SHELTER TAILS
Celebrating 70 Years of Saving Lives
From The CEO: A Legacy of Compassion
In the 1950s, Frances Newhall Woods donated land to Naomi Keesaman and Harold Lee’s “Bark and Purr Club.” Little did they know that their quaint little club would soon become the “Woods Animal Shelter Society” and go on to save the lives of thousands of animals.
Thanks to these bold and brave protagonists—and the many adopters, volunteers, donors, and community partners who followed them—the 70-year-long history of Woods Humane Society could fill a library with heartwarming adoption tales.
Today, as our country faces an unprecedented pet crisis, we are committed to continuing this beautiful narrative.
Through strategic shelter and community partnerships, state-of-the-art medical care, a strong network of fosters and volunteers, and a robust public awareness plan, we will continue to be a beacon of hope to animals in need. We also commit to providing thousands of low-cost spay/neuter surgeries; expanding our Pet Pantry and free vaccine and microchip clinics; and offering affordable training classes to help solve animal welfare issues at their root.
After seven decades as one of the leading animal shelters on the Central Coast, we’re confident that we are in the best position possible to respond to the growing demand. But we can’t do this alone. It truly takes a whole society of passionate individuals like you to confront the present challenges. Your continued support in 2025 will provide the resources necessary not only to save more lives, but to shape the future of animal care in our community.
Thank you for being a member in this incredibly storied “club.” Together, we can make our predecessors proud and extend their legacy of compassion for 70 more years.
Sincerely,
Emily L’Heureux, CEO
Board of Directors
BOARD PRESIDENT Dr. Jo Campbell · VICE PRESIDENT Lisa Adams SECRETARY Bruno Giberti · TREASURER Autumn Clark
BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE Scott Bloom
BOARD MEMBERS Cory Karpin, Jen Melton, Ty Green and Nicole Mainini
6,090 vaccines given
545 dog training students
2,884 animals adopted
2024 by the numbers
Thanks to our compassionate community, thousands of animals and their people received help in 2024 through Woods’ programs and services. The true impact of our work is measured best in joyful puppy kisses and kitten purrs; but these numbers help to paint the picture.
5,471 spay/neuter surgeries performed
1,226 community cat TNRs
33,842 volunteer hours
1,004 microchips
3,529 free or low-cost vet services
717 animals lovingly fostered
17,893 pounds of Pet Pantry food shared
The “Bark and Purr Club” is incorporated as “Woods Animal Shelter Society” and Frances Newhall Woods donates 10 acres of land in Nipomo to make the shelter possible.
july 1955
Woods is o cially appointed as the Humane O cer for San Luis Obispo County.
Aug 1959
San Luis Obispo County terminates its contract with Woods and o cially takes over animal control services.
sept 1974
1977 spay/neuter program. Their e orts later evolve into the North County Humane Society in Atascadero.
june of County site giving the
CELEBRATING WOODS HUMANE
sept 1960
Aug 1976
Woods sells its Nipomo property with plans to build a new animal shelter in San Luis Obispo.
Woods purchases 1.9 acres of land for its new shelter, south of the SLO County airport on Edna Road. “Jupiter” the dog helps break
SLO County Department of Animal Regulation relocates to a newly built facility o Highway 1. Woods continues to provide
Woods Animal Shelter Society is renamed “Woods Humane Society, Inc.” oct 1980
of the airport, SLO County buys Woods’ site on Edna Road, giving Woods until the summer of 1999 to relocate.
june 1989
4.31 acres on Oklahoma Avenue to Woods for the new shelter.
DEc 2001
The new Woods Humane Society shelter opens at 875 Oklahoma and a new mission statement is adopted.
aug 2005
70 YEARS OF HUMANE SOCIETY
To help manage pet populations, Woods implementes the “spay/neuter before adoption” policy. 1993
A groundbreaking ceremony is performed for the new Woods facility. 2004
Woods Humane Society merges with North County Humane Society.
JAN 2017
The final phase of the shelter is completed with the construction of Woods University.
NOV
2018
Woods expands the North County campus to include the first public spay/neuter clinic in the county.
2025
Woods commits to another 70 years of service to the dogs and cats, with the help of supporters like you.
Woods & ASD A Partnership for the Ages
Since then, we have worked side by side with them toward our mutual goals of helping homeless animals and managing the homeless pet population.
