Pamela Burns,
president and CEO of the
Hawaiian Humane Society, died at her home Monday night. She was 65-years-old.
Burns had been on a leave of absence for health reasons at
the time of her death, according to an announcement today from the
Humane Society.
“We are all shocked and deeply saddened by this loss,” said
Bob Armstrong, the Humane Society’s board chairman. “Pam’s passion to
improve the lives of both the animals and people of Hawaii was
unmatched. She was a leader in the national and international animal
welfare movement, the guiding force for the Hawaiian Humane Society for
the past 27 years and a treasure in our community… The board, leadership
team and staff are committed to carrying on Pam’s legacy by fulfilling
the mission and continuing the essential work of the society.”
Burns served as president and CEO of the Hawaiian Humane Society since
1990. During her time at the society, the organization reduced
euthanasia, increased adoptions and strengthened prevention and
education programs.
She also served as the chairwoman of the National Council on Pet
Population. She was a member of Petco’s Independent Animal Care Advisory
Council and the Hawaii Association of Animal Welfare Agencies. She also
had previously held the position of president of the Society of Animal
Welfare Administrators.
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Pamela Burns, head of the Hawaiian Humane Society, was
remembered by former colleagues Tuesday for her contagious compassion
for animals and love for the people of Hawaii.
Burns, president and CEO of the Hawaiian Humane Society, died at her home Monday night. She was 65.
“Her passion for the organization, for animals and for the
entire community was always evident,” Hawaiian Humane Society Board
member Pamela Jones said. “She had the ability through her vision and
her dedication and excitement … to attract management team members and
staff and board members who became just as enthusiastic about the
organization.”
The Hawaiian Humane Society said in an announcement Tuesday
that Burns died peacefully at her home after taking a leave of absence
approximately a week ago for health reasons.
During her time leading the organization, Burns championed the animal welfare movement both nationally and internationally.
“(She) was the guiding force for the Hawaiian Humane Society
for the past 27 years and a treasure in our community,” said Bob
Armstrong, board chairman of the Hawaiian Humane Society, in a prepared
statement. “The board, leadership team and staff are committed to
carrying on Pam’s legacy by fulfilling the mission and continuing the
essential work of the society.”
Jacque Vaughn, who had worked with Burns for 12 years at the
Hawaiian Humane Society, remembers her as a kind leader who invested in
the members of the Humane Society.
“She was the kind of person that really helps people grow in
the organization,” Vaughn said. “She is a unique character. There was
nobody in world like Pamela Burns.”
Burns, born Dec. 16, 1952, was a member of a prominent
family of sugar industry leaders. She was the daughter of Ann Walker
Burns, whose ancestors were active in Hawaii’s monarchy, and C.E.S.
“Frank” Burns Jr., who was former manager of Puna Sugar Co. and Oahu
Sugar Co. and later senior vice president for Amfac Inc.
The Hawaiian Humane Society said plans to celebrate Burns’ life and legacy will be announced at a later time.
“Pam was tall in stature and formidable to some as one of
the nation’s leading and most respected titans of animals welfare; yet
at times there was a sentimentality to her spirit that was soft and
heartbreaking,” Vaughn said in a tribute. “She kept a keepsake from her
mother in her car. She never missed your birthday. She had the kind of
heart in which she’d show up at your grandmother’s funeral. And she
always adopted animals that were not really adoptable. That said volumes
to me about what she believed in. She was a believer in second chances
and that love is deserving to all.”
***
[12/17/23] David Shapiro: Pam Burns’ animal impact well told in elegant
book