Do you remember when there was no animal shelter on Orcas Island?

Thanks to the hard work and tireless efforts of Marsha Waunch, Mary Rancourt and many other dedicated volunteers and supporters, our community created a warm and wonderful facility to care for homeless dogs and cats waiting to find their forever homes.

Since the Orcas Animal Protection Society opened its doors in 2002, the Orcas Animal Shelter is the place to come if you want to adopt a dog or cat, get help with cremation of a beloved pet who has passed, want some kitten cuddle therapy, are searching for a lost dog, or need help with the costs of spaying or neutering a pet.

Now Marsha is retiring from her position as shelter director and is passing the responsibility for leading the Orcas Animal Shelter to Kristina Snyder, another dedicated advocate for homeless animals. Kristina recently moved to Orcas from Montesano, Washington, with her husband Cameron and their dogs Niko and Loki. Kristina served as executive director at PAWS of Grays Harbor, a busy animal shelter where she worked with a large and diverse community.

If you visit the animal shelter during the next several weeks, you’ll find both Marsha and Kristina working together as Marsha shares her extensive knowledge of shelter operations with Kristina and introduces her to our pet-loving community.

The Orcas Animal Protection Society offers our heartfelt gratitude to Marsha for her inspiring accomplishments on behalf of homeless animals. Countless dogs and cats owe their lives to her, and their grateful adoptive parents will never forget her wisdom in matching the right pets with the right people.

And to Kristina, we are delighted to have you join our Orcas community and we welcome you as the new director of our Orcas Animal Shelter.

Orcas APS Board