Shep’s Place Senior Dog Sanctuary, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable foundation incorporated in the State of Missouri, charter number N000705469. We operate out of a renovated old house in Independence. We opened for business in April, 2019.
Our Namesake, Shep
Shep’s Place is named after the handsome guy in the picture below. When he was 8, Shep was picked up as a stray, and brought to the animal shelter in Independence, MO . He was slow and quiet, a bit chunky, with a saddleback, and didn’t attract much attention there. Months later, he was adopted by our founder, Russell Clothier, and his wife Ann. In his good-natured way, he showed his new owners how much old dogs still have to offer, when given the chance. It kindled a desire to help other senior dogs languishing in shelters, as Shep was. Two years later, Shep’s Place opened, in April of 2019. Shep himself passed away at age 12, in October 2020, but his legacy continues.
Mission Statement
The goal of Shep’s Place Senior Dog Sanctuary Inc. is to operate a sanctuary for homeless senior dogs in the Kansas City area. We believe senior dogs deserve to live out their lives in a safe, loving environment. Our facility and volunteers are dedicated to caring for these dogs, to give them the support and attention they have lost. We will try to find new families for them, but if we can’t, we will be their family and home, for as long as they live.
Board of Directors
Shep’s Place is overseen by a Board of Directors, which currently has four members.
Dr. Russell Clothier
President & General Manager
russell@shepsplace.orgRussell has a PhD in experimental quantum Physics, which, it turns out, has surprisingly little to do with running an animal shelter. He has taught Physics at the college and high school level for 30 years. Raised a cat person, he is a convert to the dog world, and is trying to make up for lost time by starting Shep’s Place.
Lisa Seigle Burke
Treasurer
lisa@shepsplace.orgLisa is a CPA at CBIZ MHM with 25 years of tax experience specializing in the not-for-profit industry.
Susan Cole
Director, Social Media
scole@shepsplace.orgSusan is a Registered Nurse and has a degree in finance. Her hobbies include photography and dog training, which have come in handy for Social Media. She joined Shep’s Place after the passing of her own rescue dog, Moe.
Trish Herbig
Volunteer Coordinator
therbig@shepsplace.orgTrish has 32 years of professional education experience, including 12 years as a teacher and 20 years as a school administrator. She has raised and loved dogs her entire life. She is now retired and thoroughly enjoying her volunteer experience time with Shep’s.
Other Staff Members
Camille Bosilovatz
Event Coordinator
cbosilovatz@shepsplace.orgCamille has been a volunteer since 2019 and is now in charge of organizing events to help spread the joy of Shep's Place!
Jan Davis
Adoption & Foster Coordinator
jdavis@shepsplace.orgJan oversees our Adoption and Foster programs, reviewing applications and meeting with potential adopters.
Lindsay Shae Woodcock
Medical Coordinator
lwoodcock@shepsplace.orgLindsay organizes the medical care of our dogs, working with our vets to schedule visits, order medicine and food, oversee daily treatments, keep medical records, and other health-related tasks.
Sherrie Chirillo
Kennel Tech
schirillo@shepsplace.orgIn addition to her full time job, Sherrie comes in to feed the dogs and administer their med
Steve Bosilovatz
Event Coordinator & Webmaster
sbosilovatz@shepsplace.orgSteve helps his wife, Camille, organize events for Shep's Place. He also helps with making updates to the website, so if anything is wrong make sure to blame him.
Vivian Verhulst
Events Coordinator
vverhulst@shepsplace.orgVivian oversees the Events Committee, which plans and organizes our participation in public events.