Founders

• Prince Lorenzo Borghese

  Founder and president of Royal Treatment, a pet line created for his beloved Black Lab, Belle as well as founder and president of www.royalpetclub.com. Prince Lorenzo has been a longtime animal advocate and has worked with numerous animal welfare organizations including North Shore Animal League, the ASPCA, the AC&C of NYC, in which he is co-founder of NYC4ACC, a group of young professionals who organize fundraisers for this city shelter, and is an Ambassador to the American Humane Association. Prince Lorenzo is the President of Animal Aid of the United States.

• Karen Talbot LaSasso

  After ten years as the Director of Occupational Health, Karen walked away from her career to concentrate on her animal rescue mission. She founded St. Joseph Elementary School “Paws for a Cause”, The MOMS Rescue and Georgia Puppy Caravan. With an undying passion for children and animals, it only seemed natural to combine the two to speak for each other. As the mother of a young child named Matthew, a very tight bond was formed between mother and son. Matthew would be given the up-front approach on matters of the heart in the hopes that he would make his world a different place for all! This approach was done in a way that made Matthew want to learn and be involved in what went on in his world, outside the bubble we live in. She is very proud that he will carry on her work long after we are gone. Together with Lorenzo, Karen also founded Animal Aid USA and the Amazing Grace Caravan and the Miracle Ranch in Ludowici, GA.

• Georgina Bloomberg

  Georgina is an Equine Welfare Ambassador for the ASPCA, Chair-woman of the Horse Council of the Humane Society of the United States, and a member of the Friends of Finn committee for the Humane Society of the United States, a group dedicated to fighting puppy mills. She is also on the board of the Equestrian AID Foundation, the Hampton Classic Horse Show, the Bloomberg Sisters Foundation, the Bloomberg Family Foundation and is on the board of Trustees of the United States Equestrian Team.

  In 2006 Georgina started ‘The Rider’s Closet’, a program that collects used riding clothes and donates them to intercollegiate riding programs and other riders in need. Now based at and run by Pegasus Therapeutic Riding, TRC has collected and donated thousands of clothing items to needy riders.

  Georgina is an advocate of pet adoption and believes that the United States can adopt its way out of killing. By traveling with the Animal Aid caravans to Liberty County, Georgia, she has committed to changing the course of history for shelter animals with the ONE rural shelter at a time philosophy. Currently she lives with five adopted dogs and one very hungry little adoptable pig: Hugo, Mona, Mabel, Chopper, Stella and Wilbur.

• Jodie Richers

  Having worked in the nonprofit arena for many years as the Development Director and founding member from 1975 for A CHILD IS ADOPTED (an international aid and adoption organization), and also as the past Board President for Children's Charities of America, Jodie possesses a skill set ideal for leveraging dollars into the most efficient action possible. She also arranged all transportation for children being adopted from 1969 until 2010. Jodie was Knighted in 2003.
  Driven by a deep passion for animals, Jodie Richers founded Dogs on Death Row in 2006 along with the following organizations: Habitats for Dogs and Cats, Cats on Death Row, Horses on Death Row and Canine Heroes

  Jodie is tireless in her efforts to rescue, rehabilitate, and find homes for unwanted dogs everywhere. She is also committed to educating the public about the inhumane nature of gassing and heart prick as a means of killing animals.

  Although Jodie is the heart of DODR, many people contribute their time, talent, and treasure to keep us going. We hope that you, too, will become a valued DODR supporter and friend. www.dodr.org

  We pride ourselves on our fiscal responsibility. Jodie has also founded the "Beat the Heat" Campaign. Countless amounts of animals have been sterilized through the month long campaigns that have become annual events. Jodie has been a long time supporter of the MOMS (Making of Miracle Stories) Animal Rescue and has helped make Miracle Ranch what it is today and is a founding member of the Ranch and Animal Aid USA.

Our Team

• Dante P. Lasasso

  Operations Manager, Universal Supply Company,LLC By day Dante manages a one hundred million dollar building supply company. He is also the donor of the medical mobile unit that was taken to Hinesville and presented to our southern division, Carpathia Paws (Meike Wilder). The unit will be used for spay and neuter clinics to help “fix” the problems of unwanted animals in the very rural areas that have no veterinarians. Dante heads the transport division of the MOMS Rescue. His custom designed transport rig with built in crates, heating and air conditioning, make the monthly trips to Georgia more efficient. Dante is the monetary supporter of the transport division and performs all the monthly driving. Dante is the Vice President of the MOMS Rescue and together with his wife, Karen successfully have rescued over 1000 animals since 2008. He is Cofounder of Miracle Ranch as well as Vice President of Animal Aid.

