"For Our Furry Friends" with Ann Dunn, Friends of Oakland Animal Services- Executive Director

Episode 9 of "Out Is Through: Living a Meaningful Life in Difficult Times" features Ann Dunn, Executive Director of Friends of Oakland Animal Services (FOAS). Before joining Friends of Oakland Animal Services (FOAS), Ann most recently served as the Director of Oakland Animal Services (OAS), from February 2020 to June 2024. Under Ann’s leadership, and with funding from FOAS, OAS launched several new lifesaving programs, resulting in the highest live release rate in the history of OAS. Ann began her journey in animal welfare, in 2009, as a cat volunteer at OAS. In 2011, her experience as a volunteer led her to found Cat Town, a cat rescue organization that helped increase the live release rate for cats at OAS from 58% to over 90%, by focusing on the hardest-to-place cats. Prior to working in animal welfare, Ann worked for over 20 years in public housing and is passionate about supporting pet guardians with limited resources in experiencing the transformative love of an animal in their life. When not working, Ann loves to ride her bike, hike, cook and eat. A California native, she lives in Oakland with her husband, Steven, and their rescue cats, Belle, Gilbert, Charlotte, Violet and Carmen.ANN'S LINKS:https://friendsofoas.org/https://www.oaklandanimalservices.org/https://www.cattownoakland.org/