Admin Spotlight - Kris Thompson

What started with ten transfer cages and a promise to help quickly turned into something much bigger. Kris Thompson helped Fresno TNR become a nonprofit and has been showing up for the cats and the people helping them ever since.

If you have spent any time around Kris, you already know the qualities that define her. She is steady, kind, dependable, and always willing to help without ever looking for recognition.

What many people may not know is that before Fresno TNR, before the transfer cages, spreadsheets, and cat colonies, Kris lived a completely different kind of life.

Long before rescue work, Kris and her ex-husband traveled throughout California showing Boer goats. In the livestock world, especially in Texas, Boer goat competitions were serious business where genetics, breeding, and championships mattered. Their goats earned awards across the show circuit, increasing both their reputation and the value of their animals. At one point, they even owned a prize stud goat valued at $10,000.

As surprising as that may sound, it was not the only unique chapter of Kris’ life. They also raised emus and sold emu meat and oil — something most people would never guess about her today.

It may seem like an unexpected background for someone now known for helping community cats, but in many ways it fits perfectly. Kris has always been someone willing to work hard, care deeply, and fully dedicate herself to the things she believes in.

But once you know Kris, it also makes sense.

She has never been someone to sit still for long.

A Woman of Many Passions

One thing Kris cannot live without is her computer. While most people are glued to their phones, Kris is loyal to her laptop. She brings it everywhere. It keeps her connected, organized, and ready to jump in when something needs to be handled.

When she is not volunteering or working, Kris is usually spending time with friends. She has a group for concerts, another for bunco, and a circle of former coworkers she still meets with regularly. For Kris, friendship is not just something nice to have. It is part of what keeps life balanced, happy, and healthy.

The Advice She Carries With Her

Kris has two pieces of advice that have stayed with her through the years.

“Don’t allow someone else to make you someone you are not.”

For Kris, that means paying attention when someone else’s behavior starts changing you in ways you do not recognize. If being around someone makes you lose yourself, it may be time to let them go.

The second is simple, but not always easy.

“Everything is God’s timing, not yours.”

Kris believes patience is often the lesson we are meant to learn, even when we do not understand the timing in the moment.

She also carries deep gratitude for Betty C & Lorraine F, who helped her through one of the hardest periods of her life. During her divorce, these women took her under their wings. They were strong, influential, and socially connected, but still humble and kind. Their support left a lasting mark on Kris, and she has never forgotten what they gave her when she needed it most. 

Finding Strength Through Hard Seasons

Kris is honest about the fact that her first two marriages were difficult seasons in her life.

Kris married her first husband at just 18 years old and later realized she was still discovering who she was at that point in her life. Her second marriage eventually came to an end when their paths and priorities no longer aligned, and Kris knew it was time to move forward.

While those experiences were painful, they also shaped her in important ways. They taught her resilience, strengthened her sense of self, and ultimately helped her recognize genuine love when it finally came into her life.

Her third marriage was the one that was meant to be, though heartbreakingly short. Kris lost her husband not long after joining Fresno TNR in 2023. At a time when her life had changed in a way no one can really prepare for, Fresno TNR gave her something to pour herself into.

It gave her people to connect with, work that mattered, and a reason to keep showing up. What started as helping with cats became something much more personal. It became a place of purpose, friendship, and healing.

How Kris First Connected With Fresno TNR

Kris first found Fresno TNR while trying to manage a feral cat colony on her own property. A friend in Madera was dealing with a similar situation, so Kris started researching what could be done. That search led her to Brandi on Facebook and to the work Brandi was doing to help community cats throughout the Fresno area.

At the time, Brandi had mentioned several times that Fresno TNR was in need of transfer cages. When Kris received a retroactive paycheck from work, she decided to use part of it to purchase ten cages for the organization.

Then she sent Brandi a photo of the cages and the invoice.

Kris laughs about it now and says she may have “trapped” Brandi first. She made her a simple deal: help trap the cats on her property, and the transfer cages would belong to Fresno TNR.

That simple offer opened the door to something much bigger and to Kris becoming part of Fresno TNR in a way no one could have predicted.

Kris did not stop with the cages. When she learned Fresno TNR was not yet an official nonprofit, she started researching what needed to be done. She gathered the information, organized it into a binder, and made the process as easy as possible for Brandi, knowing Brandi was already busy trapping cats, working, and handling home life.

By May 2023, Fresno TNR officially became a 501(c)(3), thanks in large part to Kris seeing what needed to be done and doing it.

Why She Loves Volunteering

For Kris, the best part of Fresno TNR is the people. Volunteers come from every background imaginable, but everyone shares the same purpose: putting the cats first.

She loves the kindness, the teamwork, and the sense of community that forms when people come together for something they truly care about. The work can be messy, tiring, and emotional, but for Kris, the people make it worth it.

What Kris Wants People to Know

If someone only had a few minutes to learn about Fresno TNR, Kris says the best place to start would be the organization’s Linktree and website, where people can quickly learn about services, volunteer opportunities, and ways to get help.

The most important message she wants people to understand is this:

Your situation is manageable, and you are not alone.

Fresno TNR volunteers can help with trapping support, transportation, mentoring, and sponsor requests for spay and neuter costs. The goal is to support people, not judge them.

Kris also wants to clear up one major misconception. Fresno TNR does not trap every cat for people, does not remove cats, and is not funded by the city or county.

The organization depends entirely on volunteers, community support, and help from Dogwood Animal Rescue Project out of Santa Rosa, California.

How People Can Help

Kris’ answer is simple.

"Volunteer" Click here to join the mission

There is truly a place for everyone to help. Whether it is transporting cats, washing dishes, cleaning crates, doing laundry, sweeping floors, mentoring others, assisting with outreach, or volunteering at events, every role plays an important part in supporting the mission.

Many of the organization’s greatest needs happen behind the scenes. Support with marketing, fundraising, organization, and event coordination is always needed and plays a critical role in helping Fresno TNR continue its work.

Not everyone has to trap cats to make a difference. Sometimes the person washing dishes, cleaning crates, answering questions, or helping organize supplies is the reason the next cat gets helped.

Looking Ahead

After 12 years with Central Unified School District, Kris will officially retire on June 30, 2026. True to her generous and supportive nature, she already plans to return after retirement to help train and assist the coworker stepping into her role.

That says a lot about who Kris is.

She shows up. She helps. She carries more than most people ever see. And even when she could finally step back, she still finds one more way to make things easier for someone else.

That is Kris.