Established in 2020, the Texas Humane Network is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the 501c4 Texas Humane Legislation Network (THLN) created to provide educational programs promoting the humane treatment of animals.
Mission: Promote the Humane Treatment of Animals Through Education, Training and Outreach.
Vision: THLN passes the animal cruelty laws, and Texas Humane Network aids the enforcement of them through education, training, and outreach.
By creating established educational programs through the c3 affiliate, we can educate Texans to be more humane for generations to come.
Board of Directors
Jacqueline Allen, President
Jacqueline is an attorney licensed in Texas, where she is the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel for a consumer financial services company. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at Austin (Hook ‘em!) and a Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University. Jacqueline has always felt a special bond with animals and enjoys volunteering for organizations that focus on long-term solutions to animal welfare issues. She previously represented the Humane Society of North Texas in pro bono animal seizure cases. Jacqueline is a native Texan and resides in Dallas with her husband, two children, and three spoiled dogs.
Kathy Davis, Vice President
Kathy Davis has more than 24 years of experience in the field of humane welfare. She retired from the City of San Antonio as their Director of Animal Care Services after serving almost four years. Before San Antonio, she served the City of Los Angeles in the same capacity. She also held the Director of Code Enforcement and Animal Services title for Dallas, TX and South Bend, IN. Kathy graduated from Indiana University. She has committed her life to serve the needs of pets and the people who love them.
Clare Dye, Treasurer
Clare was born and raised in Fort Worth, TX. She moved to Oklahoma to attend the University of Oklahoma and remained in Oklahoma City after graduating. Clare graduated with a BBA in International Business and Economics, with a Spanish Minor. She accepted a job with the Boeing Company and worked in various functions on multiple defense platforms there over nine years, including Finance, Project Management, and Program Planning. In 2017, she decided it was time to move home to be closer to family. She accepted a job with Lockheed Martin in their Missiles and Fire Control division. Clare currently leads a team of eight Program Planners across multiple hardware and software redesign programs. In 2020, she received her MBA from Pepperdine University. Clare has two rescue dogs, both seniors now. She is very passionate about animals and animal welfare. She loves traveling, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, reading, and hiking. She hopes to visit all of the National Parks in her lifetime. Clare is very excited to be working with Texas Humane Network!
Pam Boich, Secretary
Pamela had spent many years supporting animal sanctuaries, horse rescue, and dog rescue charities when she decided it was time to support finding solutions to root problems affecting animal welfare. Pamela is now thrilled to join the board for Texas Humane Network while continuing to serve as an advisory board member to THLN.
Pamela holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in business, and her “day job” is an IT director at Salesforce, a Fortune 50 company. Before Salesforce, Pamela was an independent consultant and worked at various global corporations in high tech over her 20-year career. She led global channel sales operations teams while at global computing giant Intel and cyber-security software leader McAfee. Pamela has received various awards, including the Top 10 Women of Collin County for professional and charitable achievements, Top 100 Women in IT Channels by CRN Magazine, and THLN board member of the year.
Outside of animal welfare, Pamela is active in other charities, serving as a student mentor in the nationwide Year Up charity, a chair in a local Salesforce veteran’s group, Vetforce, and a member of the Frisco Giving Tree.
Work and charitable service aside, Pamela enjoys travel, nature, music, horses, dogs, hiking, and time with friends & family.
Pamela is married to Tony, a retired US Navy intelligence officer who received a meritorious service award from President Obama. Tony and Pam have a young son and a spoiled “foster failure” doggie. They currently reside north of Dallas, Texas.
Kenny Burns, Director
Kenny Burns is a Professor of Criminal Justice and Director of the Law Enforcement Academy at a college in West Texas. He has been in Law Enforcement for 24 years. He holds a Master Peace Officer License from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and a Master of Criminal Justice from New Mexico State University. Kenny grew up an animal lover living in a rural area of El Paso, Texas, where he had many animals to care for, including dogs, chickens, horses, and even rabbits. He met the love of his life, Korey, in 1993 and soon after got married. They both instantly bonded on their love for animals. During Kenny’s law enforcement career, he and Korey shared frustrations about the small rural areas they lived in with overbreeding and excessive shelter populations of good dogs that never got a forever home. It wasn’t until they moved to Lubbock, Texas, in 2008 and later and found the South Plains SPCA that they finally found their calling, mission, and new “family.” In the past six years, Kenny and Korey have fostered 70 + dogs through their home and successfully adopted them into loving homes. In addition, they are both active with the SPSPCA, where Korey serves on the board.
