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
Kenny Burns, President
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.
Pam Boich, Vice President
Pamela had spent many years supporting various animal charities when she decided it was time to join THLN to help solve root problems affecting animals. Pamela is proud to be a Texas Humane Network board member 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 a business consultant and employee at various global corporations in the high tech industry over her 20-year career. Pamela is also active in other charities, including mentoring students in the nationwide Year Up charity and volunteering with Salesforce’s Vetforce veterans group.
Pamela is married to Tony, a retired US Navy intelligence officer, and together they have a young son and two spoiled “foster failure” dogs. They enjoy travel, nature, music, horses, dogs, hiking, and time with friends & family. They currently reside in a suburb of Dallas, Texas.
Carly Foster, Secretary
Carly was born and raised in East Texas and has worked in law enforcement for over a decade. She currently serves as a criminal investigator, primarily investigating crimes against persons. In addition to her general law enforcement duties, she holds both national and state certifications as an Animal Cruelty Investigator and is a certified Animal Control Officer. Her work includes investigating animal cruelty cases within her jurisdiction and assisting neighboring agencies with complex investigations. Her experience handling both violent crimes and animal cruelty cases provides a practical understanding of the link between abuse and broader public safety concerns.
In 2022, Carly received the Texas Humane Advocate Award through the Texas Humane Legislative Network in recognition of her work supporting the passage of the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act. She also serves as a board member, foster, and volunteer with a small nonprofit animal rescue organization in her area, where she has been involved in the rescue and placement of hundreds of animals.
Carly is married and has three children. She values the strong support of her husband and family, who stand behind her law enforcement and animal welfare work. Their family includes two rescue dogs, one of which is her retired K9 partner, and a rescue sphynx cat. Outside of her professional and volunteer commitments, she spends her time with her family, attending practices, sporting events, and community activities. She is committed to advancing effective enforcement, collaboration, and responsible animal welfare policy across Texas through her service with the Texas Humane Network.
Alexis Sutlief, Treasurer
From a young age, growing up in Georgia, Alexis was drawn to animal welfare, volunteering at local shelter and rescue organizations since high school. She has been in the Dallas area since 2016.
Alexis holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. She currently works as a strategy consultant at Two Roads Consulting, a DFW-based consulting firm.
Driven by a lifelong passion for animal welfare, Alexis shares her home with three rescue dogs who keep her busy at the dog park and her vacuum even busier. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, camping, and watching sports. She is excited to support Texas Humane Network’s mission to promote the humane treatment of animals through education, training, and outreach efforts.
Rebecca Whitehouse, Director
A life-long animal lover, Rebecca became involved with animal rescue in 2010, first as a foster with Austin Pets Alive! and then with Dallas Pets Alive! after moving to the DFW area in 2014. Over the years, she and her husband have fostered dozens of dogs of all sizes and breeds. She received her law degree from University of Michigan and has maintained a solo law practice for 25 years. She has been active in the bar association and a local rotary club, and she has been a volunteer with CASA of Collin County.
In addition to rescue and fostering, Rebecca looks for ways to use her legal knowledge to both improve animal protection laws and seek better enforcement of existing animal welfare laws.
She enjoys hiking, playing guitar, traveling, and spending time with her husband Alec and two dogs, Timmy and Kami.
Staff
Mia Bendixsen, Executive Director
Mia is an attorney and a seasoned nonprofit leader with more than 20 years of experience and a demonstrated track record in fundraising, strategic management, and community engagement. She has held senior roles with nationally recognized organizations, including Executive Director of the American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast Region, Director of Philanthropy for the Humane Society of the United States in New England, and Director of Development for the Boy Scouts Cradle of Liberty Council in Philadelphia.
Complementing her professional experience, Mia has long demonstrated a deep commitment to animal welfare, serving on boards supporting animal advocacy and leading efforts to protect companion animals in times of crisis. At the American Red Cross, she served as Regional Pet Sheltering Lead, working alongside emergency managers, law enforcement, and community partners to ensure disaster response efforts kept pets safe and with their families.
Mia is based in Austin and lives with her two rescue dogs, Mishka and Riley, and her fiancé, Michael.
Karen Rankin, Director of Operations
Karen, a highly experienced Administrative Professional with over 25 years of career experience, brings a diverse professional background to the organization. Her passion for service led her to join in May 2019, where she adeptly provides administrative support to the staff, board members, and volunteers. Her exceptional organizational and teamwork skills ensure smooth operations.
Before her position, she managed the Lower Colorado River Authority grant program. Karen says the best feeling is giving money to other nonprofits in need. She is a conscientious steward of donations and previously worked as a business administrator for a 400-member church in the Houston area.
Outside work, Karen enjoys volunteering at the local shelter, day-tripping in central Texas, and challenging herself with jigsaw puzzles.
Brianne Comeaux, Digital Media & Marketing Manager
Brianne joined in 2021 and soon fell in love with our mission and team. Service and nonprofit work have easily become a huge passion for Brianne, and she looks forward to making a difference for Texas animals every day! Brianne is an integral part of our marketing efforts for both Texas Humane Network and THLN!
When Brianne isn’t editing our next social media post, you can find her with her family and three fur-babies enjoying a delicious iced coffee and learning her next creative craft.