Our entire team would like to extend a warm welcome to new Director of Shelter Operations, Kim Waite, who will be taking over management of the Rescue Ranch Adoption Center. This week I learned that Kim brings a wealth of experience working with animals, dogs and horses in particular.
A new face at Rescue Ranch Adoption Center
Managing a dog rescue facility is all encompassing, combining administrative tasks, staff management and training, dog handling, interacting with the public, adoption assessments, emergency response, volunteer training, and more. It also requires lending a hand when necessary, whether that means mucking up a kennel or doing the vet run.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Kim moved around the country training horses and leading trail rides. She even gentled mustangs as part of the now defunct Trainer Incentive Program (TIP) created by the Mustang Heritage Foundation in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management.
Kim has also been around dogs all her life. When she moved to the region from Bodega Bay, she continued to work with horses but also trained as a kennel tech at Siskiyou Humane, eventually becoming their program coordinator and kennel manager. Now she looks forward to helping shepherd Rescue Ranch through this period of growth.
When I spoke to Kim about the role, I could tell she was eager to learn from veteran staff and ready to tackle whatever came her way. We talked about the strain of overpopulation on rescues throughout the county and the country. She calls it an “epidemic,” and she’s not wrong. She’ll be a strong advocate for spay/neuter and looks forward to lending her support to the Rescue Ranch Alter Assistance Program (RRAAP), as well as our other community programs.
Horses, dogs, and a baby
In 2023, Kim gave birth to the first baby of the new year! She decided to refocus on her horse training business so she could spend more time with her son, Kavik. Today, at just one-and-a-half years old, he is already a very active little boy. He loves to ride his pony and enjoys being outdoors. And no wonder, with the 23 horses, three dogs, two goats, and many chickens on their Montague property!
Kim soon discovered, however, that with a child, her physical safety had taken on a new significance. “We have a beautiful life, but I have a kid now, I don’t want to get bucked off horses. I lost my nerve a little bit. I’m a single mom: If something happens to me…I need to take care of him.”
But she still wanted to work with animals. So it seemed like kismet when a friend suggested she apply for the position at the Rescue Ranch Adoption Center. She could leverage her experience at Siskiyou Humane as well as her horse sense, which she has often found transfers easily to dogs.
Kim believes that, like horses, dogs are individuals. They learn at their own pace and have their own quirks. They respond to training and humans according to their temperament and history. It’s all about patience, understanding, and figuring out what works with each one.
A lateral move for the current Rescue Ranch Adoption Center manager
In case you’re wondering, Rick Formanek, a fixture with the organization for over 20 years, isn’t going anywhere. In a lateral move, he’ll now redirect his substantial talents to garnering support for Rescue Ranch as Director of Fundraising and Outreach. We know he’ll be great at it!
