Courtney Gawel

Courtney Gawel is joins Best Friends Animal Society as a member of the Embed Team, bringing a strong background in shelter operations, foster programming, lifesaving strategy, and animal welfare leadership.

Courtney’s career in animal welfare began as a senior in high school, when she completed her required 500 hours of community service at the SPCA Serving Erie County in New York. While attending university in Georgia, she began volunteering with the Humane Society of Statesboro and Bulloch County, first as a foster parent and later as the organization’s foster coordinator.

After moving to Texas, Courtney continued her commitment to shelter lifesaving by volunteering with Montgomery County Animal Services, where she later became the facility’s foster coordinator. She went on to serve as Transfer Supervisor at Harris County Pets before returning to Montgomery County Animal Services as Live Release Manager. Most recently, Courtney served with Brandywine Valley SPCA in Washington, D.C., first as Operations Manager and later as Director of Lifesaving.

Throughout her career, Courtney has focused on building pathways for animals to leave the shelter safely through foster care, transfer partnerships, adoption programs, and strong operational support. She is excited to join Best Friends Animal Society and continue working alongside shelters and communities to advance lifesaving across the country.

Outside of work, Courtney enjoys kayaking, geocaching, reading, doing puzzles, and spending time with friends, family, and her pets. She shares her home with Speedy, a 2-year-old dog who was removed from a hot vehicle by the fire department; Biff, an approximately 8-year-old Newfoundland adopted from a shelter after he was rescued from a tie out injury; and Bruce, a former three-week-old bottle baby kitten she adopted nearly nine years ago.