About Wichita Animal Action League

Wichita Animal Action League, or WAAL, is a state-licensed rescue and 501c3 nonprofit organization. We are a foster-home-based rescue and do not operate a full time facility.

Founded in November 2013, WAAL’s mission is to prevent and mitigate crisis for animals, their owners, and our community by:

Proactively working to address overpopulation

Providing education and support for responsible pet ownership

Fostering and adoption of at risk animals

Keeping animals with their families and out of shelters and rescues.

We fulfill our mission with three main branches of service:

1. Adoption
   1. Saving animals at risk of euthanasia at local shelters
   2. Providing rehoming services to owners to prevent pets from entering the shelter system
2. Spay/Neuter Services
   1. Spay It Forward, a voucher program designed to stop unnecessary pet euthanasia by combating its source: overpopulation
   2. TNR services
3. Community Outreach
   1. Providing welfare checks for neglect/cruelty concerns
   2. Emergency rescue responding when others say, “We don’t do that,” including saving cats in trees, ducklings in storm drains, and starving horses
   3. Assisting the city shelter with vet care costs for medical-emergency cases
   4. Donating supplies to owners in need
   5. Assisting owners with vet bills
   6. Empowering the community with vaccination and supply clinics
   7. Providing food for community per food banks
   8. Providing low cost microchips for the community
   9. Offering dog training grants for low-income owners

We are 100% reliant on donations to provide these life-saving services.

We need your help to carry out our mission! Whether you are called to volunteer, foster,  adopt, or donate, we need you, and so do the animals!

WAAL Lifesaving Statistics

*Rabbits, guinea pigs

Our Staff

Christy Fischer

Executive Director

• Bachelor of Arts, Criminal Justice
  • Wichita State University
• Masters of Arts, Criminal Justice
  • Wichita State University
  • Summa Cum Laude
• Certifications
  • Kansas State Certified Law Enforcement Officer, 2007
  • Nationally Certified Animal Cruelty Investigator, 2011
  • Texas State Certified Animal Control Officer, 2016
• Instructor
  • National Animal Cruelty Investigator’s School through the University of Missouri

Amy Delgado

Operations Manager

• Bachelor of Science, Public Administration & Nonprofit Management
  • University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Lauren Wensmann

Community Outreach Manager

• Bachelors of Science, Animal Science
  • University of Minnesota-Crookston

Kylee Wallentine

Pets for Life Specialist

• Board Member of the Sedgwick County Animal Care Advisory Board

Michelle Wickham

Development Specialist

• .

Our Board

Julia Craft

Board Chair

• Attorney and Member at Joseph, Hollander & Craft
• Bachelors of Political Science, Wichita State University
  • Cum Laude
• Juris Doctor, University of Kansas
• Member
  • Wichita and Kansas Bar Associations
• Achievements
  • Best Lawyers in America (family law) 2020 and 2022
  • Wichita Business Journal: Outstanding Businesswoman 2018
  • Wichita Business Journal: Woman Who Lead Legal Services 2021
  • Martindale Hubbard AV Rating
  • Trailblazers Award 2016

Lora Heit

Board Vice Chair

• Koch Industries Global Business Transformation Leader, 26 years of leadership positions at Koch
• Bachelor of Science in General Studies and Administration of Justice, Wichita State University

Stephanie Fisk McCurdy

Board Secretary and Former Chair

• Realtor/ Broker
  • Keller Williams Hometown Partners LLC
• Bachelor of Marketing Communications
  • Wichita State University
• Member
  • National Association of Realtors
  • National Association of Home Builders
  • Kansas Association of Realtors
  • Wichita Area Builders Association
• Achievements
  • 40 Under 40
  • Women In Business
  • Citizen Activist of the Year
  • Willard Garvey Crime Prevention Award
  • HGTV Househunters Appearance

Christy Friesen

Former Chair

• REALTOR/Team Lead
  • Trusted Advisor Team LLC at RE/MAX Premier
• BA and MA in Modern and Classical Languages/Spanish
  • Wichita State University
• Member
  • National Association of REALTORS
  • Kansas Association of REALTORS
  • Residential Real Estate Council (CRS)
  • Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (ABR)
  • Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)
• Achievements
  • Board of Directors for the Realtors of South Central Kansas – 2021-2023
  • Wichita Business Journal Top Residential Real Estate Teams – 2020 and 2017
  • Cover of Real Producers Magazine – July 2020
  • RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Childrens’ Miracle Network Miracle Agent
• Previous Spanish Instructor for Wichita State University

Cherie Warchuck

Board Treasurer

• Master of Professional Accountancy
  • Wichita State University
• Bachelor of Business Administration
  • Detroit College of Business
• Certified Public Accountant
• Member
  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
  • Kansas Society of Certified Public Accountants

Dr. Jessica Hodes, DVM

Advisor to the Board

• Veterinarian/Owner
  • Hodes Veterinary Health Center
• Bachelor of Science
  • Kansas State University
  • Suma Cum Laude
• Doctorate- Veterinary Medicine
  • Kansas State University
  • Magna Cum Laude
• Member
  • Kansas Dressage and Eventing Association – Board member
  • Kansas Veterinary Medical Association Equine Dentistry Task Force – Member
• Awards
  • 2007  Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH) Veterinarian of the Year
• KSU Veterinary Student Mentor
• Nationally Accredited Veterinarian (Level 2)
• Boarded to practice in Kansas and Missouri

Deena Hyson Bailey

Board Member and Former Chair

• Senior Counsel
  • Cargill, Inc.
• Bachelor of Political Science
  • Kansas State University
• Juris Doctor
  • Washburn University School of Law
  • Dean’s Honors, top 15%
• Member
  • Kansas Bar
  • Wichita & Kansas Women Attorneys Associations
• Achievements
  • 40 Under 40
  • Pro Bono Award
  • Louis Mattox Attorney of Achievement
  • Jennie Mitchell Kellogg Attorney of Achievement

Sonia Hicks

Board Member

• • Private Wealth Advisor
    • Ameriprise Financial
  • Bachelor of Science Finance and Management
    • McPherson College
  • Certifications
    • Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor (APMA)
    • Charted Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®)
    • CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner (CFP®)
    • Behavioral Financial Advisor (BFA)
  • Member
    • Little River Learning Center
    • 2023 Forbes Next-Gen Wealth Advisor
    • USD 444 Finance Pathway Advisory Committee
    • Student Debt Mentoring Program at McPherson College

Becky Craft

Board Member

• Retired
  • CEO, Integra Technologies
• Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting
  • Wichita State University
• Master of Business Administration
  • Wichita State University
• Board Chair
  • Integra Technologies

Brenda Johnson

Board Member

• Professional Experience
  • Marketing/communications and volunteer recruitment/training, all in the non-profit sector
  • Former business owner as a Cabi stylist selling the Cabi clothing line
• Bachelor of Arts, English
  • Wichita State University
• Master of Arts, Communications
  • Wichita State University
• Volunteering History
  • Junior League of Wichita
    • Current sustaining member
    • Dir. of Marketing and Communications, 2015-2016
  • Designing Women (supports Mark Arts)
    • Current member
    • Executive Board 2019-2024
    • Holiday Tables co-chair, 2019
    • Executive Chair, 2022-2023
    • Mark Arts Board of Trustees, 2022-2023
  • Delta Gamma Alumnae Board
    • Alumnae Panhellenic Representative, 2020-2023
    • President of Wichita Alumnae Panhellenic, 2022-2023