The HSVC is proud to announce the newest member of our team, Karen Terpstra! Karen has joined the HSVC team as our new Director of Shelter Operations. Her extensive experience in the animal welfare industry will be a great asset to our shelter.

Karen’s career in animal welfare began at Pasadena Humane Society, where she served as Assistant Executive Director for eight years. She has since worked in shelters in Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, and New Jersey. Most recently, Karen was the Director of Operations at Santa Barbara Humane. She has made a measurable positive impact on animal outcomes at every organization she’s worked at through expanding spay/neuter programs, behavior enrichment and education, robust foster and adoption programs, and decreasing the animals’ length of stay at the shelter.

Karen has also fostered more than 700 orphaned kittens (and several puppies and dogs, too!) She shares her home with Mini, an English Bulldog adopted from HSVC, and four cats who were former fosters. We are thrilled to have her as part of our team! Welcome, Karen!