The Dog Rehoming Project is comprised of three bodies: The Think Tank, The Board of Directors, and The Scientific Committee
The Think Tank
The primary purposes of The Think Tank are:
To stay abreast of what issues or problems shelters and rehoming organizations in the US and internationally are currently facing
To stay abreast of local and community trends and movements in this field
To brainstorm and strategize for research directions based on the above two purposes
To assess the potential practical applications and usefulness of research ideas and directions
To determine how research results can best be disseminated to the target audiences in a comprehensible and accessible manner
Dr. Karen Griffin
Founder and Executive Director of The Dog Rehoming Project
Karen Griffin, PhD is a research scientist in the field of shelter dogs and dog rehoming. She earned her doctorate in animal sciences at the University of Lincoln in Lincolnshire, England. The scope of her research experience and interest within this field includes how a dog fits into a home environment, what qualifies a successful dog placement, and how to improve the likelihood that a placement will be successful. Her research is based in both the US and Europe, and she is focused on the practical and real world applications of its findings. With a background in the social sciences, Karen employs an interdisciplinary approach to her research. After growing up only with cats, she adopted her first dog, Ratatouille, while living in New York City as an adult. Her interest in this field began with Ratatouille, and he forever changed the way she saw the world.
Alyssa Rose
Alyssa Rose, CPDT-KA is a behavior consultant and dog trainer that specializes in creating behavior modification plans for reactive, hyperactive or aggressive behavior. Alyssa resides in San Diego, CA with her husband, three kids, and two terriers. She works with people from all over the world through video consultations and online training classes. When Alyssa isn't working she loves hiking and camping with her two legged and four legged family members.
Summer Dolder
Summer Dolder has 8 years of operations management experience in the animal welfare field. This includes overseeing shelter operations for some of the United States’ largest municipal shelters with intakes exceeding 20,000 animals per year including Animal Care Centers of NYC, Hawaiian Humane Society and now serving as Director of Operations for ACCT Philly. Summer’s career in the animal welfare industry started as a cat volunteer in her free time. She also spent about 8 years in retail management where she found her love of building teams and project management. Summer has her MSW from the University of Denver and began her social work career working in community corrections. Blending all of these work histories together has led Summer to her passion for working with teams to better serve her community, both people and animals.
Dr. Clare Browne
Clare Browne, PhD has a doctorate in behavioral science, where she examined aspects of timing during dog training to maximize dogs' learning. For her Master's research she investigated dogs detecting native reptile odours for conservation purposes, and she trained her own dog to find tuatara. She currently works at the University of Waikato, New Zealand, in the field of animal behaviour. Much of Clare's research is focused on scent-detection research but she is also interested in other aspects of dog behavior and welfare, and she supervises postgraduate students working with other species too.
Tiff Shao
Tiff Shao (CPDT-KA) is the Behavior Manager at the Humane Society of Western Montana, located in Missoula, MT. She has been involved in public training programs and sheltering for over 5 years. Tiff graduated from Duke University with a BA in Biology and has been fascinated by the science of behavior ever since she adopted her first dog. At her shelter, Tiff oversees the behavior modification program for shelter pets, teaches private lessons and group classes, and manages the flow of behaviorally challenging pets through her shelter. In her spare time, Tiff enjoys doing more lighthearted training and adventuring with her own dogs. She and her pups dabble in various activities, ranging from nosework, tricks, paddleboarding, backpacking, and most things in between.
Dr. Valli Fraser-Celin
Valli Fraser-Celin, PhD earned her doctoral degree in Geography from the University of Guelph where she studied human-African wild dog conflict and conservation in Botswana, Africa. Following her PhD, she completed postdoctoral research in Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary where she conducted research on One Health, reconciliation, and dogs in Indigenous communities. Valli then led the development of the One Health program at the Winnipeg Humane Society which focused on humane dog population management in remote communities across Manitoba, Canada. She is currently a Project Manager for the Ontario Veterinary College focusing on reducing barriers to access to veterinary care for underserved populations across Canada. Valli is also a humane dog training advocate and runs a popular Instagram account, @thelivesofwilddogs.
The Board of Directors
The primary purposes of The Board of Directors are:
To fundraise and strategize for fundraising
To ensure monetary funds are disbursed in a fair manner and in compliance with The Dog Rehoming Project’s Conflict of Interest Policy
Overall governance of the Project
To support and be an advocate for the Project in general
Lindsey Schultz,
President
Born and raised in the Lake Tahoe Basin, Lindsey Schultz knows that outdoor adventures are abundant and best spent with our canine friends. As a Program Director of a Tahoe based non-profit, Lindsey brings a decades-long perspective regarding volunteer management, community engagement strategies, organizational branding and marketing, and fundraising opportunities. Like for many, dogs were a big part of Lindsey’s life growing up and still are. Dogs provide a level of love and connection that no other relationship, human or otherwise, can provide. Lindsey is honored to be given the opportunity to help advance the understanding of and best practices to care for all shelter dogs through The Dog Rehoming Project. Our best friends need our help.
