Best Friends Animal Society welcomes Whitney Bollinger as Director of Network Strategy and Operations

KANAB, Utah — Best Friends Animal Society, the leading national animal organization dedicated to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters by 2025, announced today that Whitney Bollinger will bring her strategic lifesaving talents to the position of Director of Network Strategy and Operations. She is currently employed by Dallas Animal Services (DAS) and begins her new role with Best Friends on February 23.

“Whitney is a talented leader who will expand her influence to not only continue supporting the Dallas area, but also help throughout Texas, the region and the United States, with the goal of saving the lives of shelter pets,” said Laura Donahue, senior director, legislation and advocacy for Best Friends Animal Society. “She will amplify the skills and insightful leadership that she brought to Dallas, and broaden her impact on a larger scale. Dallas is an amazing example of how a big urban shelter can increase lifesaving by bringing the community together as part of the solution. We are excited for Whitney to bring that knowledge and experience to the rest of the country.”

The Network, led by Best Friends Animal Society, is made up of more than 4,000 (and counting) shelters, rescue groups and other animal welfare organizations in all 50 states, working together toward one common goal: to save the lives of homeless pets.

Bollinger’s career across a variety of animal welfare organizations in Texas has given her a unique breadth of experience and perspective. She has worked in a small no-kill non-profit limited intake shelter, a large non-profit open admission shelter, a low-cost community spay/neuter clinic, and Dallas Animal Services, one of the largest open admission municipal shelters in the country.

She is joining Best Friends after 5 years at DAS, where she is currently the Assistant Director, overseeing both the shelter –including intake, pet owner support, animal care, pathway planning, volunteer, foster, rescue, adoption and enrichment—and the administrative units—comprised of marketing, communications, data, reporting, budgeting, procurement, city processes, and legislation. 

“I joined the DAS Team because I was impressed with its commitment to innovation, data-driven decision making, and community engagement,” Bollinger said. “I am extremely proud to have been part of the transformation that helped DAS achieve a 90% save rate for the first time, and the hard work currently being done to regain that ground within the altered post-pandemic world.”

"I am deeply honored to join Best Friends Animal Society and work alongside industry leaders to advance national lifesaving efforts," she said "I look forward to facilitating further connection and collaboration across the Best Friends Network to increase support of our partners as they navigate unprecedented hurdles."

"As a lifelong Texan, I remain deeply committed to assisting Texas pets and their people," said Bollinger. "I am thrilled that this role will allow me to continue supporting lifesaving at Dallas Animal Services, as well as shelters throughout the state, and beyond."

Bollinger brings to Best Friends a wealth of experience, knowledge and talent from her background at DAS, having played a pivotal role in many high-profile projects, including the 2019 Petco Innovation Showdown, the Dallas90 rebranding and community awareness campaign, the MARS Better City for Pets certification and the City of Dallas’ first Coyote Management Plan. Prior to joining DAS, Bollinger served as the Director of Fund Development for Spay Neuter Network, Director of Development and Communications for the Humane Society of North Texas, and Marketing Associate for the Austin Humane Society. She also served as an Advisory Board Member for Texas Humane Legislation Network and co-chaired the Marketing Committee for the Humane Society of Williamson County. Whitney holds a degree in Public Relations from the University of Texas at Austin with concentrations in English and Advertising and is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator and Texas Animal Control Officer.