Shirley Zindler, President/Co-Founder/ Volunteer ~ Shirley Zindler, President/Founder/ Volunteer ~Shirley is retired from a challenging and rewarding job as an animal control officer and has fostered endless puppies, kittens, dogs and cats in her 35+ years of doing this work. She thrives on being able to bring an injured animal back to health or help a traumatized one recover. She loves to paint and sculpt and also spends time writing down her own experiences for the shelter newsletter, BARK Magazine and just finished her second book, Secrets of an Animal Rescuer. Shirley has been happily married for over 30 years and has two wonderful, healthy kids and a grandchild.

Leslie Velasco, Secretary/Volunteer ~ Leslie is an Ohio native who made her way to California by way of Arizona where she graduated from University of Arizona. Leslie has always loved animals starting as a tag-a-long to the country vet who lived next to her family in Ohio where she assisted in cow, horse and pig duties. Her last career job assignment in corporate travel was a home based position that allowed her to start fostering dogs, and she never looked back. Dogwood has been her home for the last 7 years where she and her partner, Sam, have fostered over 150 dogs. She is currently active in the K9 Foster Team, the Applications Review Team and honored to recently join the Board of Directors. Leslie’s dream would be affordable spay/neuter to be standard for every living domestic animal and no animal be without a loving home.

Kelly Chidester, Board of Directors/Volunteer ~ Kelly brings more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry specializing in client services and building strong, lasting relationships. For nearly a decade, she has served as volunteer coordinator with Dogwood, where she is passionate about connecting people with meaningful volunteer opportunities. As a life-long animal lover, her passion for animal welfare grew through participating in spay/neuter clinics, where she witnessed their life-changing impact. Kelly is honored to serve on the Board of Directors and is committed to advancing the organization’s mission. Outside of her volunteer work, Kelly enjoys time with her beloved dog, who is her constant companion, her husband of 33 years, two grown sons, daughter-in-law, and grandson.

Pam Ingalls, Board of Directors/Volunteer ~ After a 30-year career in banking management, Pam retired in 2006 to pursue her lifelong passion for animals through volunteer work. She was a founding board member and President of Wine Country Animal Lovers, serving in that role until 2020. She also served as Vice President of the Board of the Humane Society of Sonoma County and currently serves on the board of Sunrise Horse Rescue. Pam began volunteering with Dogwood in 2020, where her dedication, compassion, and positive impact have been deeply valued. Her love for dogs and cats has been a lifelong passion, and she continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of animals and the people who care for them. Pam lives in Calistoga with her, Paul, their two dogs, and two cats.

Charlotte Pearce, Treasurer/Co-Founder/Volunteer ~ Charlotte is a Sonoma County native and lifelong friend to animals. In 2004, she founded her own professional pet services business, Affinity Pet Services, and soon began volunteering with the Humane Society of Sonoma County, where she discovered her true “heart work”: helping animals in need. Driven by a desire to make an even greater difference in the lives of animals, Charlotte is honored to be a volunteer at Dogwood and grateful to be part of a heart-centered team that inspires her every day.

We are honored to have a community of volunteers who give their time and energy to support our mission. We have a team of over 200 volunteers who help with fostering cats and dogs, reviewing adoption applicants, provide rescue transportation, work on fundraising events, crafts/merchandise sales, assist with grant-writing and administration, and so much more. Our volunteers are our superpower!