Raquel Aluisy founded St. Francis Society Animal Rescue in 1997 in the garage of her Tampa, Florida home. She had a vision of what the organization could be and is today. She served as the Southeast Regional Director for Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) for 11 years as a lead in their disaster animal response team. Since 1996, Raquel has responded to over 20 disasters nationwide from floods to earthquakes to hurricanes. Raquel has been widely recognized for her efforts to help animals after Hurricane Charley. She received the Florida Animal Control Association's Humanitarian Award and was named the 2005 United Way Volunteer of the Year for Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties. She served on the Hillsborough County Animal Advisory Committee for 8 years, and is currently a member of the Florida SART Advisory Board , FL SARC, and the National Council of Animals in Disasters. She has also held the position of the Region 4 Team Lead for CODE 3 Associates (a national disaster response team) and the co-founder and president of C.H.A.A.R.T. (Community of Hillsborough Animal and Agricultural Response Team). When not involved in animal welfare, Raquel works full-time for Verizon Business as a Project Manager . Raquel resides in Lutz with her son, Gabriel, 3 rescued dogs and 1 rescued cat.