Who We Are
We are dedicated to using our skills, knowledge, and passion to move our 501c3 organization forward. We push ourselves and always strive to do better. Meet our Compassion Connections team members:
MEET KELLY
Board Member - Vice President
Kelly welcomed her senior dog, Penny, into her life through adoption, fully embracing Penny's "special needs," including her generalized anxiety diagnosis and history of abuse. Kelly is committed to providing Penny with a safe and happy home. You can watch Penny's inspiring adoption story on our YouTube channel.
After graduating college, Kelly volunteered in Peru with a grassroots organization, educating children about exotic animal trafficking. She also wrote and published an educational children's book in Spanish, Encontrando el Madidi, teaching local children the importance of protecting wild animals. (Check out Kelly's e-book on our Resources page.) As an educator with Green Ninja, she engaged San Jose middle school students in science through interactive learning experiences.
Kelly's expertise and dedication make her an invaluable member of our team. She is a fantastic resource for educational initiatives and legal guidance. Her fluency in Spanish also opens opportunities to expand our humane education programs to be more inclusive.
Currently based in Portland, Kelly works as a staff environmental lawyer for the Crag Law Center, offering free and low-cost legal services. An avid adventurer, she enjoys hiking and climbing. In 2019, Kelly postponed law school to complete the Pacific Crest Trail, trekking 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada.
Lani is a passionate advocate for animals, education, and the great outdoors. She discovered her love for fostering when she took in Rodgers, a dog from All Breed Rescue, during her junior year at Colorado College. Rodgers found his forever home shortly after their time together (watch his adoption story in our video). Lani provides invaluable insights for our innovative Canines in Colleges project and plays a key role in advising us with NUZZLE, a college student foster registry.
An avid road cyclist, Lani has taken her biking hobby to extraordinary places, riding through Alaska and, more recently, the Mexican Peninsula. After graduating college, she combined her love for teaching and the environment by working with NatureBridge, where she taught high school students science in outdoor classrooms. Her creativity, ability to inspire students, and skill in keeping them engaged make her a standout educator, and these teaching talents are a tremendous asset to Life of Kai’s humane education program, helping children learn compassion and empathy for animals.
Lani’s teaching experience, Spanish fluency, and fostering background bring immense value to our team, and we’re excited to see her contributions help us grow and succeed in this groundbreaking endeavor.
In 2022, Lani earned her Master’s in Environmental Management from Yale. She now lives in Seattle, Washinton, working for the Forest Service. A lover of the outdoors, she spends her free time rock climbing and exploring nature. Lani is with Hunter.
MEET LANI
Board Member - Secretary
My sister, Chi Constant was a dedicated, compassionate, and extraordinary animal lover whose legacy continues to inspire those in the field of animal welfare. Before her untimely passing in 2018, she made an indelible impact by fostering over 70 dogs, treating each with love and care as if they were her own.
Chi’s journey began with her beloved first dogs, Sam, and Peaches, a brother-sister duo that thrived under her care until the age of 19. Their passing marked a turning point, propelling Chi into a life devoted to fostering, where she healed and homed countless sick and abused dogs.
Beyond her hands-on rescue work, Chi’s impact rippled through her volunteerism with several dog rescue organizations, where she was instrumental in transforming the lives of dogs and the people who adopted them. Her home was a sanctuary for many rescued dogs over the years, and she left behind four beloved pups - Fozzy Bear, Bella, Grady, and Tobey.
Chi’s dedication to rescue deeply influenced her daughters, Kate, and Sheridan, nurturing in them an unwavering love for animals. Her passion also profoundly touched me, inspiring me to open my home to Kai, my muse and a mutt from a high-kill shelter. Despite her struggle with cancer, we dreamed big about a nonprofit that would revolutionize fostering and training.
In memory of Chi, “Nuzzle,” a foster registry designed to support organizations in need of foster homes for dogs will be our penultimate program and the core of our nonprofit. This initiative, dedicated to Chi, will carry her legacy forward, ensuring that her love, spirit, and dedication continue to inspire and make a difference in the lives of dogs.
As a posthumous honorary board member, Chi’s extraordinary life and contributions will forever remind us of the profound impact compassion and commitment of one individual can have on giving displaced dogs hope and a brighter future.
A true Dr. Dolittle at heart, Debbie has loved all creatures—big and small—for as long as she can remember. Growing up surrounded by everything from birds to mammals to horses and especially cats, she was fortunate to have a mom who nurtured her passion for animals and encouraged her to care for all living beings.
Over the years, Debbie has shared her home with many beloved feline companions, and her compassion extends to animals with special needs. She fostered a litter of Parvo puppies, nursing them back to health, and fought relentlessly to save her rescued pet dog, Leo, who sadly passed at age seven from canine lymphoma. Her empathy and patience for all animals - especially those often overlooked - led her to Life of Kai.