• Meike Wilder

  Founder of Carpathia Paws, Hinesville ,Georgia. Meike has always had an unconditional love for animals. That love became so overwhelming when she relocated from Germany to southern Georgia and was exposed to the disposable mindset of southern Georgia folk when it came to companion animals. With all odds against her as well as the good ole boys club in Georgia, Meike purchased a million dollar liability insurance policy to enable her access to Liberty Animal Control. NO public adoptions are allowed in this shelter. If it were not for Meike, ALL animals would be executed daily. Carpathia Paws pulls as many animals as they can find fosters for to hold and then vet until we drive from NJ to GA ,monthly to transport. Meike single handedly operates the southern division of our team and monetarily supports vetting costs out of her own pocket. Meike is a member of the Board of Directors for Animal Aid.

• Sharon Zimmer

  Treasurer/Secretary, The MOMS Rescue. Along with Sharon’s extensive background in finance, spreadsheets and book keeping, Sharon is the transportation facilitator and organizes all upcoming trips with index cards, destinations of all rescued animals and crate sizes along with all foster arrangements. Born and raised in Galloway Township. Currently live in South Egg Harbor with husband Ron and 17 year old daughter Natalie.Currently works at John Brooks Recovery Center in Atlantic City as Client Accounting Supervisor. Has four "rescued dogs" Lily, Penny and Max and Grandma. If it were not for Sharon’s unique sense of organization, the monthly transport trips to Georgia would not be as efficient.

• William Sanderson

  Attended University of Miami and earned B.A. in Psychology in 1983. Earned J.D. from Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Delaware in 1990. Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and District of New Jersey, and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.Currently employed since 2005 as manager of the bankruptcy department at Spear Wilderman, P.C., with offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Member of the Pennsylvania and Camden County NJ Bar Associations, Debtor-Creditor Relations Committee of Camden County Bar Association, and the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. Volunteer attorney at Rutgers University School of Law Pro Bono Bankruptcy Project. Currently lives in Sicklerville, New Jersey, married to Donna Roberts-Sanderson, and father of Kaitlyn Sanderson, age 10. In spare time enjoys golf, scuba diving,animal rescue and going to Philadelphia Phillies games. Bill is a member of the Board of Directors for Animal Aid.

• Kirk Sparks

  Veteran Police Officer, Atlantic City Police Department since 1994, served in US Army as M1 Abrams Tank Crewman in Fort Polk, Louisiana. Kirk heads our surveillance division having multiple certifications of Commendation for Distinguished Service. He is a Certified Firearms Instructor, Field Training officer and has served as a detective in Casino Hotel investigations. Kirk is a Board member of The MOMS Animal Rescue. Both Kirk and his wife, Anita head the supply donation division of our rescue. Kirk is the proud father of two children, Kirk Jr and Sadie. Kirk’s daughter, Sadie is a Jr Leader for the Children’s Division of the MOMS Animal Rescue. Together with his wife, Anita, they both have also founded MOMS Miracle Ranch.

• Anita Sparks

  With a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology as well as a Master of Public Administration and Leadership, Anita currently works as a Case Manager and area supervisor and private practice mental health therapist and directly works with children. With this extensive background, Anita strives, not only on studying the relationships between children and animals and the special bond they share, but also incorporates that training into our model. Anita implements our mission statement “by providing children with an education, awareness and resources, we are empowering them to make change in their world for shelter animals AS WELL AS THEMSELVES” . While on monthly trips to Georgia, Anita monitors the emotional and psychological wellbeing of all the children on the journey , to ensure a very positive and effective learning experience. In addition to the role above, Anita is a skilled photographer and is designated to capture all the journeys on film to then create video slideshows for memories of each and every event.

• Ron Zimmer

  With 9 years experience as an Electronics Helicopter Technician for the military and an ASE Certified Master Mechanic, Advanced L1, L2, Ron heads the Fleet Division of the MOMS Rescue as well as Animal Aid.He also holds a NJ Automobile Inspector’s License enabling him to oversee all the cars being driven routinely to GA on the monthly trips. With a combination of 30 years experience in all vehicle repairs and a certification as an FAA A & P Mechanc in airframe and powerplant operations, Ron ensures the safety and maintenance on all our transportation vehicles. Together with his wife, Sharon, they have also founded MOMS Miracle Ranch.

• Donna Marie Roberts

  Donna grew up in Hatboro, PA, and graduated from Thomas Jefferson University School of Nursing in 1980, as a Registered Nurse. Donna has worked at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia for 32 years. Her nursing career has focused in Women's and Childrens Health Care, specializing in Labor & Delivery. Donna is certified in Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Inpatient Obstetrics, and Critical Care Obstetrics, and has served as Chairperson of a Unit Based Autonomy and Quality Assurance Committees.

  Outside work, Donna has served as a Girl Scout Troop Leader, and spends the majority of her time raising a busy 10 year old daughter and caring for 3 dogs and 2 cats.

