TAMMY LOUGHLIN-Jalbert

Executive director

Tammy began her animal welfare career in 2008 as a volunteer and in 2011 had the good fortune to become the first director and volunteer coordinator of the Westerly Animal Shelter in RI, elevating it’s status to one of only four premier shelters in RI. She has gone on to hold senior executive leadership positions in both non-profit and municipal animal welfare agencies. She also served as the first Executive Director of Stand Up For Animals in RI.

Tammy is one of the first directors to complete the Public Sector Consortium Leadership Training, and Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster training affording Westerly Animal Shelter the distinction of a critical shelter in the event of a natural disaster.

She has launched two spay/neuter and wellness clinics in her tenure in animal welfare and helped to save over 2000 dogs from high kill shelters in Tennessee. She answered the call to drive critical animal care supplies from Rhode Island to Texas in the wake of hurricane Harvey in 2018.

Tammy is currently the Executive Director of the newly built Columbia Animal Shelter in Columbia, PA and has been an integral part of the process of building this brand-new shelter from concept to fruition.

Tammy believes that “Our focus is on our clients that have fur and tails, and they are all very connected to us as people. Our services are critical to our community and the pets they call family”.

Originally from Indiana, Tammy has lived in CT, RI, and now has settled in PA, where she is currently a board member of Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce. She enjoys the outdoors, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Tammy and her husband have one dog, two cats, a blended family of 10 children, and 5 grandchildren.

Michelle Unkow

Client Services Coordinator

Michelle started as a volunteer with the Columbia Animal Shelter in 2019 and was hired as an official staff member during the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020. A York County, PA native, she has lived in Columbia for nearly two decades with her husband, 2 children, dogs, and cats.

As a former nurse, she is tickled to be able to transfer her compassion and knowledge to the 4-legged set. She is a life-long animal lover and has never been without at least one (and often many more than one) animal in her home. She is committed to helping the local community with the shelter’s available services including low-cost spay/neuter clinics, wellness clinics, TNR clinics, surrenders, and adoptions.

Outside of the shelter Michelle loves to putter in her garden. She’s also a musician, playing flute and piccolo in local community bands as well as performing in orchestra pits for local theater and high school productions.