About Us

West Columbia Gorge Humane Society (WCGHS) is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit, no-kill animal shelter in Washougal, Washington. Established in 1994, our programs and services are carried out by a mostly volunteer staff dedicated to caring for animals and finding them forever homes. We operate both a cat shelter and a dog shelter, as well as an extensive foster home program and other programs to support animals in the local community.

What is our mission?

West Columbia Gorge Humane Society aims to eliminate unnecessary euthanasia of healthy or treatable companion animals in the community and find them permanent, loving homes.

What is our long-term goal?

Our intent is to make Clark County the first no-kill county in the State of Washington. We plan to accomplish this through implementing low cost spay and neuter clinics, Trap/Neuter/Release (TNR) of feral cat colonies, and by working in conjunction with our fellow shelters to benefit all animals in the community.

The Impact You Made in 2019

17,816.57 – Total Volunteer Hours

734 – Local Pets Saved or Supported

577 – Animals Adopted = 466 Cats + 111 Dogs

428 – Fostered by 30 Families

428 – Pets Spayed or Neutered

292 – Animals Saved by Relocation

128 – Animals Reunited With Their Owners = 74 Dogs + 54 Cats

19 – Pets Received Life-Saving Veterinary Care

Our Team

The People Who Make It All Happen

LEADERSHIP

Micki Simeone, Interim Executive Director

Delaney Edison, Director of Operations

Delaney was born in Texas and moved to the PNW as a child. From a young age Delaney knew she wanted to work with animals, which lead her to a veterinary medicine, where she worked as a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) for over 5 years. Delaney made the personal decision to leave private practice to join the WCGHS team to give back to the community and help support and strengthen the human-animal bond. Delaney shares her busy household with her husband, two daughters, three dogs and three cats. When Delaney is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and crafting.

delaneye@wcghs.org

Peggy DiPrima, Development Manager

Peggy joined WCGHS 4 years ago to curate our fall auction and signature event, A Tail to Remember. She brought with her 7 years of nonprofit event experience, as well as and 7 years Corporate Event Planning. She moved from Atlanta, GA to Ridgefield, WA 11 years ago with her husband, Frank, and her son Joseph. Her family shares their home with their dog, Biscotti, a WCGHS alumni. Peggy enjoys spending time with her family, playing games, visiting her family in Louisiana and wine tasting at the PNW’s many wineries.

peggyd@wcghs.org

OTHER KEY STAFF

April Nicholas, Dog Care Manager

April began volunteering for West Columbia Gorge Humane Society in 2011, and fell in love with the work and decided to make it a career. She trained with numerous canine behaviorists and trainers to better understand canine psychology. After purchasing a home in Washougal, she continued to pursue her passion for working with animals by joining the WCGHS team in 2016. Her professional background is in financial institution management and small business ownership. April shares her home with four rescued fur children and enjoys spending her free time exploring the outdoors with her dogs.

Jennifer Thoel, Cat Care Coordinator

Jennifer joined the team in October 2019 as our Cat Care Coordinator. Before moving to Amboy, WA, Jennifer lived in Las Vegas, NV and worked for The Animal Foundation, one of the largest open-admission shelters in the country. There Jennifer developed and managed programs for community cats and neonatal kittens which provided options and a process for positive outcomes from the shelter. These animals are considered some of the most at-risk animals, and by developing organizations first TNR (trap-neuter-return) program, she saved hundreds of lives and increased the shelters LRR (live-release-rate). Since she was young, Jennifer has had a passion for cats and dogs. We’re excited she has brought this passion, experience and skillset to the WCGHS team.

Jared Thorson, Animal Care & Training Coordinator

Jared joined the WCGHS team in August, 2020. He recently moved from Centralia, Washington where he worked at the Lewis County Animal Shelter as an animal caregiver and trainer for community service workers for nearly two years. He enjoys working with animals and providing them with the care and attention they need. Jared spends his free time going on thrilling adventures. He is an avid mountain climber and rock climber, and loves to be in nature. He loves to care for the environment and show kindness to those around him.