2023 Community Partner of the Year: Teg’s Canine Clippery

Andrea Knudsen, owner of Teg’s Canine Clippery, has been donating her grooming services to HSHA for so long, she can’t remember how many years it’s been! We think we did the math correctly, and it’s been over 10 years! Every Friday, a volunteer drives one of our shelter dogs to Teg’s for a bath, nail trim and grooming services. We will often get dogs that arrive to the shelter in pretty bad shape. Some are dirty from being on the streets for a long time, some breeds require a groomer and sadly have never seen one, some just simply haven’t been taken care of. These dogs arrive into our care scared, matted, dirty, and in great need of TLC. It takes a special person to be able to make the dogs feel comfortable enough to be groomed.

The transformations are remarkable! Not only does the dog leave the groomer feeling like a million bucks, but it also increases their adoptability. Teg’s makes these dogs whole again.

Located in New Cumberland, Teg’s has been in business for over 30 years, and have been named the area’s Best Groomer by Harrisburg Magazine multiple times. In the 10 years we have worked with Teg’s, they have donated well over $20,000 in services. We would like to thank and congratulate Teg’s Canine Clippery for being named our 2023 Community Partner of the Year.

2023 Employee of the Year: Emily Latshaw

Every year, we honor one employee who has gone above and beyond to create a positive impact. While our entire team has worked together to overcome so many obstacles, this award recognizes one employee’s authenticity and selflessness, which make her stand out from the rest.

Emily’s journey in animal welfare began when she joined HSHA’s kennel team back in 2017. Over the last 6 years, being no stranger to hard work and persistence, she has filled a variety of positions and roles. This includes Customer Service Representative, Intake Center Associate, and she has assisted the cruelty department and most recently, the farm team. Emily is always willing to jump in and help, which means she’s worn many hats over the years. In January, she was promoted to Intake Center Team Leader and she’s carried the department through an unexpectedly challenging year. With ongoing post-covid staffing issues and the rising number of animals entering the shelter, Emily has shown resilience and strength and her natural leadership skills have emerged. She has earned the respect of her coworkers by being a team player, willing to do any job necessary to support the shelter’s mission, even if that means rescuing cats from unsanitary conditions or waking up at 4am to transport pigs to the vet.

If you need a pick me up, a sounding board, or a good laugh, you can always go back to the Intake Center and find Emily. She’ll either be working on her computer or calmly handling a crisis, both with the same even-keeled demeanor. Her ability to focus on the things within our control and demonstrate compassion and empathy toward others makes her an exemplary team leader.

Emily is also a devoted mom to her son, Kingston, and partner, Chuck. We thank them as well for their support over the years, as Kingston has helped with fostering animals and Chuck with helping out the shelter at events and in many different ways.

2023 Volunteer of the Year: Kris Gennett

When asked to describe Kris, the first thing our staff mention is her smile. She has a positivity that is infectious – it only takes a few minutes with Kris, and with her words or through a simple hug, you will feel instantly better.

Kris is an active cat socializer and laundry team member. She is also a member of our team of kitten socializing volunteers. Kris has so much joy in seeing cats find their forever homes. Each day her first stop is the Adoption Board to see which cats and kittens have been adopted. When it comes to laundry…we have a lot! No job is too small or too large – and she doesn’t let anything stop her. Our previous laundry machines would often break down and need repairs, and Kris would find other ways to help…. Like cut up large blankets to make sure every animal in the shelter would have a soft bed while we were unable to wash linens. Kris is a true team player, always asking what she can do to help.

Kris has volunteered with HSHA for six years. She has also adopted 4 cats from HSHA because she fell in love them while volunteering. So far this year, Kris has volunteered over 300 hours at the shelter. In total, she has donated nearly 2,000 hours of her time to HSHA. We would like to thank and congratulate Kris Gennett for being named our 2023 Volunteer of the Year!

2023 Foster Parents of the Year: Natalie Primak and Andrew Mwaniki

Natalie and Andrew joined our Foster Care Team in October of 2021.

Over the years, Natalie and Andrew have fostered many animals in need of foster care.
They have opened their home to orphaned and sickly kittens and behaviorally challenged adult cats. They have also welcomed cruelty cats that are awaiting a court date, Cruelty fostering can be ongoing for months and months.

It takes a special person to take home a Hospice Foster, but they have gracefully taking home senior cats that are at the end stages of their lives.

Together, they have saved and enriched countless lives.

What keeps them going is how rewarding the experiences are. They love to see the transformation from the “socially awkward cat” turn into a confident kitty! Or watch the “lion” become a trusting housecat.

The most challenging part of fostering for Natalie and Andrew is when the animals leave for the next part of their journey—whether it’s to joyfully go to their forever home or to peacefully cross the Rainbow Bridge.

Although there can be heartache, there is beauty in the lasting memories of the time shared with them.

The Humane Society of Harrisburg Area is so honored to be presenting this award to our 2023 Foster Parents of Year, Natlie Primak and Andrew Mwaniki.

Servant Leadership Award

At this year’s Fur Ball ceremony, HSHA introduced a new award. A few months ago, as we were selecting the winners for our annual awards, the directors came together because we felt a new award was needed.  This new award is to be given to someone who personifies our culture of Servant Leadership.  A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. A servant-leader puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. 

In her six years at HSHA, Aspasia Yeager has been a selfless leader dedicated to improving the lives of animals, serving our community, and empowering staff. There is no task too small…or big….for Aspasia.  Even now in the Interim Executive Director role, a normal day for Aspasia can include putting away cat litter, holding a meeting with our Shelter Buddies volunteer group, helping a staff member having a bad day, and making major programmatic decisions while an adoptable dog in need of a break from a kennel sleeps soundly next to her.  Aspasia’s positivity and grace are an inspiration to all at the shelter.

We are honored to present the Servant Leadership award to Aspasia Yeager.