Mandy Evans, Executive Director of Better Together Animal Alliance (BTAA), has been named a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. This award recognizes women who have made significant contributions to the region through their professional achievements, community dedication, and leadership.
“I’m thrilled to be included in such an esteemed group of accomplished women throughout the Inland Northwest,” Evans said. “I am proud of the work we do at BTAA and am honored to be recognized for my contributions.”
Under Mandy’s visionary leadership, BTAA has revolutionized the region’s largest animal welfare organization from an animal shelter filled with animals with long lengths of stay to an organization with robust programming focused on keeping people and pets together. Evan’s approach has been focused on eliminating fear-based tactics and fostering a culture of compassion for both people and animals. The results speak for themselves: a 500% increase in animals assisted, a 77% reduction in shelter stay duration, and a 31% decrease in owner surrenders in her tenure. Evans’s influence extends beyond Ponderay; she consults with shelters across North America, helping to decrease the number of animals entering shelters and promoting community-based approaches to animal welfare.
BTAA has earned national recognition for maintaining a no-kill philosophy, achieving an impressive 98% success rate in 2022, surpassing the 90% benchmark set by Best Friends Animal Society. Evan’s brainchild, Home To Home™, a rehoming site for individuals and animal shelters, was founded in 2016 and has transformed the adoption landscape and is utilized by more than 150 shelters across North America preventing over 78,000 animals from entering animal shelters in 2023.
Additionally, the CATalyst Council awarded BTAA its inaugural grant to support the helpline and the national Home To Home program in 2023, addressing issues like inappropriate house soiling among cats. Evans’s expertise has led to invitations to present at esteemed conferences such as the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Canada.
Under Evans’ leadership, Better Together Animal Alliance was also recently named Best Non-Profit, Best Local Business, and Best Thrift Store in Bonner County.