• Phil Draughon

  For as long as Phil can remember, there have always been dogs following him around the house. Phil owns his own software development firm and has the luxury of being able to work from home. This is important because sometimes, the dogs that find themselves living under Phil's roof are difficult to place by the vet or shelter.

  After reading Grace's story on CNN.com, he knew that he had to help in any way that he could. Because of his perserverance, Phil was rewarded with the opportunity to adopt Grace from her foster home in Liberty County, Georgia. Of course, he snapped at it. After bringing Amazing Grace home to Illinois, ideas that Phil had for several years began to solidify. He knew that helping animals was a calling.

  He helped found an animal welfare organization in his area then worked on a team to help pass a law in Georgia outlawing gas chambers for killing homeless animals. Phil occasionally works with Southern Animal Rescue to ferry dogs out of the south and into waiting homes. He has made trips to Texas, Georgia and Pennsylvania to pick up dogs tofoster or for permanent placement, some of whom live with him permanently. Phil is the Director of Emergency Management for Miracle Ranch and Animal AId USA.

• Diane Severns

  Diane Severns has over 8 years of experience in all aspects of dog rescue. After moving to a rural area of Richmond VA from Pittsburgh PA, Diane felt an immediate need to help the unwanted, abandoned and orphaned animals that she encountered on a daily basis. She started volunteering with a local rescue group but wanted to do more. In 2004 she co-founded BARK (Bandit’s Adoption and Rescue of K-9s), an all-breed canine rescue that saves dogs from euthanasia at shelters in her county and surrounding areas. Diane served as one of BARK’s Directors as well as the Outtake Officer responsible for the adoption and fostering programs. Although Diane holds a full-time position with Dominion Resources in Richmond, she found time over the years to provide hands-on foster care to hundreds of dogs, to include litters of puppies and other dogs of all ages who received extensive surgeries and needed IV treatments and/or other special medical attention to aid their recovery. Since 2004 BARK has grown and been quite successful in its mission to rescue local dogs. Diane has now decided to bring her talent and experience to MOMS (Making of Miracle Storied Animal Rescue), representing the VA adoption group.

• Sheryl Barton

  From a very early age, Sheryl has always had a love for animals. Her very first experience with a pit bull was one she brought home off the side of the street where he had huddled in a pile of burnt debris. He was beaten , torn up from fighting, and extremely scared. With tender loving care, Hooch came to trust that he would never be harmed again.. After his death in 2001, Sheryl made a promise that she would never let go of his memory, and continue to help others. In 2009, she retired from the legal world. Sheryl moved in with the founder of the Spay Neuter and Release program in Fresno California, where she became educated to the staggering amount of animals that were born and killed yearly across our country. This began the life dream of Educating and volunteering with rescue groups. Her first experience was with the Fresno Bully Rescue. This group of young people took over a pit bull rescue that was failing and turned it around. Numerous pit bulls are now alive and living happily because of this group. This group is still working miracles today.In 2010, Sheryl’s son returned to Ft Stewart Georgia, and discussed the living arrangements he had wished for his mom. Sheryl moved in with Tim and began fostering right away, for Carpathia Paws. She went to the Animal Control to see about being a rescue for reptiles, was introduced to Meike Wilder and saw for herself, the hell hole that these fosters were living in. Meike first walked her through the corridor, and said that there were some puppies in standing water. She couldn’t believe the condition these poor puppies were in and the promise to Hooch came ringing into her ears. That night she pulled one mother shepherd mix and her 6 puppies and the rest is history. Sheryl will be residing at Miracle Ranch to become the fulltime caretaker and manager of the ranch.

• Petra Brooks

  Executive Assistant at the Savannah College of Art and Design by day, animal advocate 24/7. She is the Founder of New Beginnings Animal Rescue, Inc., which was the first non-profit animal rescue that dedicated 100% of its efforts to the animals on death-row at Liberty County Animal Control in Hinesville. After several years of rescue work, with little to no support, major struggles related to Liberty County politics, and eventual emotional and physical burn-out, the rescue organization detoured to Meike Wilder who renamed it Carpathia Paws. Petra grew up in a small town in Germany, where she was raised by her grand parents after her mother died of congestive heart failure when she was 4 month old. It was her grand parents who instilled the love of animals in Petra's heart. The home she grew up in was shared with wild and domesticated animals alike and she feels that she was lucky to have had such a wonderful childhood that taught her to love and respect all animals and people alike.

• Milena Thwreatt

  Milena and her husband, Dustin have volunteered on the Georgia end to foster as many dogs as they can until we make the monthly trips to pick them up for their selected rescues. They provide a home environment with all the love and compassion these unwanted babies so desire. Milena and Dustin are part of every transportation load up and we simply would not be able to function without their undying and selfless devotion!