Thanks to Debbie, our mission is expanding beyond dogs to ensure cats receive the same advocacy, care, understanding, and recognition. With her at the helm, we’re excited to embark on a new initiative that raises awareness about community cats—going beyond traditional TNR—to stay true to our philosophy of compassionate and sustainable solutions.
Debbie’s love for animals is also reflected in her work—she is a talented wildlife photographer and a dedicated naturalist. She spearheaded Life of Kai’s very first event, the Coyote Coexistence Project, helping educate the community on peaceful ways to live alongside wildlife. Her creativity and forward-thinking approach bring fresh ideas to our mission, making her an invaluable part of our team.
Debbie lives in Davis with her beloved dog, Sofia, and her mischievous cat, Ziggy. Sofia is one of the Parvo puppies she helped save, is now 14 years old - a testament to Debbie’s unwavering dedication. We’re thrilled to welcome her to Life of Kai and can’t wait to see the impact she continues to make!
Hailing from the streets of San Bernardino at a young age of 6 mo. roaming as a stray, Kai is a survivor and a thinker. We got Kai just in time, as he overstayed his 5-day limit at a high kill shelter. Wicked smart, paying attention to details and so very affectionate with those he trusts, he worries about everything. It has taken years for us to convince him he is safe and so very well-loved. Often looking like Doby the house-elf, Kai is our toys, treats, and food puzzles tester. He helps us flush out new training plans, participates in fun cognition studies, keeps us on our toes with our training skills, and earns his keep as a demo dog for our training videos. He is invaluable to us and loves to work hard when he is not sleeping. Turning 13 in May 2025, he is sleeping more these days. We pay him well with peanut butter: his favorite food group. Check our blog "Happy Dogs, Happy Guardians, Happy Homes.” He taught us so much, from just being a companion pet, to training, to practicing husbandry to performing fun tricks like riding a skateboard in his younger days.
Meet Kaidog
Chief of Research & Development
Inspired by her beloved Kai, Julielani is dedicated to strengthening the bond between people and their pets through The Life of Kai: Compassion Connections. As a Red Rover humane educator, she envisions a future filled with compassion for all animals, fostering empathy in children through education. Julielani is passionate about building a strong community of fosters to help homeless animals find their forever families, believing that meaningful connections are key to solving many animal-related challenges.
A scientist by training, Julielani advocates s a science-based approach to understanding animals, especially dogs. She holds a Certificate in Training and Counseling (CTC) from the Academy for Dog Trainers and collaborates with rescues, shelters, and guardians to support pets and their families.
Julielani is also a board member of Unleashing the Possibilities Inc., a Yolo County nonprofit dedicated to animal advocacy. In addition, she serves as a director for the Chang Foundation, supporting the Davis High School music mentor program for over a decade. She brings her expertise, passion, and commitment to every endeavor, working to create a brighter future for animals and their communities.
MEET JULIELANI
Founder and President
MEET CHI
Post Humorous Honorary Board Member
Life of Kai welcomes Natacha, our first advisory board member. She is no stranger to the shelter dogs world and has a 10-year history of working with them. She met Sprinter when she joined a local rescue that took in Sprinter as their sanctuary dog - they felt he was unadoptable. For six years, Natacha visited Sprinter 4 days a week, taking him on walks and car rides. As years went by, her desire to adopt Sprinter grew stronger as their bond cemented and his trust in her flourished, but he must learn to get along with her husband. She gradually brought Sprinter home to meet Rob. The introduction was steady and slow, and it took another year for Sprinter, Natacha, and Rob to feel comfortable as a family. It was more than just a long journey of dedication and trust for them; it was a remarkable love story. Natacha became Sprinter's mom in 2018. When she is not spending time with him, Natacha paints and draws - she is a talented and accomplished artist who displays her work in numerous galleries in Reno. She also teaches French, her native language, at a Waldorf school from first grade to eighth grade.
Life of Kai supports social and emotional learning through our Kind is Cool project, where we read Red Rover curated stories about animals to young children to teach empathy. For these youngsters, art activities can be a fantastic way to reflect on what they learn and to follow the changes in their perspectives. Natacha can help guide us through the reflective processes.
We are fortunate to have Natacha on board to help us grow kinder and more compassionate. She will help us "make all dogs happier," as with Sprinter.
Update: We lost Sprinter in Dec. 2023. He was 13. We will miss him terribly and he will always be in our hearts. RIP sweet boy!
MEET NATACHA
Advisory Board Member
MEET DEBBIE
Advisory Board Member
Hunter is our honorary team member and Kaidog's best friend. He is not ours but he spends lots of time with us and we love him. We recruited Hunter for his extreme sociability with people and kids. He assists with our reading session and plays a crucial and calming role in our humane education program. His specialty is laying down just about anywhere. He just turned 12 in 2023. This special skill makes Hunter perfect for his assistant job. Kids love dogs, kids love watching Hunter sleep. A win-win for us.
UPDATE: Hunter is now “officially” ours without being adopted. His grandma passed away in April 2023. He has been with us since 2018 so life as usual for him. Welcome Hunter!
