Steve Porter’s career has taken a meandering path, but he says there’s always been one constant: he loves working with small groups of people who are passionate about what they’re doing.

      From that perspective, his moves from working in tech to working in an animal shelter—and then into his latest role, building software for shelters—all make perfect sense.

      “It is the single most passionate field I’ve ever worked in,” Porter ’97 says of animal welfare. “It’s inspiring how passionate people are.”

      Porter’s career took off in 2007 when he joined a health care technology start-up, Health Care Data Services. After the company was acquired by AthenaHealth, Porter moved to Austin, Texas, to grow AthenaHealth’s newest research and development office.

      The Austin office initially had the small, start-up feel Porter enjoys. But by 2016, it had grown to some 150 employees, big enough that Porter felt ready for something new. He quit without firm plans.

      “I don’t do well sitting around, so I started volunteering at the local animal shelter,” Porter says. “And that’s how I got into animal welfare.”

      A self-described dog person, Porter signed up to walk dogs and clean bowls at Austin Pets Alive, a local shelter that strives to avoid euthanizing animals. He then started volunteering at the shelter’s medical clinic “and absolutely fell in love,” he says.

      Austin Pets Alive treats dogs ill with canine parvovirus, a contagious, deadly disease that most often strikes puppies too young to be vaccinated against it. Shelter volunteers help rehydrate sick animals and treat them with antibiotics and anti-nausea medication.

      Porter ended up taking a job managing the parvovirus program, which required learning veterinary skills. “The first time I placed an IV catheter in a two-pound puppy was a really exciting day for me because it’s really hard to do,” Porter says. Two years later, he became the shelter’s director of operations.

      Now Porter has found a role that marries his tech background with his animal welfare work. He’s chief product officer for Pet Loyalty, a 50-employee company that makes software for animal shelters. Pet Loyalty’s digital tools help shelters manage fundraising, intake, adoptions, volunteers, and foster programs.

      Porter, who now works from home, said the best part of his job is working with colleagues on three continents. Pet Loyalty was formed by the merger of an Australia-based company and a Brazil-based company.

      “This is the first time I’ve worked with people extensively in other countries,” Porter says. “The mixing of cultures, and the diversity of it—it’s my favorite thing about the job.”

      Working remotely has its challenges, however.

      “The thing I like most is organizing people and leading them through a project,” Porter says. “And at least for me, I’ve really struggled with it, being totally remote. Periodically we get together, but it’s really hard to get people on three different continents together, especially as a small company.”

      Porter doesn’t currently have a pet to keep him company in his home office, but he said he and his wife are talking about getting their next dog. He remains a dog person, although his shelter work has given him a new perspective. “I’ve grown to love cats,” he says.