• Brigitte Hawkins

  Brigitte is affectionately referred to as the "Grandma" to the team. Brigitte has an incredible way with the pregnant mommies that find themselves dumped in animal control. "Grandma" has delivered many a pup while caring for and nurturing the babies during their most critical and formative weeks awaiting our arrival! She also has many landscaping talents and has added her special gift to the new property "Miracle Ranch". She has given the property such a home feeling once pulling into the long driveway. May we all strive to be just like Brigitte when we become her age!

• Sissy Haskell

  Founder, Owner, Manager, Head Dog Trainer, AKC CGC Evaluator of DOGS LIVE HAPPY, LLC

  Authorized Mentor Trainer for ABC (Animal Behavior College).

  Sissy apprenticed at Leslie Nelsons Tails_U-Win in Manchester, CT where she assisted a variety of Dog Training classes (Family Dog I & II, Puppy Kindergarten, Basic Agility and assisted CGC (Canine Good
  Citizen) prep class and testing) for 7 months. She also attended a 2 day "Aggression in Dogs" Seminar by Brenda Aloff.

  Sissy is the Executive Director, Rescue Coordinator and Foster Of STARS of GA Animal Rescue and a Member of APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers)
  ABC Animal Behavior College STARS - Save The Animals Rescue Society of GA, Inc.

  Born and raised in Germany, lived in West Africa (Ivory Coast) in 95 to 99. Sissy moved to Georgia in 2006. STARS GA is a participating partner of MOMS Rescue and Carpathia Paws.

• Penny Harris

  Co-Founder of STARS of Georgia, Inc., Statesboro , Georgia . It has been said that Penny is like her Great Grandfather when it comes to animals. He always had about twelve dogs in the bed with him all the time and Penny is the same way (but only with five right now). Penny has always been taught to respect and love animals and help to protect & keep them safe throughout her life by her family. Having a chronic illness (diabetes) for over 27 years has also given her the unconditional love for her pets while she went through the ups and downs of controlling her illness.

  Penny found her love of Chihuahuas in 1999 when she and her better half, Jason adopted their first Chi. Since then, Tuko has crossed the Rainbow Bridge but there are many that Penny & Jason have taken in.
  Currently they have five Chihuahuas of their own and have fostered many Chi’s and other small breed dogs when they have room.

  Penny serves as the Treasurer, Fundraising Coordinator & Volunteer Coordinator for STARS of Georgia, Inc. as well as her full-time job working as inside for Advantage Lighting and Energy Solutions Co. Inc.

• Jim and Jackie Scaife

  Retired couple who adopted a senior dog through the MOMS Rescue and Dogs on Death Row. Coco came to them in 2009 and furever changed their lives. Jim and Jackie selflessly donate all their time meeting our transport when we arrive into New Jersey. They then take ANY animals all the up to Maine if New England rescues have selected the animals . Jim and Jackie stay overnight in New England and donate all the fuel, tolls and time on the road. They do this because they love animals! We would NOT be able to get the rescued animals any further past NJ if not for this dynamic duo!

Musical/Theatrical Division-Animal Aid

• Donna Swajeski

  Donna got her start directing at the acclaimed Delaware Children’s Theatre, founded by her mother Marie Swajeski. She won a scholarship for her children’s play The Road To Remembering to Catholic University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa. While there, Donna wrote and performed in an acting troupe that toured D.C. area schools sponsored by McDonalds. She has published several children’s plays including The Revolution Machine, a historical play about John Dickinson. She also wrote a children’s play on good nutrition Rarin’ to Go with music by Disney composer Alan Menken. Donna came to New York when Warner Brothers hired her to write and produce live stage shows at Madison Square Gardens for Bugs Bunny and their cartoon characters.

  While in New York, Donna joined ABC TV as Director of Daytime Programming. There she was responsible for on-air promotion, story direction for the soaps and game shows, development of new entertainment, casting and merchandising. She wrote a popular cookbook Love in the Afternoon for the network. She was then recruited by Brandon Tartikoff to work on NBC’s soaps and was offered the headwriting job of Another World. That year TV Guide singled out Donna and Another World as the best daytime show. Donna went on to headwrite All My Children, Port Charles and Guiding Light, for which she won her Emmy for best writer. She also won a prestigious Writers Guild Award and was one of the first to create an internet soap opera.

  Still drawn to the children’s arena, Donna met the famed children’s books author, Tasha Tudor, who was also a lifestyle icon for her gardens and crafts. Donna helped get Tasha’s books reissued so a new generation could enjoy them. She also desk top published and wrote a magazine for Tasha along with her husband Michael. She helped curate a show of Tudor’s illustrations and costumes in Japan. There is now a museum to Tasha Tudor in Vermont and Donna is a charter member.

