Animal Advocate

When Rondi Renaldo lost her job after 16 years in the banking industry, she didn't know it would be a good thing.

She does now.

The Hayden resident in April was named the executive director of the Kootenai Humane Society.

"I love it. I was ready," she said. "I told my husband when I lost my job it was a blessing in disguise. God closes one door, we have another one open. Who would have thought. I might never have thought about going for it if I was still in banking. So, talk about perfect timing. It was meant to be."

Renaldo oversees the adoption center - home to about 60 cats and 50 dogs - at the end of Ramsey Road, two thrift stores, a staff of nearly 25 and a budget of $800,000.

She's looking forward to an event being billed as "The Big Fix," when the shelter will have a special day to thank supporters and invite the public to come out and adopt dogs for $14 and cats for $8.

"It's a new experience so I'm learning everything. But it's so rewarding to help the animals," said the 1988 Coeur d'Alene High School graduate. "I'm also there for the staff."

Born and raised in Coos Bay, Ore., her home included plenty of pets, and her father was a veterinarian. She recalls often giving food to feral cats, something she doesn't encourage now.

"I was the young kid that shouldn't have been feeding them," she said with a smile.

Today, she and husband Dave and two daughters live in their Hayden home that includes two dogs, one adopted from the shelter, two cats and two lizards.

When she hears the Carrie Underwood song, "Temporary Home," the task of the Kootenai Humane Society comes to her mind.

"I think of it as their temporary home," Renaldo said. "We're their temporary mommy and daddy."

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Why did you want to be executive director of the Kootenai Humane Society?

I was in banking for 16 years and loved it. When Panhandle downsized, I was one of the people they let go.

I started looking into it, I really thought, what a perfect opportunity. It was actually a blessing in disguise. I want to do something that I feel is very rewarding.

My girls found the yearbook from my senior year. You write down what do you want to do. I put down that someday, I want to help animals in some way. Since I knew I wasn't going back to school to be a vet, then I heard about this opportunity, went and interviewed. My neighbor interviewed also. Thank goodness he's allergic to animals.

When I really started looking at the Web site and the fact that it's a no-kill shelter, I got super excited about it. When I went into my interview, I had three pages of ideas I showed the board of directors.

What are some challenges facing the humane society?

One, it's kitten time, so we really need foster parents, and also puppy season. We need those foster parents who are willing to take on the animals and help us. We just had to do an amputation on a cat, and so we need those people. We can put the animal in foster care instead of them being in a shelter situation.

I want everything to be positive. I'm doing some different cleanup and changes. But I'm just building on what Phil did and now I'm taking that and going with my personality.

What are your thoughts on the no-kill policy?

This is how I feel about the no-kill policy. One, if it was a kill shelter I wouldn't be there, and neither would almost everyone on my staff, if not everyone. I do not believe an animal should be killed after 3 or 5 days because a great owner was on vacation or they just didn't get to the shelter. Sometimes, they need more time. It's not fair to the animal. Until just recently, we had zero dogs and cats that were in there for more than a year. We have one dog now on our long-term list that has been there over a year. Meantime, realize that the dogs get walked every single day. Cat petters come in and play with the cats. The staff is there not for money, they're there because they love the animals.

What do you need most?

Our biggest need is volunteers, and then, of course, people to adopt. I know there's a lot of purebreds out there, but there are so many animals that just need love and they are incredible animals. They already have their behavior tested. They are spayed and neutered before they leave. They are microchipped, they get their vaccines and they have their rabies shots, all before they leave the shelter, which is an incredible expense.

If you had a magic wand, what would you do with the shelter?

A new shelter. I'd love to have additions, this and that, but don't have the money. I'm asking volunteers, employees to come in on their time off, we're cleaning it up, painting it because we need to have it a positive place for our staff and the animals.

We're changing the look where the cats are at. We're changing hopefully the smell. Everything is positive. We desperately need a new shelter. This one is going to run out of room. We can bring in more animals that are surrendered to us if we have a bigger shelter. What I'd really love to do is have it where we have the capability for more animals and more access for our customers, because right now we're so far out.

The more we adopt, the more we can bring in. I want to get to the point where I don't have a wait list at all. We need people to adopt from the center.

Do people still dump animals at the shelter in the middle of the night?

Yes. We'll find kittens, puppies in boxes. At first, it was very heart wrenching. I get more choked up now when an animal leaves because I'm so excited for them. I realize that these animals are being loved on every day, being walked, petted, so I don't feel as bad now.

When the shelter is full and you can't take more dogs and cats, what happens to them?

We ask the individual to hold on to them another week or two, or however long they can until we can get another kennel open. Like today, we were calling all day because we had eight cats adopted. So every time somebody adopts an animal, they're helping somebody else, too.

Right now, with the foreclosures, there are a lot of animals out there that need new homes.

What about pitbulls? Are they tough to adopt out?

We're not all full of pitbulls. That's the other rumor everybody hears. Actually, pitbulls can be very, very good dogs. Our behavioral specialist actually has a few at home because he loves them.

Have you seen personally the impact animals can have on people?

My older sister Shirley is fighting breast cancer. I just went to spend time with her. Her last dog was with her all through her cancer. Was by her side the whole time. She got her cancer back, the dog was by her side, the chemo, everything. Then the dog passed away, come to find out, it was from cancer. That's what I say and it still gives me chills, animals will do anything and they love their people. My sister had no idea she had cancer whatsoever. Here, this dog took care of my sister during her cancer, even though it was hurting too.

That's what dogs are all about. They just love and bring so much joy to people.

What else would you want people to know about the dogs and cats at the Kootenai Humane Society?

Our shelter is an adoption center and these animals really need homes. So please look at the adoption center. We really want to take care of our Kootenai County animals.

Animals can be incredible companions. They don't care what you look like, how you act, all that. They just love, love, love.

SNAPSHOT

Rondi Renaldo

Family: Husband, Dave, married 16 years. Two daughters.

Education: Graduated from North Idaho College.

Number of hours on average you work in a week: 60

Number of hours on average you sleep in a night: 7

Hobbies: Anything to do with my kids, and we walk the dogs a lot.

Favorite movie: "It's a Wonderful Life"

Favorite book: "Redemption," about a no-kill shelter by Nathan Winograd

Favorite type of music: '80s

Favorite spectator sport: My girls' sports

Quality you admire most in a person: Honesty

Person who most influenced your life: My father-in-law, Dr. Joseph Renaldo. He has so much knowledge, he doesn't give you his opinion unless you ask for you. He loves you no matter what.

Any one thing you consider your greatest accomplishment: Winning Boss of the Year in 2006.