The Executive Director of the Regina Humane Society (RHS) is celebrating 30 years with the organization.

Lisa Koch joined the non-for-profit in 1991 and has been helping animals and families in Regina ever since.

Koch says of all the things her, and her team, have accomplished the years, there’s one common theme.

“Helping keep people and animals together, and bringing people and animals together is one of my most favourite achievements over the years,” said Koch. “We have a lot of programs that provide people support so they can keep their pets, and of course adoption programs, to help keep people together. I think those are among my favourites.”

In her time with RHS, Koch has become a prominent figure in the community, helped open up several adoption centres, and opened Saskatchewan’s first in-house animal hospital.

As exciting as the past thirty years has been, Koch says she’s excited to see what the next thirty hold.

“I am looking forward to a new animal community centre for the city of Regina that is going to usher in the future of the organization and our Humane community,” said Koch. “And I’m really excited and looking forward to sharing the plans for that with everyone.”

She adds the past few years have been challenging due to the pandemic, and without the support of the public, it would have been that much worse.

“We are nothing without our community of people who care for animals, and they were there for us, by our side, throughout 2020 and into 2021, and we are so thankful,” said Koch. “We are so thankful they helped us weather the storm and were there to ensure that the Humane Society was there for every animal that needed us and continues to need us moving forward.”

Koch says the main message of the RHS continues to be to urge people to spay and neuter their pets to help control the pet population.