We never turn an animal away.
We have many supporters ask us if this means Calgary Humane Society is a “no kill” shelter. The reality is this: If a shelter is a “no-kill” shelter, then they must turn animals away. The animals typically turned away from “no-kill” rescues are animals that are too sick or injured to be treated or too dangerous to safely be rehabilitated and placed in a home. Calgary Humane Society is the only open-admission animal shelter serving Calgary and the surrounding area. Without our open-admission mandate, these animals would have nowhere to go.
Does this mean there are sometimes difficult decisions to be made? Yes. But thanks to the generosity of our incredible community of supporters, these decisions must be made only in the most extreme of cases. Thanks to the ongoing support of the Calgary community, Calgary Humane Society has become one of the first and only open-admission shelters in North America that does not euthanize for time. Just a few years ago, the animal welfare world said this was an impossible dream, yet Calgary proved them wrong.
At Calgary Humane Society we are proud of who we are, and we are proud of the community that has allowed us to make history. Each year our community takes one step further towards a future where no animal is abused, neglected or abandoned. We have come a long way since 1922, and together, we will continue to make history.
Choosing a pet is a life-changing decision! At Calgary Humane Society, we are often asked what the benefits our adopters receive when compared to purchasing from a pet store or classified ad.
Happy endings and new beginnings: Adoption saves lives.
To begin with the most obvious (and important!) reason, adopting a pet saves lives! At Calgary Humane Society we pride ourselves that every single healthy and adoptable animal is able to stay at our facility until they are adopted. We are able to do this because of our wonderful adopters. In adopting a pet, you not only give that pet a brighter future, you also create a precious shelter space for another animal to begin the story of their own happy ending.
At Calgary Humane Society, our commitment to our adopters is simple: We will continue to support you through all steps of your pet’s life.
Post-adoption support is another HUGE benefit to pet adoption.Adopters receive detailed behaviour and medical information prior to making a decision to adopt, are provided with a package of resources during the adoption process and have access to our staff, including our free behaviour help line, for additional support after adoption.
A happy life is a healthy life: Adoption starts your pet on the path to a healthy future.
Finally, in addition to the great reasons above, adopting a pet from Calgary Humane Society ensures your pet is set up for a healthy life. Prior to becoming available for adoptions, all animals at Calgary Humane Society are given a full health exam by one of our skilled veterinarians and treated for any health conditions they may have, including dental issues! In addition, all cats, dogs and rabbits are spayed or neutered and also receive their first shots. All of these health services, even if they would normally cost thousands of dollars, are included in the animal’s standard adoption fee!
This is Kobe… the man that changed my life forever! On May 10, 2008 I adopted Kobe who was so scared and shy. Needless to say we needed each other… he is no longer shy, he now loves to play. Every day I fall more in love with him Thank you for all you guys do and helping me find my lil man.
Kobe’s Mom
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