  Donna has recently returned to her roots and the DCT to help bring the esteemed theatre to a new generation. The Delaware Children’s Theatre, and in-school touring company, is on the historic register and has been serving the Delaware Tri-state area since 1974. Using M.O.M.S as the pilot program, this tour will interface with local schools and will educate about throw-away pets and the importance of responsible pet ownership. The M.O.M.S tour would kick off its run in Delaware at her historic theatre. Donna is a member of the Board of Directors for Animal Aid.

• Melissa Pascoe

  Singer/songwriter, and the grant-writer for The MOMS Rescue. An elementary special education teacher, she is dedicated to teaching children not only academics but also life skills and lessons. While continually writing and producing with CAS Music Studios in Vineland, NJ, she is also researching funding opportunities for both MOMS and Carpathia Paws, our sister rescue in Hinesville, GA. Melissa enjoys devoting time, effort, and music to this worthwhile and necessary movement in any way possible. In an effort to spread awareness to future generations, Melissa plans to introduce her husband and 2 4-year-old daughters to the cause during the May 2012 Caravan. Songs “That’s the Thing” and “Hold On” appear in the Take Me Home documentary film.

• Jennifer Dixon

  Jennifer Dixon is a Nashville recording artist from Jellico, Tennessee. Raised by musician parents, her mother played the drums and her father played the guitar and was lead vocals of a popular band called The Southern Breeze Band. At an early age,Jennifer moved to Kentucky where she started performing with her parents at gigs and by the age of twelve she was playing guitar and writing her own songs. Presently, Jennifer continues to perform as a solo artist and after recording at famed Ocean Way Nashville recording studios, she is set to release her debut album, entitled, “Jellico” in the summer of 2012.

  Jennifer’s passion for music is matched only by her compassion for those in need. After the devastating Nashville flood in 2010, Jennifer collaborated with renowned artists Victoria Banks, Sarah Darling, Pam Tillis, Daniele Peck and many others to record the song, “City of Dreams” which generated a substantial amount of money to aid the Red Cross in providing relief for flood victims.

  Jennifer participated in the Georgia Puppy Caravan that rescued one hundred and thirty eight animals from certain death at a kill shelter in Atlanta, Georgia. Not one animal was left behind and every cat and dog was given a real home. Jennifer wrote the theme song for a documentary that was made of the animal rescue called “Take Me Home”, which became the title of the documentary and an inspirational theme song for animal lovers. Jennifer continues to be an avid supporter of animal rescue and adoption and is a proud member of Animal Aid.

• Edward Salzano

  In 1991 Mr. Salzano founded Cutting Edge F/X (CEF/X) a communications research Company that was subsidized and purchased by Globix Corporation, a global Internet Service Provider. Through his efforts with Globix, Mr. Salzano developed the Interactive Media Group, and the Streaming Media group and was a key participant in raising 280 million dollars for Globix. Mr Salzano was the original producer and animation director for “Dora the Explorer”. He started INTV which purchased Pseudo.com which is now Pseudo Entertainment. Designed and built the first interactive studio for Rainbow Media/Cablevision’s show entitled “New York Central” (which later became “FUSE”. Worked as a producer for NBC’s Non stop New York digital channel. Mr. Salzano also produced and starred in “Runaway Squad” an A&E original reality show. He was an associate Producer for “We Live in Public” which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance film festival. Mr. Salzano has several animated and non scripted televisions properties pending and is represented by Innovative Artist in LA.

• Chris Orazi

  Composer, conductor, arranger, producer, sound designer. Owner of C.A.S. Music Productions, a custom music and audio production facility since 1984. Scores and audio produced for national ad campaigns, TV and film include: BMW, Mercedes, Party City, Volkswagen, Comcast Sportsnet, AT&T, Polygram Records, Columbia Records, PBS. TV shows and films include: Joan Cusak’s Local Flavor, Diner’s Drive-ins and Dives, Dressed, The Underground, Health Today, Prisoners Among Us, The Turtlestone, Music City. Awards include Emmys, Tellys, Addys and many advertising awards. His latest release is Dream Taxi by Avenue C. Owner of C.A.S. Productions and Installations – A Multi-Media production and installation company, providing content and integration for audio-visual environments. C.A.S. has designed and developed projects for theme parks, zoos, corporate conferencing arenas, restaurant and hospitality and gaming.

Junior Team Members

• Matthew Talbot

  Son of Dante and Karen.From the age of 6 years old, Matthew has been leading by example among his own peers on the importance of saving the lives of shelter animals. He has taken many "under his wing" for fostering. Matthew has spoken at many events and is an advocate wherever he goes educating people on the crisis in our country for companion animals. In 2009 Matthew was asked to speak in Atlanta as a Jr Spokeperson for the Georgia Puppy Caravan. He shared the stage with the Mayor of Atlanta while she presented the Phoenix Award to our cause. In 2010 Matthew was asked to read a poem in Connecticut for the International Society of Animal Rights (ISAR) annual worldwide, candlelight vigil for homeless animals. In Matthew's spare time he is an avid baseball player and maintains First Honors in St Joseph Elementary School. Matthew is the leader of the Jr. Animal Aid, USA Team.