Woods began literally working at their side in 2005, when we moved in next door on Oklahoma Avenue and began transporting at least 300 animals from
ASD Manager Dr. Anderson says, “Our partnership is a critical component of Animal Services’ ability to serve the needs of our community’s homeless and abandoned animals. It has contributed greatly to our success in curtailing the euthanasia of adoptable dogs and cats.”
WOODS ASD What We Both Offer
Vaccine Clinics
Spay/Neuter Surgeries
Behavior & Training Classes
Humane Education Programs
State of the Art Animal Shelter
Compassionate Care
Adoptions
Microchipping
Animal Control & Investigation
Lost & Found Pet Services
Licensing and Rabies Control
Euthanasia Services
Theo Finds his Footing
When animals arrive at ASD, they often come with pre-existing conditions requiring veterinary attention. Woods is happy that we can help ensure they get the care they need on their way to loving homes. One of those animals was Theo. This 8-month-old border collie presented with a runny nose, dirty coat, and four broken bones in his back paw.
Woods did X-rays, treated Theo, and placed him into a comfortable foster home for 6 weeks of recovery. When his paw had healed, it took no time at all before Theo was strutting, pain-free, right back “Out of the Woods” with his new family.
Solving Scrabble’s Riddle
Scrabble, another animal transferred to Woods from ASD last year, stumped us for a while with a concerning lump under her chin. Our medical team examined, tested, consulted, and researched to get to the bottom of this kitten’s rare, mysterious condition. Luckily, Scrabble’s lesion and swelling was found to be caused by a form of allergies linked to an exaggerated immune response, and did not require surgery. While in the care of a loving foster, she received daily medication to resolve the lump in her throat. In the meantime, she made herself quite at home—so much so that her foster fell completely in love and adopted Scrabble.
You can help more animals find their way into loving homes by donating today at WoodsHumane.org/give, or sending a check with the enclosed remit and envelope.
woods humane alliance champion
$20,000+
The Animal Charitable Foundation of Santa Barbara County Anonymous
Caroline and Albert Gazin Foundation
Edwin and Jeanne Woods Family Foundation
John and Frank Sparacio Charitable Foundation
John R. Lindahl Foundation
Lewis-Harlow Foundation for All God's Creatures
Linda Starkman
Francine Woods
protector
$5,000 - $19,999
Adamski, Moroski, Madden, Cumberland & Green
Alfred E. Mann Nevada Foundation
Anonymous
Arthrex, Inc Charitable Giving Program
ASPCA
Linda Asprion
Russell Banner
Patricia Bromley
Jo Campbell
James Cherno
Coast Equipment Co.
Ann Colby
Lauren and Steve Danowitz
David D. Flagg Trust
Vikki Dean
Ethel Frends Foundation
Grinstead Family
Paula Gerfen
Bruno Giberti
Mark and Elizabeth Hornickel
Hotel SLO
Jeanne L. and Ellery J. Conley Endowed Fund
Earl and Jean Keller
Arlene Kettering
David and Nancy Lacey
Jeanne and Larry Lovelace
Dorine McInerny
Mechanics Bank
Jennifer Melton
MetLife Pet Insurance
The Mildred G. Federico Charitable Foundation MOCA Foundation
John and Prudy Noon
Sandra Owen
Gabrielle Paladino
Marsha Parker
Carl and Barbara Peck
Sharon and Stephen Peck
Petco Love
Sammy and Michael Pineau
Mary Posey
Susan and Timothy Rueda
Saint Francis Capital Wealth Management
Frederick Seykora and Anne Kellogg
Paul and Manette Shaver
Sally J. Shennum
Laura and John Sherlock
Mike and Linda Sims
Sky River RV
Gregory and Stephanie Smith
Margaux Snider
The Brown Family Foundation
The Marianne and Stacy Cocks Fund, a fund of The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County Tognazzini's Dockside Restaurant Inc.
