Ariana Hill, Pacific strategist

pacific@bestfriends.org

State of Washington; California counties: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego

The small, rural shelters I grew up around in North Carolina were always my favorite places to go as a child and have stuck with me. It wasn’t until years later when I moved to California that I realized that I could take my love for animals and turn it into a career.

I started as a temporary dog caregiver in 2017 at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in Mission Hills, CA. As I worked hard to build my knowledge of the sheltering world, I gained a multitude of experiences along the way. This included knowledge in Adoptions, Admissions, Foster, Medical, Events, and Volunteers. Most of my time in the lifesaving center was spent on the dog team where I became Supervisor of Dog Behavior and Care. Through that, I assisted in the development of canine-focused programs finding successful pathways for our shelter dogs, led volunteers through day-to-day tasks, and helped enrich the lives of the dogs through various outlets. Through all that experience it has allowed me to understand the ins and outs of the sheltering world.

I then spent a year in North Carolina as a Shelter Partnership Specialist where I completed numerous transports moving dogs and cats to different areas of the East Coast. Along with that, I would also travel to be a mentor for shelters that needed help with various dog behavior needs.

I am extremely grateful to be back in California where I can help our Pacific partners doing what I have always dreamed of growing up. I currently reside in beautiful San Diego, California with my three dogs – Welby, Dexter, and Maxwell.