• Sadie Sparks

  From a very early age, Sadie has had a compassionate heart and deep love for animals. Sadie participated in her very first caravan “I Had A Dream” during January 2011. After the lifechanging event, with tears in her eyes, Sadie vowed to help change and spread awareness of the horrors she witnessed towards man’s best friend. She is in the Gifted and Talented programs in school which led her to develop her own line of scrunchies, named Sadie’s Scrunchies to sell at the many animal awareness fundraisers she attends. All proceeds from the sale of Sadie’s scrunchies go back into the cause in which she is a founding member of the Jr. Animal Aid Division. She continues, since the age of 5, to aspire to be a veterinarian and is well on her way to accomplishing that goal as well.

• Kaitlyn Alana Sanderson

  Kaitlyn is a student at Folsom Elementary School, where she is in the Drama Club, Band, and Chorus. Away from school she spends much of her time indulging her love of animals, including her dogs Miley, Chelsea and Georgia, and her cats Juice and Peaches. Kaitlyn also enjoys horseback riding, soccer, and skiing, and she recently earned her PADI Junior Open Water Scuba certification. Kaitlyn travels on monthly caravans to Georgia to assist in getting all the rescued animals home safely. Along with her mother, Kaitlyn sponsors a table at a local flea market on weekends. Any monies raised at these flea markets get donated back into the cause. Kaitlyn is a Founding member of the Jr. Animal Aid division.

• Kirk Sparks Jr.

  Loves nature and enjoys hiking with his parents Kirk Sr, Anita and his sister Sadie.

  Kirk Jr is 13 years old and a student at Fernwood Avenue Middle School. He is a member of the Navy Sea Cadets, Atlantic City Division. His current rank is Petty Officer 3rd Class.

  Kirk Jr is the highest Ranking League Cadet at the Atlantic City Coast Guard base, and has been awarded mulitple medals and ribbons for outstanding achievement. Along with his family, Kirk has an undying passion for animals and the need to be a voice for the voiceless. He has traveled to Georgia on our monthly caravans. Kirk Jr is a founding member of the Animal Aid USA Junior Division.

Advisory Board

• Dania M. Alvarenga

  Dania M. Alvarenga is a California licensed attorney. She graduated from UCLA in 2001 with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Political Science. She obtained her Doctorate in Law from Santa Clara University in 2006 and currently runs her own law firm out of Los Angeles, San Jose and Visalia California.

  Dania hopes to make a difference in this world one legal battle at a time. She strives to be a champion for justice and help those who do not have a voice to defend themselves, including animals. Ever since she was a little girl, Dania would bring home stray cats and beg her parents to keep them. She now has two beautiful siberian huskies who she considers her babies.

  Dania is excited to join Animal Aid's team so that she may use her legal expertise and ability to make a difference.

• Travis London

  Celebrity chef and event planner Travis London is redefining the way we cook and entertain. Travis is the founder of Healthy Chic Eats, Hollywood's go to catering company, and is a weekly contributor to OK! Magazine. Travis also has an undying love and passion for animals, in particular dogs! By chance Travis reached out to Co-Founder Lorenzo Borghese to obtain Royal Pet Products for his own dogs when Lorenzo shared our Animal Aid USA mission with Travis. IMMEDIATELY, Travis was on board and will be traveling on a monthly trip to Miracle Ranch in upcoming months to experience the life saving journey first hand and use his voice to become ONE large voice for the voiceless!

• Nikki Lafferty

  An animal lover for as long as she can remember, Nikki Lafferty worked in entertainment for most of her adult life, first at a talent agency then to entertainment law before deciding to put her skills to use as a full time activist and fundraiser for animal protection and other progressive causes.

  Currently a volunteer and serving on the Board of Directors for California Wildlife Center, a non-profit that rescues, rehabs and releases sick, injured/orphaned native wildlife in Southern California. Nikki also serves on the National Council of the Humane Society United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund which works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level. Nikki currently resides in Southern California with her husband Steve Lafferty, an agent at Creative Artists Agency and rescue dogs Gia Sophia and Dudley Moore.

• Linda Schroeder

  Recently retired from 35+ years of teaching Special Education, Ms. Schroeder is now devoting herself to rescue full time!

  Ms. Schroeder volunteered with the West Milford Animal Shelter for over 20 years. 15 of those years she served as president of the organization. She continues to help in any way she can, from training to running training classes for the volunteers when needed.

  Currently, Ms. Schroeder serves on the BOD for a number of wonderful local rescues. She fosters dogs, volunteers her time as a trainer for anyone needing assistance, and helps with fundraising, transports, vetting, and adoptions. She writes about training on the Dog Park Publishing website.

