Luis Quintanilla is the Executive Director for the Humane Society of Harlingen (HSH), located in the Rio Grande Valley in deep south Texas. Luis joined HSH after most recently being the Director of Operations for Palm Valley Animal Society (PVAS) in Edinburg, Texas. In his role at PVAS, Luis was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of an organization with an annual intake of 30,000 animals. In two years, the save rate at PVAS increased from 30% to 70%, and in January 2020, the save rate surpassed 90% for the first time in the organization’s 40-year history. Luis started at PVAS in March 2018 as a temporary worker handling data entry. Luis then joined the rescue department, where his primary duties were handling the logistics of biweekly rescue transports. During his seven months in the rescue team, Luis drove over 35,000 miles transporting animals out of the shelter to rescue partners. The PVAS rescue team found live outcomes for over 8,000 cats and dogs in 2018. Luis then moved on to the development team, where he handled grant writing as the Donor Relations Coordinator. A year after joining PVAS, Luis became Shelter Manager and eventually Director of Operations.
A law school graduate and recent graduate of Best Friends Animal Society’s Executive Leadership Certification program, Luis is excited to continue the mission of lifesaving at HSH where the save rate for 2020 was an incredible 92% (up from 49% in 2019).