Meet our board members, volunteers and supporters!
Director/Founder: Lorelei
Lorelei has been in love with animals from the moment she was born. She began working professionally with them from the age of 12. Her background began in business eventually running her own, but her passion continued toward animals above all else. She has worked with a vast array from exotics, birds of all types, equine, and domestic pets. She has also gotten a Masters in Clinical Psychology and completed all of the PhD course work as well, before deciding to pursue rescue full time. She now manages business online, provides life coaching, and animal training from home so she can focus on the full time care of the animals at the sanctuary and raise her daughter. Her priority is above all else to the animals who are taken in at the rescue and sanctuary, regardless of what it takes to achieve their best possible outcome. She hopes to use her psychology background and experience with animals to successfully run the rescue and sanctuary as well as give back to the community and provide therapeutic animal assisted activities and visits. She is always open to getting in touch with anyone, and is always busy with the animals from general care, to being up multiple times every few hours through the night for medical cases.
Lorelei has been in love with animals from the moment she was born. She began working professionally with them from the age of 12. Her background began in business eventually running her own, but her passion continued toward animals above all else. She has worked with a vast array from exotics, birds of all types, equine, and domestic pets. She has also gotten a Masters in Clinical Psychology and completed all of the PhD course work as well, before deciding to pursue rescue full time. She now manages business online, provides life coaching, and animal training from home so she can focus on the full time care of the animals at the sanctuary and raise her daughter. Her priority is above all else to the animals who are taken in at the rescue and sanctuary, regardless of what it takes to achieve their best possible outcome. She hopes to use her psychology background and experience with animals to successfully run the rescue and sanctuary as well as give back to the community and provide therapeutic animal assisted activities and visits. She is always open to getting in touch with anyone, and is always busy with the animals from general care, to being up multiple times every few hours through the night for medical cases.
Officer/Treasurer: Chele
Chele has had the heart to nurture others around her no matter it be animal or human. She is a natural at calming the nature of those in distress and can communicate directly to the heart. She has experience rehabbing parrots, as well as having owned cats and dogs. She has a unique background in multiple fields and has accomplished the amazing feat of completing her doctorate. She is now a PhD graduate in psychology! Chele has business experience, people experience, tact, legality management and so much more. She's an important and vital asset to ensuring that the humans and animals involved with the rescue and sanctuary have their needs met. Her family consist of two god daughters who are growing up to be knowledgeable in animals as well, with a special love for equine, and a wonderful set of parents. She includes her animals as highly as her human family and embodies forever homes and doing what is right.
Chele has had the heart to nurture others around her no matter it be animal or human. She is a natural at calming the nature of those in distress and can communicate directly to the heart. She has experience rehabbing parrots, as well as having owned cats and dogs. She has a unique background in multiple fields and has accomplished the amazing feat of completing her doctorate. She is now a PhD graduate in psychology! Chele has business experience, people experience, tact, legality management and so much more. She's an important and vital asset to ensuring that the humans and animals involved with the rescue and sanctuary have their needs met. Her family consist of two god daughters who are growing up to be knowledgeable in animals as well, with a special love for equine, and a wonderful set of parents. She includes her animals as highly as her human family and embodies forever homes and doing what is right.
Officer: Eric
Eric has always had a heart for animals and the animals have taken to him instantly no matter what their background or fears were. He has a background of working with and boarding animals, mostly with dogs. He even grew up with 5 Great Pyrenees in the household all at once! Eric works hard to provide whatever is necessary to support the animals and puts long hours into work then immediately helps out with anything needed at the sanctuary. He is hands on full time and always willing to provide his support. This man proves that anyone can not only find the time, and will, but the heart it takes to support running a rescue and sanctuary!
Eric has always had a heart for animals and the animals have taken to him instantly no matter what their background or fears were. He has a background of working with and boarding animals, mostly with dogs. He even grew up with 5 Great Pyrenees in the household all at once! Eric works hard to provide whatever is necessary to support the animals and puts long hours into work then immediately helps out with anything needed at the sanctuary. He is hands on full time and always willing to provide his support. This man proves that anyone can not only find the time, and will, but the heart it takes to support running a rescue and sanctuary!
