Coastal Humane Society

30 Range Road Brunswick, Maine 04011
207-725-5051
hours and directions

CHS Staff and Board Members

The staff, board members and volunteers of CHS make up a team, each bringing to the CHS table his or her own talents and dedication, to benefit the animals in its charge. With the tremendous support of a caring community, our CHS family is passionate about its mission:

"To provide and promote humane treatment
and care for companion animals
for the purpose of adoption
into lifelong, responsible homes"

CHS Board Members
Polly Anderson	Pat Hodgdon	Leslie Hunter	Darcy James
Lee Johnson	Spencer Jones	Tony McDonald	Sunny Kaiser (President)
Loraine Snyder	Lou Soule

CHS Staff Members
Karen	Executive Director Karen joined us on September 4, 2007. This dynamic woman has become a vital part of the mission and future of Coastal Humane Society. She has an ambitious vision for the shelter placing a priority on building good will with surrounding communities, fostering collaborations with like-minded groups, and of course raising funds to sustain our work. Karen is implementing a "comprehensive strategic, business, and development plan in order to help grow, stabilize, and support the mission of CHS". One of her goals is to help us become the most compassionate shelter in the state of Maine - to people as well as to animals. Karen has lived on her boat and provided sanctuary to feral wharf cats on the Portland waterfront for over twenty years.
David, DVM	Shelter veterinarian Special Interests: Developer of in-house shelter medical capabilities, Senior/Hospice/Special Needs medical care, Spay/Neuter.
Erin	Animal technician and part-tme front desk receptionist Special Interests: Erin came to us with prior medical training. She is a college graduate from Tennessee who came to New England where we were lucky enough to meet her as a volunteer here at the shelter. She is trained in giving CPR to animals!
Darlene	Animal technician. Special Interests: Feral cats, cats with special medical needs, and those cats in the Barn Buddy program. Darlene prefers to work solely in our isolation unit helping all cats maintain their health.
Devon	Animal technician. Special Interests: Devon works with our feline population part-time. The other portion of her time is spent on her second job at CVS. As much as Devon has a genuine affinity for cats, we have an equal affinity for her baking! She is our resident "baker extraordinaire" and is on the ready when we are in the mood for some elegant sweetness from her repertoire. When you visit with Devon, be sure to ask her "Got Suds?"
Robin C.	Animal technician. Special Interests: Isolation unit with both dogs and cats. Robin works "behind the scenes" to acclimate all animals to their new environment and prepare them for adoption.
Jane	Animal technician Jane is one of our wonderfully talented dog technicians. Though part-time, Jane gives 100% to our dogs and their prospective owners. Visitors are always impressed with her friendly demeanor. She volunteers to help at the regularly scheduled obedience classes run here at the shelter and is learning the intricacies of training dogs from our "dog whisperer" Robin. Jane loves our resident canines as much as she loves her own mini poodles Chocolate Chip and Cookie Dough.
Jeanne	Office manager. Special Interests: Jeanne handles all matters of business in the shelter including spay/neuter refunds and payroll checks.
Sandy	Front desk receptionist, publicity, website collaborator. Special Interests: A former English/Writing teacher for 36 years, pursues a passion for educating & inspiring today's children, recognizing they are tomorrow's conscience.
Kristen	Animal technician. Special Interests: Kristen is our Cat Whisperer. Her mantra is "Kiss the Kitties Every Day!" Visit our shelter and you will be sure to identify Kristen because she'll be ambling around cuddling one of our felines.
Ian	Animal technician Special Interests: Ian is our resident Dog Whisperer. He is able to discern the mood of a canine within a few moments and is highly respected for his ability to communicate with our canines. Ian is often found huddled in one of the dog cages playing with one of our dogs. He gives every spare moment he has to making sure all our dogs know they're loved.
Kristen W.C.	Animal technician and front desk receptionist. Special Interests: Kristen often works the front desk greeting everyone who enters our lobby. Her upbeat demeanor sets the positive tone we have come to rely on here. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, Kristen works with with our staff veterinarian learning all she can as she attends college to become a veterinarian some day. Note the W.C. in her name. Kristen is our staff "Wild Child".
