Happy Birthday to our ED, Dinah Chao!

Aloha KAWS supporters!

Please join me in celebrating our Executive Director, Dinah Chao, by donating $50 to honor her 50th birthday on March 8th!

Since 2015, Dinah has been our ED and works tirelessly to help Kaua`i’s homeless dogs and cats. She has volunteered her time for the past 8 years to ensure all aspects of KAWS are successful. From animal care, vet appointments, and Petco runs to working with our volunteers and animal care providers to meeting with accountants and board members to make sure the non-profit is in good standing, Dinah has been the heart and soul behind the organization. She cares for our animals rain or shine and through every holiday; she is there for them when they join our family and with them when it is time for them to leave us and cross the Rainbow Bridge.

Dinah has been a teacher on Kaua`i for 25 years, serving children in public, private, charter, and home schools. She is currently a full-time special education teacher who has a place in her heart for the children who have special needs. She shares this same compassion for the animals of Kaua`i and has focused on the dogs who need more individualized care and specialized handling. Dinah brings empathy, grit, reliability, and a desire to learn to the organization. As our ED, Dinah has been raising funds and overseeing all construction of the KAWS sanctuary, resulting in her learning more about fencing, building structures to house animals, and yard care than she ever imagined possible. She built our website, and though she rarely posts herself, she is the person behind most of our social media posts that celebrate our animals and volunteers.

Dinah’s commitment to our animals' well-being is paramount. Our dogs receive daily exercise and socialization. When our dogs are adopted on the mainland, Dinah personally funds her trips to take them to their new families, spending a few days helping the dogs and owners with the transition. She is currently overseeing the completion of our senior dog home: Kūpuna Kamp, and working on securing funding for our cat sanctuary: Kaua`i Cat Haven.

Throughout the years, Dinah has shown incredible love for the island’s people and animals. Please join me in sending some love her way in wishing her a happy 50th birthday by making a tax-deductible donation of $50 to the organization that is so near and dear to her heart.

Yours truly,

Nick Hua

KAWS Vice President