Volunteers - Dedication to making a difference
Bev - Assists with weekly food prep, planning, organization, and so much more. She's got talent upon talents and is also great at setting up events!
Wanda - Assists with weekly food prep, planning, and any extra projects. She is one of the first to give up her time to help animals in need!
Raymond - Hard working, dedicated and ready to get messy he helps with all the hands on building and animal care/cleaning!
Kairi - Sweet young lady who is making a difference in the world and helps weekly with pasture and pen clean outs!
Sara - Amazing woman who has volunteering and animals at the center of her heart and helps clean and care for the special needs kitties!
Colleen - This lady is amazing at getting things done, helps with food prep multiple times a week and other projects and plant knowledge!
Joel - Helps take any excess food/supplies and deliver it to farms in need!
Aunika - Loyal and kind volunteer who is always helping, especially providing safety and snuggles to the kitties!
Wanda - Assists with weekly food prep, planning, and any extra projects. She is one of the first to give up her time to help animals in need!
Raymond - Hard working, dedicated and ready to get messy he helps with all the hands on building and animal care/cleaning!
Kairi - Sweet young lady who is making a difference in the world and helps weekly with pasture and pen clean outs!
Sara - Amazing woman who has volunteering and animals at the center of her heart and helps clean and care for the special needs kitties!
Colleen - This lady is amazing at getting things done, helps with food prep multiple times a week and other projects and plant knowledge!
Joel - Helps take any excess food/supplies and deliver it to farms in need!
Aunika - Loyal and kind volunteer who is always helping, especially providing safety and snuggles to the kitties!
Recent Addition to the Sanctuary
Local Girl Scout’s Gold Award Project Expands Sanctuary for Elderly and Disabled Animals
Sixteen-year-old Aunika H. has been a dedicated Girl Scout for 11 years, spending much of her life learning about leadership and community service. When it came time to pursue the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting, she wanted her project to reflect what she had learned. For her, the Gold Award wasn’t just a project. It was a chance to help a place she loves, using the leadership skills Girl Scouts taught her, and make a real difference in the community.
Aunika lead a sustainable Gold Award project that addressed a real need, strengthened the community support, and continues to inspire others to get involved. Aunika chose this project because of her passion for animal welfare and her years of volunteer work.
A Plan Focused on Community Impact
As part of her Gold Award journey, Aunika talked with the local community—speaking with experts, volunteers, donors, and neighbors about the sanctuary’s mission. She used her voice as a Girl Scout to raise awareness about overlooked issues: the struggles elderly and disabled animals face and the lack of facilities equipped to care for them.
The project required leadership, planning, and communication skills by coordinating volunteers, organizing materials, and teaching the community how they could help.
A Sanctuary With a Unique and Urgent Mission
Melt My Heart Rescue and Sanctuary plays a vital role in Kitsap County. It is the only rescue in the area dedicated to caring for elderly, disabled, or medically complex animals—pets that most shelters cannot take in. Many animals here, like a cat missing its lower jaw, would be at risk of euthanasia elsewhere simply because others do not know how to provide the specialized care they need.
Aunika’s project helped highlight this mission to people who had never heard of it before. Her outreach opened the community’s eyes to a need many didn’t realize existed, reinforcing the importance of supporting organizations that care for the most vulnerable animals.
Building a Safer and Stronger Catio
For the hands-on part of her Gold Award project, Aunika and her team of scouts, volunteers, and community partners replaced the sanctuary’s old, outdated catio. She planned the project, created a budget, gathered volunteers, and made sure her solution would last.
She started by taking down the old structure, then leveled the ground, installed predator-proof mesh flooring, and organized the assembly of a brand-new catio enclosure. She added soil to protect the cats’ paws and installed a secure double-door entryway to prevent escapes. Each step took coordination, problem-solving, and leadership —the core of a Gold Award project.
The new catio is bigger, safer, more durable, and built to serve the sanctuary for many years to come.
