The Association Blog

The dynamic leader of SPCA Cincinnati brings extensive experience working with people of all beliefs and backgrounds, along with a flair for social media, to his new role.

Name & Title: Chris Seelbach, President and CEO, SPCA Cincinnati
Member of The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement since: May 2025

The Association: You recently stepped into the role of President and CEO of SPCA Cincinnati. What inspired you to make that move, and what excites you most about leading the organization?
Chris Seelbach: Love for animals has always been at my core. Animals bring people together in a way few other things can—maybe only music does that. My passion for animals started when I was five. My preschool teacher told us that some food came from animals, and I thought, the hot dogs I eat every day come from animals? I told my parents I didn’t want to eat animals anymore. They said, “We’ll see how long that lasts,” and it’s lasted my whole life.

After 20 years in politics, I was completely burnt out. When my term ended in 2022, I took a sabbatical and asked myself one question: “Where is my intersection of happiness and helpfulness?” Over and over, the answer came back to animals. Within months, I was leading Ohio Alleycat, and eventually, I was approached about SPCA Cincinnati. It felt like the universe was telling me this was where I needed to be. This role really feels like a full circle moment. Cincinnati has a 152-year tradition of helping animals, and now I get to build on that legacy.

The Association: How has your background in public service and policymaking influenced your approach to nonprofit leadership at SPCA Cincinnati?
Chris Seelbach: City councils are where some of the most important work in government happens, work that impacts our life on a daily basis—from your water to your roads, to your public safety, to your sewers.

One of the first things I did on council was repeal Cincinnati’s pit bull ban. Breed-specific legislation doesn’t reduce bites; instead, we held irresponsible owners accountable. We also banned exotic animals in circuses.

Politics is a crash course in working with people of all kinds of beliefs and backgrounds—people who are easy to work with and people who are not. In animal welfare, that’s invaluable. This field is emotional, and you need to bring people together around difficult decisions. My time in public service taught me how to do that.

The Association: What big ideas are you hoping to bring to life at SPCA Cincinnati?
Chris Seelbach: Like many shelters, we’re full of big dogs—mostly pit bulls—many of whom struggle with behavioral issues. We have to do better by them.

We’re exploring a behavioral center on a 25-acre farm we own in Miami Township. Think of it as a halfway house: not a sanctuary, but a space between kennel and home. Dogs would get training, indoor/outdoor environments, and playgroups to prepare them for adoption and, more importantly, for staying in their homes.

We’re also building a new, state-of-the-art clinic that will better support our fosters and community needs. And we’re learning from national leaders to see which models we can adapt here. My goal is for SPCA Cincinnati to be the model that others come to visit when they want to see what progressive animal welfare looks like.

The Association: You’ve mentioned that you live with three cats. If they could describe you in three words, what would those be?
Chris Seelbach: Loyal, assertive, and fun. They’re COVID kittens—we got them in 2020, and I spent more time with them than anyone else during those years. They’d say I’m loyal because I take care of them, assertive because I’m clear about boundaries, and fun because yes, I make them do TikToks with me.

The Association: Speaking of TikTok, why do you think social media matters in your role?
Chris Seelbach: Social media connects people to what’s happening every day at SPCA Cincinnati. We have a fantastic social media manager, but having a CEO who’s comfortable and excited about sharing directly is powerful. Sometimes it’s silly lip-syncing, sometimes it’s heartfelt stories, but it’s always about making people feel part of our mission.

One of my favorite quotes is from A League of Their Own: “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.” And another favorite quote is from Lady Gaga: “Just dance.” In other words, work hard, but don’t forget to have fun.

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