Karen Delicate

Board Member

Karen is a lifelong South Dakota resident with 25 years of experience in animal welfare and rescue. She works as a utility project coordinator and enjoys cooking, baking, entertaining friends and family, and spending time with her husband and their dogs in the beautiful Black Hills.

She recently completed two terms on the Board of the Humane Society of the Black Hills, served on the Board of SD FACT, and actively volunteers with Oglala Pet Project and Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies, assisting with transport, home visits, and foster care. Karen also collaborates with several regional rescues in South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado. Passionate about animal welfare advocacy, she has served as a citizen lobbyist in Pierre, advocating for felony animal cruelty laws and cost-of-care legislation.

Karen and her husband, Mike, have been devoted to Golden Retrievers for over 35 years, along with a few foster dogs who became permanent family members. After losing their senior dogs in 2023—a 14-year-old Golden Retriever and a nearly 19-year-old Jack Russell Terrier mix—they recently welcomed a 3-year-old Labradoodle and a Golden Retriever puppy, now almost two.

Much of Karen’s rescue work has focused on rehabilitating and rehoming Golden Retrievers from commercial breeding facilities (puppy mills) and assisting owners forced to surrender their pets due to financial hardship. She was drawn to Hobo’s Healing Heart after witnessing countless heartbroken owners surrender their dogs simply because they couldn’t afford veterinary care. Joining HHH was a natural fit, allowing her to help keep pets with their loving families during unexpected medical emergencies. Karen looks forward to supporting the board, fundraising efforts, and events alongside a dedicated team of volunteers.

Karen is especially fond of dressing up in costumes with her dogs.