Uniting the Community and Inspiring Action
Speaking to groups, planning the unveiling event, and educating the public were significant parts of Aunika’s Gold Award effort. Her ribbon-cutting ceremony attracted 31 attendees, many of whom had never visited the sanctuary before. She used the event not just to reveal the catio, but to share the rescue’s mission, discuss ongoing needs, and encourage long-term community involvement.
Her efforts paid off: several new volunteers and potential fosters signed up, and 100% of donations from the event went directly to Melt My Heart Rescue and Sanctuary.
By inspiring others to get involved, Aunika’s Gold Award project will continue helping animals and supporting the rescue, creating a lasting impact.
A Call for Continued Community Support
Melt My Heart Rescue lovingly provides lifelong care to animals that have nowhere else to go, but it relies on volunteers, donors, and foster families to continue its mission. Aunika hopes her Gold Award project encourages the community not just to appreciate the sanctuary, but to get involved.
Sixteen-year-old Aunika H. has been a dedicated Girl Scout for 11 years, spending much of her life learning about leadership and community service. When it came time to pursue the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting, she wanted her project to reflect what she had learned. For her, the Gold Award wasn’t just a project. It was a chance to help a place she loves, using the leadership skills Girl Scouts taught her, and make a real difference in the community.
Aunika lead a sustainable Gold Award project that addressed a real need, strengthened the community support, and continues to inspire others to get involved. Aunika chose this project because of her passion for animal welfare and her years of volunteer work.
A Plan Focused on Community Impact
As part of her Gold Award journey, Aunika talked with the local community—speaking with experts, volunteers, donors, and neighbors about the sanctuary’s mission. She used her voice as a Girl Scout to raise awareness about overlooked issues: the struggles elderly and disabled animals face and the lack of facilities equipped to care for them.
The project required leadership, planning, and communication skills by coordinating volunteers, organizing materials, and teaching the community how they could help.
A Sanctuary With a Unique and Urgent Mission
Melt My Heart Rescue and Sanctuary plays a vital role in Kitsap County. It is the only rescue in the area dedicated to caring for elderly, disabled, or medically complex animals—pets that most shelters cannot take in. Many animals here, like a cat missing its lower jaw, would be at risk of euthanasia elsewhere simply because others do not know how to provide the specialized care they need.
Aunika’s project helped highlight this mission to people who had never heard of it before. Her outreach opened the community’s eyes to a need many didn’t realize existed, reinforcing the importance of supporting organizations that care for the most vulnerable animals.
Building a Safer and Stronger Catio
For the hands-on part of her Gold Award project, Aunika and her team of scouts, volunteers, and community partners replaced the sanctuary’s old, outdated catio. She planned the project, created a budget, gathered volunteers, and made sure her solution would last.
She started by taking down the old structure, then leveled the ground, installed predator-proof mesh flooring, and organized the assembly of a brand-new catio enclosure. She added soil to protect the cats’ paws and installed a secure double-door entryway to prevent escapes. Each step took coordination, problem-solving, and leadership —the core of a Gold Award project.
The new catio is bigger, safer, more durable, and built to serve the sanctuary for many years to come.
Uniting the Community and Inspiring Action
Speaking to groups, planning the unveiling event, and educating the public were significant parts of Aunika’s Gold Award effort. Her ribbon-cutting ceremony attracted 31 attendees, many of whom had never visited the sanctuary before. She used the event not just to reveal the catio, but to share the rescue’s mission, discuss ongoing needs, and encourage long-term community involvement.
Her efforts paid off: several new volunteers and potential fosters signed up, and 100% of donations from the event went directly to Melt My Heart Rescue and Sanctuary.
By inspiring others to get involved, Aunika’s Gold Award project will continue helping animals and supporting the rescue, creating a lasting impact.
A Call for Continued Community Support
Melt My Heart Rescue lovingly provides lifelong care to animals that have nowhere else to go, but it relies on volunteers, donors, and foster families to continue its mission. Aunika hopes her Gold Award project encourages the community not just to appreciate the sanctuary, but to get involved.
Yearly Newsletter
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