Brook Evans, Secretary
Born and raised in North Carolina. 2002 Graduate of Appalachian State University. Happily married to the love of her life. Lover of music and all furry friends. 14 year career as the Customer Service Manager for Lincoln Electric Cutting Systems in Reno, NV.
Annie Engdahl, Treasurer
Annie graduated from CUNY Queens college in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and accounting. Vegetarian since 2007, lover of all animals - but especially dogs and cats! Fell in love with dogs during her employment at a doggy daycare company in NYC, where she volunteered with their dog adoption program too. Annie also volunteered at two animal shelters and helped to TNR several cats over the years.
Rachel White, Member
Rachel White spent over 15 years in multi-unit big box retail management when she came across a job ad to work in the dog care industry in NYC and her life was forever changed. She ran one of the largest off-leash dog daycare facilities in the city and later became a Director of Operations overseeing multiple locations. Beyond operations and leadership duties, she was drawn to assisting the adoption and dog behavior departments which quickly developed into a passion. Currently directing Talent Acquisition for a consulting firm serving various private and public sector clients, she utilizes her relationship building and networking skills attained during her time working with dogs and their owners. Extra points given to candidates who share a good dog story during an interview!
Carrie Erskine, Member
Carrie Erskine, along with her daughter, Brittany Kelly, co-founded No Stray Left Behind in 2007. Carrie proudly raised two daughters who are both very involved in the animal welfare community. Love for animals was instilled in Carrie from a young age. She fondly recalls always having rescue pets in her home growing up. Now, living on a couple of acres of land, Carrie is honored to open her home to dozens of dogs at a time while they await adoption. Carrie also shares her home with her potbelly pig, Sir Francis Bacon, who, incidentally, does not care much for the barking of his constant housemates.
Lisa Schuette, Member
Lisa Schuette is the founder and chair of Carson Animal Services Initiative (CASI). Established in 2012, CASI spearheaded the building and equipping of a new animal shelter and now supports programs that reduce animal suffering including CASI Critter Fixer, which provides spay/neuter services to pets from low income families. Lisa is an avid runner who can't pass a dog without stopping to pet it, even during a race. She lives with her husband, Steve, and their adopted dog, Hank.
Lissette Turnbaugh, Member
Lissette Turnbaugh was born and raised in Orange County, CA. She has worked in the non profit sector for 10 years and is currently the site supervisor for a supported living program for adults with disabilities in the city of Long Beach. When she’s not at work she prefers to be in nature or traveling. Maggie Mae is her first rescued English Bulldog and she has her whole heart. Maggie Mae is high maintenance and very sassy. Lissette has a husband named Jason, and she thinks he's pretty cool too.
Mindy Dutka, Member
Mindy Dutka, a Boston based photographer, has been crafting her pet photography skills for the past 5 years. Combined with her passion for animals, especially dogs, Mindy creates opportunities for businesses, rescue organizations, and families to use photographs to tell stories that inspire, fundraise, and give back to these beloved animals that don't have a voice of their own. Mindy's compassion for animals and ability to connect and capture their spirit shines through in her work. Mindy's photographs have been used to tell the stories of wonderful organizations such as the Veterinary Emergency Group and animal rescues around the world. Additionally, Mindy's work focuses on the dog-human bond and the stories they tell. She is the creator of the Tales of Support project, a photo essay and narrative on how dogs are supporting their humans through the pandemic. She is passionate about these important stories that should be documented, shared and preserved.
The Scientific Committee
The primary purposes of The Scientific Committee are:
To assess submitted applications for research funding to determine: whether the proposed research fits within the scope of that funded by the Project, whether the proposed research has sufficient scientific rigor and merit, and whether sufficient justification and rationale for the proposed research has been provided
To provide scientific guidance or support to The Think Tank and the Board of Directors, specifically as it pertains to each member’s area of expertise (e.g. canine cognition)
Dr. Mia Cobb
BSc (Hons), PhD, Grad Cert Sci Comm
Research Fellow
Animal welfare science
University of Melbourne
Dr. Mia Cobb is a scientist interested in the welfare of animals. She is currently exploring how the intersections of animal welfare science, human psychology, science communication, and emerging technologies can help animals and people lead happier lives. She worked in animal shelter and working dog facilities for over a decade before shifting focus to research and advance the welfare of Australia’s working and sporting dogs. Mia was awarded her PhD from Monash University, which examined the human attitudes and kennel management practices related to the welfare and performance of working dogs. She believes in helping scientific research escape academic journals and founded the popular canine science platform, Do You Believe in Dog?.
