🐾 Meet the People of Napa Humane: Gillian Ferro

Meet Gillian Ferro, our amazing Development Associate—and one of the newest faces here at Napa Humane! She joined the team just a few months ago, but she’s already making a big impact behind the scenes.

Gillian’s role involves a lot of the essential (but often invisible) work that helps keep Napa Humane running smoothly. She handles donation tracking and acknowledgment letters, supports our administrative directors, and takes the lead on planning some of our most engaging community events—like our quarterly mixers and monthly Dine & Donate nights.  You might have even caught her guest calling games at our recent FINKO Night fundraiser at The Fink!

“I love being able to play a role in supporting animal welfare and feeling all the support we have in the community for our mission,” she says.

In her first week on the job, Gillian jumped right in to support our Friday vaccine clinic—learning how to prepare vaccines for the first time!

“I never thought I’d be doing that,” she admits, “but I was so proud of myself for being able to help and support the clinic staff.”

While she’s not hands-on with animals in the same way her veterinarian sister is, Gillian brings passion and heart to her work—and a deep appreciation for what our clinic does every day.

“Seeing the volume of people we serve in the community is so rewarding. It helps me know the work we’re doing really matters.”

Gillian and her boyfriend share a snuggly 13-year-old poodle mix named Goofy, who still acts like a puppy and prefers to sleep under the covers—on Gillian’s pillow, of course. She also considers Finn, her parents’ 80-pound Border Collie/Pitbull/Husky mix, her dog too. He loves a good family howl and is convinced he’s a lap dog.

When asked what animal she’d be, Gillian says a lizard—because who wouldn’t want to sunbathe on a rock all day? It tracks, considering she’s a longtime fan of reptiles and amphibians.

“I love lizards, snakes, frogs, turtles—basically every amphibian and reptile,” she says. “On rainy days, you might find me flipping over rocks hoping to find a salamander or frog!”

Gillian worked for four years at Garaventa’s Florist in Napa, where she fell in love with event planning—especially weddings. Since 2021, she’s worked with local wedding planners, and even now she still picks up the occasional wedding when she can.

One of the things Gillian wishes more people knew?

“That we have an AWESOME dog training program! From puppy playdates to reactivity training, we offer so much more than people realize.”

We’re so lucky to have Gillian’s enthusiasm, creativity, and can-do spirit on our team—Napa Humane wouldn’t be the same without her!