Kayla Denney quit her job as an accountant to pursue her passion for animals, and it turned out to be one of her best decisions.
She started as an animal control supervisor for the City of Taft Animal Control Department in Taft, Texas, and in just a few months, she has completely transformed the shelter.
Denney first arrived at the shelter in November of last year, and it was a complete disaster. There were no support systems, volunteers, or social media pages in place. Worst of all, due to a lack of space, dogs and cats would be euthanized every Wednesday.
Since Denney took over, no dogs or cats have been euthanized, and every single one of them has found a forever home! Denney has aided in the rescue of 565 dogs and cats since her first day.
Denney set up the shelter quickly and was able to raise funds by reaching out to people on Facebook. She placed an order for new supplies and enlisted the help of volunteers.
For all of her incredible work at the shelter, she recently received the Petco Foundation’s Unsung Hero award. She received $10,000 for being one of the five finalists and an additional $25,000 for winning first place.
The $35,000 will be used to improve the shelter, according to Denney. Her goal is to create indoor-outdoor kennels, a meet-and-greet area, and a field where they can spend time on grass rather than on concrete.
