For 50 years, the Licking County Humane Society operated without an executive director, until Lori Carlson arrived.
Her time at LCHS began when her youngest daughter was in high school and needed service hours for the honor society. Her family loved dogs and grew up around animals, so the Carlsons figured it would be a good fit. They started out as dog walkers. When her kids went off to college, she threw herself into volunteering at the shelter more.
Carlson said the decision to begin work at the humane society was “unexpected,” but her instinct to care and protect is nothing new to her. For three decades, Carlson worked in child protective services in both Fairfield and Licking counties. When she began volunteering, she was still working in CPS, juggling her time between two vital organizations.
Around the same time, LCHS was working on designing and fundraising for a new shelter, since it had outgrown its 50-year-old, 800-square-foot space. The humane society hired a consultant who agreed to help with the campaign, under the condition they hire a director for the shelter – a position that didn’t exist at the time. After the first round of interviews, the consultant decided the only person fit for the job was Carlson.
“I remember it caught me off guard, because I had never considered changing jobs,” Carlson said.
Carlson took a leap of passionate faith and stepped away from her work in child welfare and transitioned into animal welfare. At this point, she had already been on the board for a few years and resigned as president of the board.
In December, Carlson will retire after decades of advocacy and service. Her career at LCHS has been driven by her innate passion for community and care. Since stepping into the executive director role, LCHS has been able to impact over 10,000 people and 5,000 pets annually.
Carlson’s first instructions as executive director in 2011 were simple: Raise money for the humane society. She threw her hat into the ring and got to work. The shelter wanted to have a facility that could serve more animals and provide more programs to the community, so fundraising events began in full swing.
“It was very exciting to be able to go out into the community and say ‘We have the resources to do this, and we are going to have one of the best shelters in the state.’ And we do,” she said.
With her background in child welfare, Carlson brings a nuanced perspective to the relationship humane societies have with their communities. Carlson has firsthand experience working with vulnerable people and has valuable insight into the needs of her community. When she began her work as executive director, she had to learn the ins-and-outs of fundraising.
Since Carlson took the helm in 2011, she’s helped raise enough money to build a new shelter, a medical wing, and collaborate with local support programs like the United Way of Licking County. Two years ago, LCHS started its Bright Spot Clinic, a partnership with the Salvation Army that provides wellness care for pets of people who are unhoused. They offer vaccine and microchipping services, food, bowls, leashes – a variety of pet care.
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In 2020, the medical center opened up and nearly doubled the square footage of the shelter. Operational expenses were going to increase and a plan had to be set into place. This is where Carlson and her team came up with the idea to start a thrift store where all the proceeds go directly to the LCHS. They named it Sophie’s Thrift Store – after the sweet, three-legged dog who “got into everyone’s heart” while the core staff worked through the pandemic.
These partnerships with organizations “don’t necessarily happen naturally,” said Wendy Lindskog, a friend and mentee of Carlson. Lindskog and Carlson met when they both were a part of the now disbanded organization Women In Nonprofit Leadership.
“In a lot of ways, she is fearless,” Lindskog said, “speaking up for those who cannot speak up for themselves, and fiercely.”
Lindskog described Carlson as a leader who would do anything to support her team. She’s “a strong female leader. A woman of action,” as Lindskog put it.
At 4 p.m., when the shelter is closing for the day, Carlson walks into the lobby and sees the outcome of the work. Families are smiling with their new furry family members, kids entranced with their new friends. This is what Carlson strives for. The decision to step away from her career in child welfare was a tough one, but one she never regretted.
“I have a social work heart,” Carlson said, “I wanted us to be out in the community making a difference for animals and their people.”
Liv Barton writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.