Caitlin Thompson, Pacific senior specialist
(On leave until February 2025)
California counties: Alameda, Kern, Monterey, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Ventura
Caitlin Thompson is a senior specialist for the Pacific Region. Her animal welfare journey began in 2012 when she started volunteering at her local no-kill animal shelter in her hometown, Chicago. Wanting a change from her career in the music industry, she joined the staff of a cat-only shelter as an adoption counselor and then served as their outreach coordinator. Caitlin returned to the no-kill shelter where she first started volunteering, now as a manager where she oversaw their robust volunteer program as well as their large-scale offsite adoption events. In 2017, she moved to Los Angeles and has since worked at two area shelters both in volunteer and operational management. Her accomplishments include restructuring a multi-location volunteer program, coordinating a high-volume high quality spay/neuter clinic, and serving as a key stakeholder in developing an open adoptions program, pathway planning, and reducing length of stay.
Caitlin holds certifications in Fear Free Sheltering and in Non-Profit Management from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has a BA in Radio from Columbia College Chicago and has been a volunteer radio DJ since she was 15 years old. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two cats, Hank and Silas. She is honored to be working for Best Friends doing what drives her most, helping organizations achieve their lifesaving goals and offering resources to communities at large.