Dr. Melissa Draper, Director
Dr. Melissa Draper is a veterinarian with 30 years of experience in practice, with 23 years of that time in Nonprofit shelters and Animal Control facilities. She has served as Chief Veterinarian for San Antonio and Corpus Christi. She is completing her master’s degree in Veterinary Forensics and will also be teaching Veterinary Forensics at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. In addition to working full-time as a shelter veterinarian, she runs her own business called The ACT to educate and train animal control officers in the state of Texas. She is a recipient of the Eslinger Shelter Medicine Fellowship and has spent countless hours advising shelters on proper Shelter Medicine standards of care. Melissa is married to James, a retired Animal Control Officer, and they enjoy spending time on the beach with their adopted shelter pets. She also loves to travel as well as hike, and spend time in nature. She is a committed animal welfare advocate and is looking forward to serving The Texas Humane Network mission.
Amy Hickox, Director
Amy Hickox is an experienced Educational Consultant. She creates Personalized Educational Accountability plans for clients that provide instructional strategies and solutions for families. With a Bachelor of Science from the University of Pittsburgh and a Masters of Science in Education from Duquesne University, Amy is an experienced administrator and educator with extensive knowledge of educational models across diverse settings. She has served as an advocate for both local school districts and statewide committees. Driven by the need to bridge the gap between school districts and families, she takes pride in providing outcomes-based teaching solutions that are measurable for the client’s daily learning. Amy has also served as a PTA President on several campuses and works to build a process where stakeholders connect and build consensus and a campus community.
Sharon Hotchkiss, Director
Sharon is an attorney licensed in Texas and California. In 2014, she started her Hotchkiss Law Firm, PLLC, which focuses primarily on assisting non-profit organizations with business transactions, intellectual property (trademark and copyright), and general counsel services. Her clients include museums, cheer organizations, animal welfare, and rescue groups. Sharon received her BBA from the University of Texas at Austin and her JD from Loyola Law School. Sharon always loved spending time with her rescue dogs but had a strong desire to make a more significant impact on the welfare of animals. Therefore, she started volunteering with the Texas Humane Legislative Network in 2015 and is now serving on the Board of the Texas Humane Network. She is excited to assist Texas Humane Network in achieving its mission!
Staff
Shelby Bobosky, Executive Director
Shelby is the Executive Director at the Texas Humane Legislation Network since 2019 and the Texas Humane Network since 2020, but she began her volunteer service with THLN in 2011 as a board member. Since 2011 and under her leadership as President, Vice President, and Legislative Chair, THLN has had four successful legislative sessions wherein THLN successfully passed the Anti-Gassing Law (passed in 2013), the Mandatory Canine Encounter Training Law (passed in 2015), and the Animal Cruelty Enhancement Law (passed in 2017) and the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act (passed in 2021).
In 1999, Ms. Bobosky moved from Chicago to Dallas to begin her law practice. Ms. Bobosky continued practicing general civil litigation until 2017 when she decided to do only pro bono work putting in hundreds of hours for THLN as well as assisting animal welfare advocates and rescues when possible.
She teaches Animal Law and Wildlife Law at the Southern Methodist University College of Law and travels the state teaching animal cruelty laws and Texas animal laws. She shares her animal kingdom with three boys, one spouse, three rescued dogs, and two rescued prairie dogs.
Karen Rankin, Office Manager
Karen joined the organization in May 2019 to provide administrative support to the staff, board members, and volunteers. Karen has a passion for service and working with nonprofits. She recently worked for a local river authority coordinating their grant program and says giving money to other nonprofits in need is the best. Originally from Houston, Karen loves day-tripping in central Texas, jigsaw puzzles, and baking sweet treats.