  As a pilot, Ms. Schroeder starting “stepping in” on ground transports around 2000. Flying Paws contacted her to join, and she flew with them for a number of years. Other flying groups formed, and she joined them as well. She continues to fly transports with Animal Rescue Flights and rescues who contact her directly.

  Ms. Schroeder shares her home with 9 dogs----7 of which live there permanently. She only adopts dogs who have been labeled “unadoptable”----aggressive/senior/sick/handicapped. She loves everything she does, and considers herself one of the luckiest people in the world for being able to have the life she lives.

• Deborah Boies

  Co-founder and President of the national 501c3 charitable organization Pilots N Paws. She is a retired OB-GYN nurse, a long-time rescuer of animals in need, and past breeder of National and World champion Morgan Horses, the first American breed of horse. Prior to Pilots N Paws, Debi was a founding board member and intake coordinator of Doberman Assistance Network, Inc., a national Doberman rescue organization. She was also a case worker for Special Needs Dobermans finding affordable veterinary care for dobes in need. She has always had a very strong connection with animals. Born and raised outside of Akron, Ohio, she and her husband now live on a horse farm in South Carolina sharing their lives with three dogs, three Morgan horses and one cat. Their adoption of a rescue Doberman named Brock, once used to train fighting dogs, launched the birth of Pilots N Paws in 2008 when her co-founder offered to fly their new "family" member from a rescue group in Florida to S.C. It was the beginning of an online program that has transported over 10,000 rescue animals via 2600 volunteer general aviation pilots.

  The Pilots N Paws forum board has 12,000 registered users which cover every state in the U.S. and include supporters from around the world. She has funneled her passion into programs that create an avenue for change in the lives of animals who are abandoned, abused, and in need of intervention in order to find a safe haven. In 2010, Debi was honored as one of the Top 25 Pet People of the year by petside.com and has accepted many awards on behalf of her organization, Pilots N Paws. These include : Broadway Barks Award/Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore, The American Dog Magazines 1st Annual Humanitarian Award, The Augusta Humane Society’s Casie Ritchhart Memorial Award, The Humane Society Naples Animaltarian Award Pets and Heroes Award from the Saving Grace Foundation Pet Hero Transportation Award from the Pet Philanthropy Circle.

  Her goal is to continue to promote education and awareness which will end animal overpopulation in our lifetime. By working together this goal is attainable. Pilots N Paws will also be launching a sister partner in Canada this year. Debi believes that it is our responsibility as humans to advocate for those without a voice. If we don't, who will?

• Jennifer Skiff

  Jennifer Skiff is an award-winning television producer, journalist and author. Her #1 Inspirational bestseller, God Stories: Inspiring Encounters with the Divine is published in seven languages. Her next book, The Divinity of Dogs hits bookstores in October.

  For more than a decade Jennifer traveled the world working as an investigative environmental correspondent for CNN. Her programs promoting animal welfare have aired on The Discovery Channel and networks globally. Among other honors, she’s received the prized Environmental Media Award.

  Passionate about animals and their welfare, Jennifer works with charities throughout the world to bring relief to abused and abandoned animals. She is a Trustee of the Dogs’ Refuge Home in Australia and is a Director of the SPCAHC and Pilots N Paws in the United States.

  With her favorite Aussie and beloved dogs, Jennifer spends her life in perpetual summer between Maine and Australia.

• Hannah Tostensen

  retired in June of 2004 from a twenty-seven year career in education, the first half spent as a classroom teacher in Coastal Georgia. In the latter half, Hannah held high-level leadership positions in educational administration that included a seven-year tenure as Superintendent of the McIntosh County Public Schools and a three-year stint in Atlanta with the University System of Georgia/Board of Regents. She earned graduate degrees in her field, including a doctorate in Curriculum and Instructional Supervision from the University of Georgia.

  An ardent animal advocate since childhood, Hannah began putting her passion to work for them in1994 when she co-founded HART of Darien-McIntosh County (Humane Animal Resource Team, Inc.), a local grassroots animal welfare organization. In 2007, she co-founded GVAW (Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare), a statewide network of citizens using their voices and their votes to improve animal protection legislation.

  GVAW’s first official project was to survey each of Georgia’s 159 counties and every city that provided animal control services to determine available services statewide. During the 2010 Georgia General Assembly, a small, hardworking GVAW team was successful in getting Grace’s Law passed, a bill that permanently banned the use of gas chambers in Georgia’s animal control facilities.

  From 2007-2012, Hannah served as a volunteer Board and Executive Committee member for the Humane Society of South Coastal Georgia. She resigned that appointment to focus her energy on HART, who took over the day-to-day operations of McIntosh County Animal Services in Darien on October 1, 2012. HART's overarching goals in this challenge are to check companion animal birthrates, reduce shelter intakes, gradually end the killing of healthy, treatable animals and serve as a resource/education center countywide.

