Meet the TOAR team

Meet Jill Servais! Jill started her journey in animal welfare when she took her first job in 1990 caring for animals in a municipal shelter in Tucson, Arizona. The first month she worked at this facility, they received 1,700 animals; only 500 of these were adopted out or returned to their owner. To this day, she can remember specific animals that were euthanized despite the shelters best efforts to provide alternatives.

 

Wherever she and her family have lived, Jill has volunteered in a wide variety of animal related outreach. One of her biggest projects was helping raise the funds necessary to build the satellite site for the Dumb Friends League in Colorado. During her time in Washington, she has been working most closely with Okandogs, out of Cashmere, and Bailing out Benji, a non-profit that helps to educate consumers about puppy mills and works to pass ordinances to prohibit the sale of these dogs.

 

She has shared her home with many rescued dogs, and current pup Wilson was added to the family out of a high kill shelter in Mississippi.  As one of the founders of TOAR, Jill is committed to helping Okanogan County build a quality shelter to serve the animals who are in such desperate need of assistance.

Meet Pamela Shull! Pets have always been an important part of Pam’s life, usually many at once, both dogs and cats, but she currently has a Border Collie mix, named Buddy. 

Pamela has a background in medical and dental office management for 47 years. Since retiring in 2022 she has spent time focusing on non-profit work. Pam served on the Oroville Chamber of Commerce and is currently serving as Board Vice President for the Oroville Senior Center. During her career she also volunteered as a Firefighter and EMT-B in Okanogan County. She is Mom to Eric, Gavin and Brian, and Bonus Mom to Luke and Sarah Grace. Pam is also Grandma to three girls and a boy, and a Great-Grandma to two girls. 

 

Supporting animal rescues is important to Pam. She volunteered at a local dog rescue during the Covid shutdown and has donated toward veterinarian bills over many years. She has seen the need for more services for animals and for the people living in Okanogan County and wants to help to make it happen. Pamela is excited to be one of the founding members of TOAR and looks forward to making big changes in assisting animals of Okanogan County. 

Meet Cindy Koch!  Cindy has been involved in animal rescue since 1979. In 2009 Cindy fully committed to animal rescue while living on Vashon Island and working under the umbrella of Vashon Island Pet Protectors (VIPP) for several years. Having the tendency to take in dogs with behavioral issues, she worked with behaviorist and Border Collie trainer, Maggie McClure, who also hosts an annual “Sheep Dog Classic” Border Collie/sheep herding competition on Vashon Island.  During this time she also volunteered with Seattle Humane Society, working up to the highest level of handling dogs with behavior issues.

 

When VIPP decided to geographically set themselves apart and take in only Vashon pets, Cindy stepped under the umbrella of Second Chance Dogs and was immediately made a director. At that point, with 24 dogs in her home, Cindy and her husband bought 10 acres in Enumclaw, WA where they constructed a full kennel with indoor/outdoor runs, heated flooring and huge grassy play areas. Within the kennel building they built an apartment so ample one on one time could be spent with each animal. This shelter also included an isolation room, cat room, and a feral cat enclosure for our TNR program.

 

At this time Cindy also worked with South County Cats and the dairy farms in the area to spay, neuter, vaccinate and return their barn cats.  From 2009 to 2019 Cindy rescued, spayed, neutered, vaccinated, micro-chipped, transported and placed over 500 dogs.  She TNR’d hundreds of cats, placing young families in fosters so the kittens could be socialized and adopted into loving families. Cindy also conducted the interviews and home checks after receiving applications for animals.  She pulled dogs from euthanasia lists in high kill shelters in California, paying for their medical and transport; some were adopted out directly and some were transported to NOAH for adoption.

 

During that time Cindy conducted a statewide study, communicating with 49 shelters in 18 of Washington’s counties to better understand where unwanted pets were originating and what challenges shelters were facing in different areas. We then assembled a statewide “Landscape Analysis” showing where animal services were abundant and where resources of any kind were scarce. Through this study it was deemed that Okanogan County had the most drastic cases of unwanted pets with the fewest resources. Cindy committed to help unite and coordinate efforts of existing rescue groups and to provide spay, neuter, vaccinations and microchip services for this area.

 

The Koch’s current goal is to provide a brick and mortar facility to get lost and homeless pets to a safe and comfortable environment until they can be returned home, or other accommodations can be made for them such as transport to urban areas for adoption. They would love to create a model that can be used in other underserved regions with pet overpopulation and disease issues. Together with her husband, they have been long time supporters of animal rescue efforts in Washington state.  As a founding member of TOAR, Cindy is excited about what the future holds for animals of Okanogan County.

Meet Jeanine Foucher! Jeanine Foucher is a results-driven animal welfare leader with expertise in philanthropy, relationship building, and data-driven decision-making. Her career spans multiple states, where she has focused on reducing euthanasia rates, improving shelter operations, and fostering community engagement to create sustainable change for animals and the organizations that support them.

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In 2018, Jeanine became Executive Director of Acadiana Animal Aid in Lafayette, Louisiana, where she led the region’s top animal welfare organization, significantly improving sheltering, transport, and advocacy programs. Prior to that, as Executive Director of Pet Net Washington, a grantmaking foundation that distributed $500K annually, Jeanine spearheaded initiatives to end the euthanasia of adoptable animals and reduce overpopulation across the state.

 

Jeanine also authored the 2014 Washington State Animal Welfare Landscape Analysis, led the state’s first shelter data collection project, and pioneered efforts to use data to drive better animal welfare policies and practices.

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Currently, Jeanine serves as the strategic consultant to TOAR, where she guides the organization’s growth and impact. In this role, she leads key functions including financial oversight, fundraising, communications, policy development, and volunteer recruitment and coordination, ensuring TOAR’s continued success in improving companion animal welfare in Okanogan County.

Meet Stephanie Kraemer! Stephanie values her connections to Okanogan County and opportunities to add value to other lives. Born and raised in the Okanogan Valley, her most precious treasures revolve around family. But she also divides her energy between pursuits in business, volunteerism, and personal growth. 

 

Stephanie’s diverse career background prepared her for her current owner management role of a community grocery store. After working as an insurance agent for several years, she spent 18 years in marketing, with an emphasis on international sales.  Along with her husband, Clark, she’s also helped manage their own logistics company, rental properties, and charter business. A passion for animal welfare has inspired Stephanie’s ongoing contributions to their wellbeing.

 

She’s pledged time and financial support to Animal Foster Care (AFC), Okanogan Regional Humane, Okandogs, Team Okanogan Animal Rescue, and Sanistook Dog & Cat Rescue in Thailand. Besides fostering and transporting animals and donating time caring for cats, Stephanie developed relationships with partner shelters and rescues. This link expanded the local network and resources for cat overpopulation issues. 

 

In 2018, Stephanie and Clark partnered with AFC and built a cat shelter to house overlooked cats long-term. She also applied her management experience to organize a volunteer team to provide ongoing care for the cat population. Stephanie and Clark enjoy time with their adult daughter, Mackenzie and their four legged family members. When they’re not creating new memories with loved ones, they’re traveling, exploring, boating, and cherishing time outdoors.