Introduce yourself! What do you like to do in your free time?
By day, I’m a Product Manager for an office technology company; I love working with software and helping other organizations to better their businesses through the use of technology. When not working or volunteering, I prefer spending time with my 4 DSR alumni, listening to music, attending concerts, and reading!
What is your role at DSR? What inspired you to join and lead DSR?
My role now is Chief Operating Officer. I grew up with a love of animals and often say I was raised in a vet clinic since I spent so many days at work with my mom who was a vet tech. After my husband and I purchased our house in Bloomfield in 2015, we knew we wanted to add a dog to our home. My mother-in-law was a DSR volunteer and guided us through the application and adoption process. Six months after adopting, we decided that we wanted to get more involved so we started fostering. A few months later, my husband decided he wanted to be more involved in making adoption decisions for our foster dogs and other adoptable dogs. My sense of FOMO guided me to go through the Adoptions manual with him and I quickly found that I had a knack for screening and matchmaking. From the start, I loved how collaborative everyone was and continued to want to be more involved and learn about other areas of the rescue.
What values or principles guide your decisions and leadership within the organization?
My number one priority is the safety and well-being of the dogs in our care and our volunteers. I approach every decision by thinking about what is in the best interest of not only our dogs, but also our volunteers, and how we can best set everyone up for success. In addition, communication and collaboration are essential to the success of the organization.
What challenges have you faced in running the organization? How have you overcome them or turned those challenges into opportunities?
A change in leadership is always difficult and presents both internal and external challenges. Overall, we’ve been really lucky to be blessed with such incredible leadership teams who believe in our mission and help Nichole and I to lead the organization into the future, including prioritizing additional efforts to help the animal crisis in CT. Seeing any distaste for a cause you believe so strongly in can be very startling but it also presents an amazing opportunity to create new connections and relationships to better serve the community we are so proud to be part of. I’m really grateful to have Nichole as our Executive Director. Her experience in non-profits and rescue is truly an asset to DSR and I look forward to continuing to partner with her, and the rest of the Board of Directors, to further our brand and mission.
Can you share a particularly memorable story or experience you’ve had during your time at DSR?
Right after my husband and I put our first Dog Star alum, Lander, to rest after a 20-month battle with lymphoma, we were asked to foster an incredibly shy and fearful hound named Francis. She was not a huge fan of humans but our house was a great fit as we had other confident dogs who would support her growth as a companion dog. We fostered her for six-months and discovered that under her incredibly shy exterior was a very goofy and cuddly dog who just needed time and space to trust and be willing to engage with new people. Seeing her blossom into a more “normal” dog, learn to trust, and show her true personality was one of my most rewarding experiences. I love having the opportunity to make a pup a part of our home, and help give them the tools through training that they need to be successful outside of rescue.
How do you stay motivated and passionate about the work?
Knowing that we are the best advocates that these dogs have and we have a unique opportunity to use our time, resources, and voices to make their lives better. Unfortunately, there’s always another dog out there that needs our help. The reality is that the work we do today impacts potentially dozens if not hundreds of dogs who are waiting for their chance at a new or different life.
What advice would you give to volunteers, especially new volunteers?
Always strive to be better. We’re never going to be perfect and we don’t know what we don’t know when we make a decision. But, when we DO know, we can make a better decision the next time. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, be curious, and try new things! Treat every day and every experience as an opportunity to learn and further your knowledge about rescue dogs.
What are you most looking forward to in the future?
As an organization, I believe we have so many opportunities to make a huge impact in a variety of ways as we move forward so it’s difficult to just pick one thing! In general, I think it’ll be setting up our new facility to be more efficient and optimize the space and our operation. Part of that will also be ensuring that all of our best practices are documented and that all of our volunteers band together, collaborate, and are empowered to do the best we can on behalf of both the dogs and the community that we serve.
Anything else you would like to add?
I’m so honored to be able to be a voice for all of the homeless dogs in CT, and equally proud to be part of such a wonderful organization with such a hard working and dedicated volunteer base. As we continue through the rest of 2024 and beyond, we are very much looking forward to guiding more pups, and their owners, to brighter lives. There is so much to look forward to on the horizon including the pending purchase of our new headquarters, new and improved community initiatives, and hopefully another 6,500+ adoptions!
Please know that Nichole and I are always available to any volunteer, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time. We are happy to answer any questions, discuss any topics or consider any ideas you may have!