Whitney Bollinger, Cawa Email & Phone Number

Whitney Bollinger is a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA) who joined Best Friends in February 2023 as the Director of Strategy and Network Operations. In this role, Whitney oversees the Best Friends Network where she leverages her animal shelter experience to support the lifesaving efforts of organizations across the country. Whitney came to Best Friends from Dallas Animal Services (DAS), one of the nation’s largest open intake municipal shelters, where she served as Assistant Director, overseeing the shelter and administration units. Shortly after joining DAS, Whitney built the nationally recognized BeDallas90 brand and community engagement campaign that helped DAS achieve a record-high save rate in 2020. Whitney played a pivotal role in securing the 2019 Petco Innovation Showdown grant, the creation of Friends of DAS, key operational pivots during the COVID-19 shutdown, the development of the city’s first Coyote Management Plan, innovative lifesaving programs such as foster incentives and Three to Thrive, advancing equity efforts through data analysis, and defeating the proposed injunction of the Dallas Humane Pet Store Ordinance. She also served as a department spokesperson, Legislative Liaison, and Core Equity Team Member. Whitney attended the University of Texas at Austin where she earned a degree in Public Relations with concentrations in English and Advertising and an International Advertising study abroad program through the University of London. She became a CAWA through the Association of Animal Welfare Advancement and completed the City of Dallas’ inaugural Data Academy program in 2020. Whitney entered animal welfare in 2009 when she was recruited onto the Marketing Committee of a non-profit humane society while running her own graphic design company. Since that time, Whitney served as Marketing Associate for Austin Humane Society, Director of Development and Communications for Humane Society of North Texas, and Director of Fund Development for Spay Neuter Network.Whitney is from Austin, TX, but currently lives in Fort Worth with her husband, Tim, their two big dogs, two cats, and three hens.