What We Do
Connect rural organizations to resources — We share funding opportunities and tools designed with rural realities in mind, including access to a centralized grant database.
Build connections between rural and national organizations — We help bridge the gap between rural animal welfare organizations and national partners, funders, and support organizations.
Create a space for peer learning and support — This community is a place to ask questions, share experiences, and learn directly from other rural organizations who understand the challenges of this work.
Center rural voices — Rural communities know their needs best. This space prioritizes shared knowledge, lived experience, and approaches that respect local context and capacity.
Our Goal
Our goal is to strengthen rural animal welfare by increasing access to resources, reducing isolation, and building a supportive network where organizations can learn from one another and grow more resilient together.
Board Members
Mirah Horowitz is the Founder and CEO of Lucky Dog Animal Rescue and the President of Rural Humane. As CEO of Lucky Dog, Mirah oversees all aspects of Lucky Dog's operations in the DC metro area and South Carolina. From 2018–2020, while serving as Executive Director for Lucky Dog, Mirah also served as the Kauai Humane Society's Executive Director, where she brought the organization back from near bankruptcy and raised the Live Release Rate from under 50% to nearly 90%. She also served as President of Kauai SPCA and a Board Member for Shelter Animals Count. Before becoming involved in animal welfare, Mirah worked in all three branches of the federal government — clerking in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and on the United States Supreme Court, serving as Counsel to then-Senator John Kerry and Chief Counsel to Senator Menendez, and as Senior Counsel in the Office of Legal Policy at the U.S. Department of Justice. After leaving government, she served as an Executive Search Consultant for Russell Reynolds Associates.
Kim Alboum brings more than 17 years of animal welfare expertise to every room she enters. A crisis logistics specialist, program architect, and relentless advocate for shelter animals, Kim is a driving force behind some of the field's most impactful initiatives, including BISSELL Pet Foundation's Fix the Future and Duffield Pet Wellness Days programs, the Animal Incident Management program, and the BPF's National Shelter Alliance partnership. Before joining BISSELL Pet Foundation, Kim spent 11 years at the Humane Society of the United States, where she led legislative priorities in North Carolina, executed more than 25 cruelty and neglect cases alongside law enforcement, and built a County Leader volunteer program managing over 100 volunteers. She developed a nationwide shelter network that resulted in the safe placement of more than 20,000 pets. As Director of Field Operations at BISSELL Pet Foundation, Kim co-created the Animal Incident Management program, equipping shelters with mission-ready packages for disaster and crisis response, along with mentorship and peer-to-peer support.
Gina Knepp is a nationally recognized leader in animal welfare innovation and Senior Specialist of Outreach & Engagement at Petco Love. She drives the expansion of Petco Love Lost, a groundbreaking platform that uses AI to reunite lost pets with their families faster and more often. Previously, Gina transformed Sacramento's Front Street Animal Shelter into a model of lifesaving practices and later advanced national lost pet initiatives at Michelson Found Animals. With a background in 911/311 emergency services, she brings unmatched expertise in crisis management, community engagement, and organizational leadership. Gina is helping lead a national movement to reinvent how communities keep people and pets together.
Jorge Ortega has spent his career building, developing, and leading teams during his thirty-plus years in the animal welfare field. Jorge is currently the Animal Services Director for Guilford County Animal Services. He has worked for national and local organizations where he has been responsible for the day-to-day operations of private and public animal shelters and has provided leadership and guidance on managing low-cost, high-volume spay/neuter initiatives in local communities. He has been successful in building strategic partnerships and community programs that helped decrease animal intake and increase live release rates.
Dr. Robyn Jaynes is a companion animal veterinarian dedicated to advancing veterinary care delivery models that ensure pets and their families receive high-quality, accessible care. She earned her DVM from Texas A&M University and has spent her career in small animal practice, as VP of Medical Operations for the Arizona Humane Society, in retail pet safety and quality control, and leading the establishment of a chain of low-cost veterinary clinics in the Phoenix metro area. She is certified in Low Stress Handling and holds a Graduate Certificate in Shelter Medicine from the University of Florida. As Director of Veterinary Affairs for PetSmart Charities, she currently leads access to veterinary care initiatives for both U.S. and Canadian organizations. Dr. Jaynes also serves her second four-year term on the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board and chairs the American Association of Veterinary State Boards' Leadership Development Committee.