Stanislaus County’s new animal services chief brings a passion for pet adoptions
Lily Yap’s 15 years of animal welfare experience in Texas and Louisiana didn’t leave her with stories about ocelots or maybe rattlesnake charmers.
But working in the Dallas-Forth Worth metro area, she had some exotic-pet encounters with a tiger cub and a rare cobra, she said. And her experience coordinating successful clear-the-shelter events — one of which arranged 341 pet adoptions in a single day — made her a top candidate for her new position as director of Stanislaus Animal Services Agency.
The agency has waged an endless adopt-a-pet campaign to relieve crowding at the animal shelter on Cornucopia Way in south Modesto.
“We are out every single weekend in the community working to find positive outcomes for animals,” the new director said.
Yap took over as SASA director in April, inheriting the shelter and administrative duties from former full-time director Vaughn Maurice and an interim director Craig Gundlach.
In her previous job, Yap was animal services division manager for Grand Prairie, Texas, overseeing the Prairie Paws Adoption Center and a team of nearly 40 employees. Her experience also included leadership roles with Dallas Animal Services over expanding foster and volunteer programs and the launch of a neonatal kitten nursery.
Yap hasn’t announced any new initiatives within the member communities of Stanislaus Animal Services Agency but plans a clear-the-shelter effort for the entire month of August, rather than a single day or weekend. Adoption fees will be waived in order to reduce the shelter population and save dogs and cats at risk of euthanasia.
Recent adoption events held at businesses including Ceres Tractor Supply were initiated by the local animal services team before she arrived, Yap said. “Our offsite adoption events have been very effective,” she said. “Even if folks are not in a position to adopt, it raises awareness of the challenges we face as a community. People can volunteer or donate or spread the word to someone who’s looking for a pet.”
Yap returned to her home state of California in accepting the new position. She was raised in San Francisco and later moved with her family to Texas.
She earned a master’s in business administration at the University of Texas in Austin and was on a career path to be an investment banker. Her plans changed, however, after volunteering at an animal shelter that was hiring.
“I have always been an animal lover,” she said. “I started working there and it just kind of stuck.”
While working in Baton Rouge, La., Yap created a foster program pairing cancer patients with furry companions.
Yap brings management and strategic leadership skills to her new position. She serves on the board of the Association of Animal Welfare Advancement, which gives her access to the brightest minds, she said.
“Her focus on leadership, innovation, customer service and commitment to improving outcomes for animals and the community makes her the ideal person to lead Stanislaus Animal Services Agency,” Jewel Warr, chairperson of the SASA joint powers authority board, said in a news release.
The agency provides animal services in Modesto, the county, Ceres, Hughson, Patterson and Waterford.
Yap said Wednesday she is still learning about the specific needs of the Stanislaus community, one of which may be a reported feral cat boom in central Modesto.
She said the animal services agency benefits from the many groups and volunteers that support the shelter.
This story was originally published May 30, 2025 at 12:00 AM.
