Meet the Team
Carrie Van Wert
Founder & Executive DirectorCarrie Van Wert founded Animals for Elders in 2022 after noticing a gap few people were talking about: seniors who wanted to adopt a shelter pet but couldn't afford the adoption fees, vet visits, or ongoing costs. She built AFE to close that gap, covering adoption fees, post-adoption veterinary care, and up to $1,500 a year in pet-related expenses so that age and income never stand between an older adult and a loyal companion.
Carrie's path to AFE runs through years of hands-on animal welfare work and entrepreneurship. She previously founded Kitty Sift®, an eco-friendly, scoop-free cat litter system inspired by her time volunteering at a local Humane Society, which was later acquired by Worldwise. Today, alongside her work at AFE, she also runs Giddy Kitty.
Zara Palmer
Assistant Executive DirectorZara Palmer is Assistant Executive Director at Animals for Elders, where she works across strategy, communications, partnerships, and operations to help the organization grow. Her path here started far from Minneapolis: she grew up in Idaho, where she credits the beautiful landscape with sparking a lifelong curiosity about the natural world.
After earning a business administration and marketing degree from Lewis-Clark State College, Zara moved to Costa Rica to volunteer at a wildlife rescue center, fulfilling what she calls a lifelong dream.
The experience became a career: she has since written hundreds of articles and campaigns for wildlife and nonprofit organizations and founded Zarpal Media, a marketing agency that helps grassroots conservation groups and mission-driven businesses tell their stories and grow their impact. She brings that same expertise in cause-marketing and digital storytelling to her work with AFE's seniors and shelter pets.