User:Laurie Hood

Laurie Hood is the visionary behind Alaqua Animal Refuge, one of the largest no-kill animal shelters and sanctuaries in the country. A passionate animal lover since she was a child, Hood founded Alaqua Animal Refuge 10 years ago upon discovering that countless animals were being euthanized in five nearby counties, including her own, at a rate of nearly 100%, due to a lack of any animal shelter of any kind.

Located in Northwest Florida, Alaqua is the premier animal refuge and a recognized leader in animal welfare issues and animal cruelty prevention. As founder and president of Alaqua, Hood advocates daily for the general welfare and humane treatment of animals by providing shelter, adoption services, and lobbying on local and national levels.

Under Hood's leadership, Alaqua Animal Refuge has established a multitude of programs to help both animals and humans alike. Alaqua’s Unconditional Love Program which utilizes inmate labor to train and socialize dogs to be better suited for adoption, as well as provide companion dogs for individuals who cannot afford them. The Equine Interactions Program promotes personal growth and development for autistic and special needs individuals by partnering them with rescue horses and using Alaqua facilities as a sensory classroom. Educational outreach programs include teaching youth the basics of proper animal care to training law enforcement and prosecutors on how to work animal cruelty cases.

Alaqua has been consistently honored with awards for best non-profit in Destin, on the Emerald Coast, and in South Walton. It has also been recognized as “one of the best overall organizations in the U.S.” by The Humane Society of the United States, and as a “prime example of what a sanctuary should be” from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.

Currently, with Hood at the helm, Alaqua is undertaking a bold endeavor with its relocation and expansion campaign to build a one-of-kind facility and sanctuary—the first of its kind in the U.S.—on 100 acres of donated land in Freeport, Florida. The current facility will be relocated to this location, which will expand the refuge programs and serve as a teaching facility for individuals and organizations in the animal welfare field. The facility, designed like a small town and to be self-sustaining, will include a welcome center, medical clinic, covered arena, new animal enclosures, wildlife sanctuary, a chapel, and an Airstream food trailer. Concurrently, Hood is also filming a television series with Half Yard Productions to air on a major network in early 2018. The series is focused on the work that Hood and Alaqua does on a daily basis.

Born and raised in Louisiana, Hood graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Marketing. Her prior professional experience includes operating an international magazine in south Florida and serving as marketing director for the Gorlin Companies, a firm that launched medical and drug companies, including several that have become successful publicly traded ventures. Hood has drawn on her strong business background to create a non-profit in Alaqua that functions for success.

Hood is a founding board member of The E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center and Nokuse Education, Inc.; she currently serves as the District Leader in Northwest Florida for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS); and serves on the Advisory Board for The Restore Act (BP Funds) for Walton County, Florida. In 2014, Hood received George W. Bush's "Point of Light Award,” which recognizes the power of the individual to spark change and improve the world and received a key to the City of Destin, Florida for her work.

Hood is married and has two boys, ages 11 and 13. Her family is a big part of all activities at the Refuge. When not knee deep in animals, they all enjoy outdoor activities, such as paddle boarding, boating, horseback riding, and family time.