  Hannah has lived on The Ridge, an historical community located three miles outside of Darien, Georgia, in the same home for over forty years. She has infected her husband of thirty-three years, Andy, with her passion for animals and they currently care for nine rescued mutts and a once-feral cat who sleeps with them every night! Their four two-legged children live in Glynn and McIntosh Counties, all within a twenty-five mile radius of The Ridge, and their eleven grandchildren are scattered “here, there and yonder.”

• Steven Dash

  Executive Director of the Humane Society of Atlantic County and has been with that Humane Society since 1980. The Humane Society of Atlantic County operates a full service animal shelter, a stationary spay clinic, and a full service veterinary hospital. The HSAC has a strong working relationship with private and government shelters. His background also includes law enforcement with the SPCA and also as a k9 Handler for Donald Trump properties. He currently sits on the New Jersey State SPCA as a Gubernatorial Appointed Trustee and also serves as the Gubernatorial Appointed/Chairperson for the NJ Domestic Companion Animal Council. Steven has served as one of the two Geraldine R Dodge Shelter Mentors and has mentored numerous shelters both private and government. As Director of the HSAC, he designed and built New Jersey’s first Mobile Animal Spay Hospital that offered low cost surgeries to many counties and served as a teaching hospital for other animal welfare groups. Several NJ spay clinics are now operational due to this program. As a father of three and grandfather of nine, he values the importance of animals integrating well into families and educating children on the importance of both animal and community welfare. Steve and the HSAC donated a bus to Animal Aid which is currently being painted and getting ready for it's caravan trip. It will be named The Amazing Grace bus and lead the July caravan into Hinesville, GA with Grace on board!

• Bruce Compton

  President of the Voorhees Animal Orphanage, Inc. since January 2011.

  The Animal Orphanage is an open-admission, no-kill shelter in Voorhees Township, Camden County New Jersey. Since 1988, the Voorhees Animal Orphanage has been dedicated to providing shelter, food and medical care to stray and unwanted animals until permanent homes can be found. Each year the Animal Orphanage takes in nearly 1,500 abandoned, unwanted, stray and owner relinquished animals. In 2009, the Animal Orphanage rescued 275 adoptable animals from high kill shelters along the east coast. All of these animals would have been euthanized.

  For ten years, Bruce served as the council president of the Borough of Gibbsboro, New Jersey. His work on behalf of historic preservation was recognized by The Camden County Historical Commission.

  He has worked for The Pew Charitable Trusts, The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the United States National Park Service where he received a commendation for valor. He served on the board of the Upsala Foundation and was board president of the Elfreth’s Alley Association.

  Bruce Compton holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from LaSalle University in Philadelphia, as well as a certificate in oral history from Vermont College and a certificate in records management from The George Washington University.

• Christine Chiumento Todd

  Shelter Director, Animal Orphanage Voorhees NJ. Christine lends her managerial skills and administrative assistance background to the team. She worked in the Healthcare field for 12 years, handling all the billing and patient client, customer care. Along with this very busy schedule she always volunteered with her first love and passion, animal rescue. She and her husband started their own independent rescue group assisting any animal in need. This love took her to the Animal Orphanage where she worked her way up as a volunteer to eventually accepting the position as Director of the entire shelter.

  The Animal Orphanage, it's Board of Directors and all the wonderful volunteers play host every 30 days to our transport arrivals. Their staff is there to meet us and expedite all the hands on care to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all the rescued lives. Their facility is also a very large receiving rescue of Animal Aid making monthly selections of urgent animals to be placed for adoption through their 25 year old establishment in their community. Christine's husband Tony is a daily presence at the facility since he is in construction. This dynamic duo have made this yet another family affair like so many other Board members of Animal Aid.

• Gregg Oehler

  Publisher of Cesar’s Way Magazine and Chairman of the Pre-Westminster Fashion Show. Prior to his tenure with Cesar’s Way, he was publisher of numerous Pet magazines including New York Dog Magazine and Hollywood Dog Magazine.

  Prior to working with Cesar’s Way, Mr. Oehler’s was Executive Director of Pet Entertainment Network (PEN) and Petsyle.com. He also was V.P. Director of Sales and Marketing of FIDO Friendly Magazine.

  Mr. Oehler has made numerous media appearances on national shows including Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS-The Early Show, CBS News, Martha Stewart Apprentice, Fox & Friends, Fox 5, CW11, CNN, MSNBC, and conducted over 400 Radio, Newspaper & Magazine interviews.

  As an animal advocate, Mr. Oehler has worked and volunteered extensively with animal rescue & animal welfare issues throughout the USA. Since 2005 he was elected to the National Advisory Board for North Shore Animal League America and has been on the Board ever since.