Kathy and Nick Tompkins
UC Davis
John and Sherill Van Dam
Roberta Wallace
Eric Watkins
Edwin and Caroline Woods
Mark Young
David and Cara Zwarg Laura
Stuart
Patricia
$1,000
Linda and
Deryl Bear
Gary and
Chuck
David and
Leann S. advocate
community of generous donors providing major support for the homeless dogs and cats of the Central Coast
$2,500 - $4,999
and Natalie Alvarado
American General Media
Anonymous
Beachside Rentals Inc. and Bruce Benedict Industries
Brehm Atascadero and Mary Cook
Wealth Advisors
Creekside Pet Boarding
Crothers Taurus Animal Foundation
Duckworth Eldridge
Elemental Wealth Advisors
Judy Ewens and Jack Cashin Foundation
Frank guardian
Gold Coast Toyota Dealers Association
Lee Guenther
Lee Gunn
Jean Harris
Jane and Tom Henley
John Hofschroer
Bruce and Joan Judson
Karin Kappen
Lisa Kilburn and Jim Maino
Lance Parker Wealth Management
Gloria Lima-Calderone
Kimberly Mancebo
Molly McAfee Marshall
Mission Bank
Clare O'Brien
Pacific Heating and Sheet Metal
The Phillips Family
Phillips Flooring America
Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic
Joan and Harvey Prince
Patricia Rademacher
The Ressler-Jones Gift Fund
Michelle Richardson
Debra Robertson
San Luis Obispo Elks Lodge #322
Danny and Diane Sha er
SLO Town Studios
Spark*l Bands
Mark Swack
The Niner Foundation
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
Sarah and Steve Tomasetti
Mardee Whitehouse
Bill and Lola Widner
Tom Wilkins
William and Florence Wheeler Foundation
$1,000 - $2,499
Utility Supply Inc.
Riviera Bank and Karen Anderson
Antonel
Avrea and Bill Barclay Barnett Bear and Linda Beatson
Bennett Berg Blackwell and Jennifer Southward and Deborah Bonnheim
Boyd Branin
Brooks advocate
Caroline Brower
Kathleen Brown
Patricia Bunyard
Linda Burket
Mark Burton
Elizabeth Byrnes
Cal Poly Clubs
Yvonne Campbell
Sonja Campeggi
Robert Carlson
Judith Carter
Raul Castillo
Martin Cattoir
Brenda Caves
Doug Cerf
Henry Chase
Mitchell Choboian
Carol Clark
Michelle Clark
Janis York
Youth Development Foundation
CoastHills Community Foundation
Judy Colglazier
Jim Conway
Jody Cottrell
Tina and Yoel Crane
In Memory Of Kim Croft
Cuesta Park Animal Hospital
In Memory Of Mollie S. Culver
Peter and Miriam Cuneo
Saeed and Laurel Davar
Mark and Mimi Ditchie
Sue Dokulil
Cynthia Douglas
David and Suzanne Dufriend
Donna Dye
Brian and Sheryll Ebbs
Sandy Edmunson
Kitty Edwards
Brigitte and Robert Elke
Luci Fitzsimmons
Emily Fogle and John Jasbinsek
Bert and Candace Forbes
continued on next page
woods humane alliance advocate
$1,000 - $2,499
Lois and Larry Foreman
Kathleen Foreman
Robert Fournier
Judy Fox
Helene and Dan Frainer
Laura Frank and Eric Wier
G Squared Performance Horses
Lara Gafke
John and Minka Gallagher
David and Sandra Garth
Ellen Gaver
Constance Gehrt
In Memory Of David Gerht
David and Joan Goppelt
Norin and Nona Grancell
Michael Granville and Deirdre Charles
Ty and Debbie Green
Peter Grillias
Julia Grow
Terry Hack
Harold and Nellie Hadley
Donna and Brian Haney
Happy Tails
In Memory Of Dr. Howard Hayashi
Robin Hayward
Dan Herron
Daryl Herzog
Barbara Hilaire
Fred Hindler
AJ Hodgkin
Norma and Tony Ho man
Shirley Horne
Alair Hough
Independence Pet Group
J. Robert Young Advised Fund at Aspen Community Foundation
Karen and Russell James
Alan R. Johnson
Maryalice Jones
Justin Vineyards & Winery
Christine Kahn
Kathleen Karso
Christy Keeling
Patrick Kelly
Debra Kirschenmann
Anne Klinger
Yvonne Koob
David Kuykendall
John LaBella
Susan Lamoree
Diana Larsen
Gayle S. Larson
In Memory Of Alta Madison Rodger and Kathy Mastako
Paula Mathias
Randy and Marina Matthews
Jean McBride
Michael and Elizabeth In Memory Of Jack McCue
June McCullough
Las Tablas Animal Hospital
Steve LaSalle and Barbara Schoenike
Holger Laubmeier
Richard Lee and Shirley Paulson-Lee
Scott and Paula Lewis
The L'Heureux Family
Mark and Susan Lindgren
Dennis and Claudine Lingo
Jeanette Locker
Sarah Lowe
Jean Lowe
Tony Lucero
Yvonne and Richard Macias
Jade Macke
Luann McDonald and
William and Linda McFarlen
Travis McRitchie
Jay Melnick and Lisa
Barbara Melvin
Mid State Cruizers
Kenneth Miller
Kenneth and Louise
David and Susan Moore
Kate Morgans
Lawrence Morrison and James and Penelope
Pamela Munoz Estrada
Lynne Nagahara
Philip and Kandy Noel
Barbara Nordin and In Memory Of Steven
Rose O'Sullivan
Karen Oakes
Kazuko Y. Oliver
Kimberly Olson
Scott Patterson
Cyndii Pauls
Michelle Pelech
Anna Peschong
community of generous donors providing major support for the homeless dogs and cats of the Central Coast
Madison Mastako
Matthews
Elizabeth McCray
Marlin and Cynthia Peterson
Sandra Phillips
Terri Pilot
Roy and Ginger Poteet
PPK On The Park
Precision Polishing Inc.