Kathy	Volunteer coordinator. Special Interests: Kathy taught second grade students for 33 years before she became our new volunteer coordinator. Best known as "Sullivan", Kathy volunteered at our shelter for 13 years before becoming an employee. Kathy has served on the Board of Directors in the past. Under her direction as volunteer coordinator, our volunteer base has grown considerably.
Robin L.	Animal Technician and interim Shelter Manager Special Interests: Certified dog obedience trainer with a background in canine behavior. Robin evaluates all dogs coming into the shelter and begins their training to prepare them for adoption. She is offering Canine Obedience Training sessions here at the shelter.
Marta	Animal technician. Special Interests: We first met Marta when she came to us in April 2007 as a volunteer. We were impressed with her dedication then and continue to be wowed by her work ethic now that she works part-time with us on weekends and in the mornings. As a volunteer, Marta donated over sixty hours of her time to help us complete our work. We knew we had her hooked when she decided to join the rest of us in rescuing a shelter resident and adopting it as her own. Lucky Oliver! We have since learned Marta has a special knack for preparing delectables for our feline friends waiting for homes. When you come in for a visit, ask Marta about her special "Alabama Slamma" (without ice!) and her Frozen Caterita (without salt!). Our shelter felines respond with Yum! Yum! Yum!
Ann	Animal technician. Special Interests: Ann works with both cats and dogs here at the shelter. She is the "quiet one" on our staff. She walks with a gentle step and refined demeanor. She handles the animals in her care here with tenderness and limitless love. Ann is a lover of books and a voracious reader. She shocked us when she told us she is the mother of two grown young ladies as well as Ethan's proud grandmother. She looks so young! Come say hello to Ann when you're here for a visit. We are fortunate to have her with us.
Candi	Animal Technician Our newest employee comes to us after a six-month stint at Duval Animal Hospital in Arizona. She is a "Maine Girl" at heart and much prefers New England. We welcome her home! Candi had opportunities to work in various places when she came home but chose Coastal Humane Society and our shelter driven by her love of animals and cats in particular. She has a seventh-month-old shelter rescue of her own - a male Abyssinian feline named Rusty who loves to sleep in her arms at night. He is a true "mama's boy" who loves to be spoiled with toys, treats, and as much "mama loving" as he can get. Candi is an impressive addition to our staff of technicians... and she knows how to catch a feral cat! Go, Candi!
Tina	Animal Technician Want to hear the sound of a bell? Say three times: Tina Latina - Tina Latina - Tina Latina. A beautiful name for our newest employee. It's almost like singing. Tina brings to us a love of animals as an innate part of her being. Originally from Connecticut, Tina vacationed on Orr's Island every chance she could. She and her husband decided Maine had become as intricate a part of their lives as had animals, so the decision was made to become a "Mainer-From-Away". Tina rescued her seventeen year old beagle/husky/shepherd from a shelter in Connecticut when Shelby was only four and a half. She, her husband, and Shelby have developed a symbiotic love as a family. Tina also rescued BunBun the rabbit and Tinkie her cat from friends who could no longer care for them. Now Tina cares for our CHS canines and felines with that same love and passion she has for her own little ones. When you visit, ask Tina what happens when she becomes "Icy Hot Kibbles"!

Charlie, our canine mascot, has stolen our hearts and our souls. There is no Coastal Humane Society without Charlie the basset hound. He attends all our events. He sits behind the reception counter when his mom is at the front desk. He greets folks at the front door. He is our star - our handsome charismatic boy. He loves to be adored and adore him we do. One-eyed Charlie came to us after his owner passed away. We knew he needed a home yet before our search could begin for that perfect placement, Charlie chose our staff "Wild Child" as his new mom before she was even aware she had fallen in love with him. He knew she was the one. They are now a bonded pair - Kristen and Charlie. Come in for a visit. Charlie will greet you and you'll be the better for having met him.

Princess, our feline mascot, came to us when her owner died. She tried to get along with other folks as well as with other animals, but it just was not to be. Princess made up her mind that she had to be our "office cat" and be pampered by our volunteer coordinator. What a great decision she made! Princess knows how to sit on our keyboards and make our computers tap; she can put a phone call on hold with a pat of her paw; she tells our volunteer coordinator when she is allowed to work at her desk. Princess is loved and she knows it. She has found her new home.