Executive Director // Napa Humane
Philanthropy in Napa Valley
The Executive Director of Napa Humane since 2016, and an employee since 2005, Wendi Piscia has loved animals her entire life. She is currently the proud owner of two cats and three dogs (one of whom is training with her to become a pet therapy team), and she recently raised a puppy for Guide Dogs for the Blind. As a child, Wendi dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, but high school biology changed her mind, and she ended up on a social science path. After earning a master’s degree in social work, and various employment in that field, she shifted to animal welfare. “I’ve always felt that my calling was to enhance the lives of vulnerable populations in my community, and in my mind, this absolutely includes pets,” said the Napa native and mother of two active boys. When hired as Program Director in 2005, she enhanced and created new services to further the organization’s mission: ‘To promote the welfare of companion animals through protection, advocacy, education, and by example.’ She expanded spay/neuter services, created classroom curriculum presentations about responsible pet care and safety, and started free wellness clinics for the under- served pets living in low-income Latino households. In 2016, she took the helm with a goal of better meeting the needs of those they serve. “Napa Humane is the only organization in Napa County that actually performs spay/neuter surgeries, and teaches children in local classrooms,” said Piscia. “Our work dramatically lowers the number of puppies and kittens born into an uncertain future and teaches future generations of Napans how to be safe and responsible pet owners. Prevention is our primary emphasis because it has the greatest impact on reducing animal suffer- ing. Instead of just treating symptoms, we focus on eliminating the problem itself. In short: we work to keep pets out of shelters and rescue groups.”
Article By: Fran Miller
