Meet the Founder
Kati L. Krouse, Founder & Executive Director of BEARS Etc.
First and foremost, Kati is an animal lover. From taming her great-grandfather’s barn cats when she was little to dedicating her adult life to saving captive exotic animals, Kati has always been passionate about the well-being of wildlife.
As a teen, Kati worked for a veterinarian and volunteered at Black Pine Animal Sanctuary, where she quickly learned of the high demand for rescuing captive exotic animals. During Veterinary Technician school at Purdue University, she volunteered at Wildcat Creek Wildlife Center and interned at the Wildlife Center of Virginia. There, she learned how to treat wildlife with dignity and gained a deep understanding of their needs and behaviors.
Kati’s dream of rescuing animals in need came true when she became Assistant Manager at Black Pine Animal Sanctuary.
At Black Pine and through her volunteer work with Outreach for Animals, Kati taught interns, volunteers and the public about respecting wildlife and the importance of helping wild animals in need.
Regularly fielding phone calls for help with bears, tigers, parrots and even an occasional alligator in need, Kati often had to say “I’m sorry, we just can’t take another animal in at this time” because of limited staff, funding and resources.
That experience led Kati to create BEARS Etc., the first bear-centric sanctuary in the United States.
BEARS Etc. is a permanent, community-based, self-sustainable refuge for displaced exotic and wild animals. Through BEARS Etc., Kati continues to teach others about the natural world, foster community and spread awareness about the dangers of the exotic pet industry.
