Seth Schilling

Seth Schilling is the founder and executive director of The Golden Bark Foundation. Born in Southern California to immigrant parents, she spent her childhood between Logan, UT and Glendale, AZ before her family eventually settled in Ogden in 2006.

Animals have always been where Seth finds peace. Growing up in a home with rabbits, birds, goats, and of course dogs, she was the child who wanted to love every animal she crossed paths with—whether it was every stray dog in Mexico, a cow on the side of the road or a petting zoo.

In middle school, she read A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin, a story that deeply shaped her view of the world. It tugged at her heart, opening her eyes to the lives of vulnerable stray dogs. What stayed with her the most was the ending: after a lifetime of hardship, the stray—now an old dog—finally found a home.

For years, Seth searched for her purpose. She found it in 2015 when she and her partner adopted Sadie, their first senior dog. Sadie opened her heart in ways she didn’t expect. After Sadie passed, they adopted Harvey, and everything suddenly clicked. The path she had felt tugging at her since childhood became clearer--her heart belonged to old dogs.

In many ways, it felt like the story that moved her as a child had come full circle. Just like the senior dog in the book who finally found her home, Seth felt called to make sure real senior dogs, who often wait the longest—would also know what it means to be chosen and loved in their final years. After years of dreaming about a senior-focused rescue, The Golden Bark Foundation became a reality in 2022.

Alongside her work at GBF, Seth has built a career in residential real estate over the last 10+ years. She volunteers regularly in her community, supports local orgs throughout Ogden, and is known for showing up wherever help is needed.

Seth often thinks back to the book that moved her so deeply as a child, the story of the stray who finally found a home as a senior. That ending still guides her, becoming the promise she carries into her work every day: to make sure every old dog has a home to live out their golden years-no matter how many years, months, or days they have left.

contact info

seth@goldenbarkfoundation.org