McCue and Brad Parker
McFarlen
Marmon
Moore
Moore and Kathy Cahill
Penelope Morrow
Estrada and Mike Estrada
Noel Ann Travers
Steven Patrick Norris
Dana Putrino
Bobby Rael
Kenneth and Darlene Ramey
Marie and Dale Ramey
Mark Randall
Joan Randall
Iris Ripper
Brian and Jeri Roberts
Steven Roberts
Leslie Rodman
Louise Ropers
George and Gayle Rosenberger
Cathy Ross
Rotary Club Of San Luis Obispo Charities
Liza and Christian Roth
Kim and Marc Sargen
Barbara Schneiderhan
Linda Searl
Marjorie Senechal
Diane Shannon
In Memory Of Anne Sinsheimer
Joy Skaggs
Mary Lou Splittorf
Springdale Pet Ranch
Gail and Roger Steele
Charlotte Stinchfield
Rennie and Cheryl Stoltenberg
John-Paul and Ashly Stornetta
Jayne Szaro
T.S. and K.D. Glide Foundation
Gail Tannehill
Aeri Taylor
The Tranquility Giving Fund
Karen Thiebaud
Harry and Molly Thorpe
Tom Jones & Associates
Marcia and Tommy Torgerson
Mal Towery
John Townsend
Sherry Trade TrueSense
Veterinary Ophthalmology Services
Megan Snyder and Daniel Greer
In Memory Of Socks
Melanie A. Sowden
Bianca Splinter
Randall and Jamie Voss
Virginia Walter
Allie Webber
West Coast Financial
In Memory Of Dodie Williams
Charmaine and Justin Wilson
Jane and Thomas Wilzbach
Nancy Worden
Beverly Worrell
Beth and Gary Wray
Betty and Ron Ziegler
There Are So Many Ways to Support Woods
Whether it’s extra pocket-change or an entire motorhome, every donation matters when it comes to helping homeless pets. Consider these nine unique ways to support Woods. Use the QR codes to sign up or learn more, or visit WoodsHumane.org/Donate.
Roundup
Round your credit and debit card transactions up to the nearest dollar and securely authorize the extra change to be donated to Woods.
ShopRaise
Turn your everyday online shopping at more than 1,000 stores like Macy’s, Home Depot and Walmart into support for Woods’ dogs and cats.
eBay
Opt in to the Community Selling Program to donate 10-100% of the proceeds to benefit Woods when you sell items on the eBay platform.
Ralphs and Food4Less
Register your Ralphs and Food4Less rewards cards online and send up to a 4% rebate on all of your monthly grocery purchases to Woods.
Circle of Compassion
Commit to monthly or quarterly gifts of any amount to Woods and you give us the opportunity to plan ahead and care for more homeless animals.
Lasting Legacy
Include Woods Humane Society in your estate plan to provide a brighter future for animals in need, and a lasting legacy for you.
Stock and Real Estate
Donate stock or real estate to Woods Humane Society to receive tremendous tax benefits and provide generous support for our animals.
Rite Aid
With Rite Aid’s “Rx Fundraising” program, support Woods with every prescription or in-store purchase at Rite Aid... pet prescriptions too!
Vehicle Donation
Donate your car, truck, RV, boat, motorcycle or other vehicle to Woods through Mission Cars. Scan the code to learn more or call 805.305.1728.