Dr. Lauren Finka
PhD
Post Doctoral Research Fellow
Companion animal behavior and welfare and human animal animal interactions, specializing in the domestic cat
Nottingham Trent University
Dr. Lauren Finka is an animal behavior and welfare scientist and currently works as a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at Nottingham Trent University, UK. Her research focuses on companion animals (with a specialism in domestic cats), their management within the rehoming environment and the impact of their relationships with humans on their wellbeing. Lauren works closely with various international welfare charities, pet wellbeing companies and the general media, with the goal to promote practical, best practice and evidence based approaches when caring for companion animals.
Dr. Shanis Barnard
PhD
Research Program Manager
Dog Behavior and Welfare
Purdue University
Dr. Shanis Barnard is an ethologist who graduated at the University of Parma (Italy) in Biological Sciences. Her thesis, on the validation of a temperament test for shelter dogs, was the first step toward her current main areas of interest, which include the human-animal relationship, dog behaviour, cognition and welfare. Shanis was awarded her PhD in Behavioral Biology in 2011 where her studies were aimed at investigating temperament and cognition in different dog breeds. Shanis worked as a researcher at IZSAM, a Public Veterinarian Institute in central Italy, where she was involved in the development of several research projects on companion animal and livestock welfare, and on stray dog and cat population control and management. Her most relevant work focused on the use of animal-based measures as indicators of welfare for dogs housed in rescue shelters. In 2014 she was appointed to a three years Post Doctorate fellowship at Queen’s University Belfast on canine behavior and welfare on a BBSRC funded project. Shanis joined the Croney Research Group at Purdue University in 2018, where she is now the Research Program Manager where she coordinates several projects investigating the behavior and welfare of dogs kept and reared in commercial breeding establishments in the U.S. Her favorite teacher is her pet dog, Mia.
Dr. Anne Carter
BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD
Senior Lecturer
Department of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences
Nottingham Trent University
Dr. Anne Carter is a senior lecturer and canine scientist at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. She has a keen interest in dog welfare and aspects linked to it, including heat related illness and behavior. Anne completed her PhD on the behavior and enrichment of kennel housed dogs. She hopes to lessen the gap between research and practice.
Dr. Nancy Dreschel
DVM, PhD
Associate Teaching Professor, Animal Science
Department of Animal Science
Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Nancy Dreschel teaches companion animal science courses at Penn State University. Her research focuses on measurement of stress and welfare in companion animals and the bi-directional effects of human-animal interactions. She has a special interest in study design and the value of interdisciplinary and varied approaches to challenging questions. Nancy practiced veterinary medicine for 13 years before returning to academia for a PhD in Biobehavioral Health. In addition to teaching and research, she advises the Penn State Small and Exotic Animal Club, coaches the Animal Welfare Assessment Team and organizes a group of Susquehanna Service Dog puppy raisers in the Penn State and State College community. She enjoys long walks with her cattle dog mix, Sparky.
Dr. Patrizia Piotti
DVM, MSc, PhD, MRCVS
Post Doctoral Researcher
Department of Veterinary Medicine
University of Milan
Dr. Patrizia Piotti is a veterinarian specialized in clinical animal behavior. Patrizia graduated in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Milan, in Italy. She holds an MSc in Clinical Animal Behaviour from the University of Lincoln and a PhD on canine cognition from the University of Portsmouth. She has worked as researcher at the Family Dog Project in Budapest looking into cognitive ageing in dogs. Currently she is undertaking a non-conforming residency with the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine, seeing cases as a veterinary behaviorist, and she is working as post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Milan in Italy. Her current interest is neurophysiology, cognition, and individual differences as keys to better understand behavior problems and improve companion animals’ quality of life across the lifespan.
Dr. Durga Chapagain
DVM, MSc, PhD
Animal behavior and welfare scientist
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
Dr. Durga Chapagain is a veterinarian and an animal behavior and welfare scientist and currently works as a scientific consultant to different industries and non-profit organizations. Her past research has focused on the impact of aging on the behavior and cognition in companion dogs and assessment of positive welfare indicators in farm animals. She has dedicated her scientific career in trying to find ways to improve welfare of farm and companion animals, and in advancing knowledge to strengthen human-animal interactions. Her vision is having a stress free home environment for all aged dogs and cats where not only their needs are met but their behaviour and cognitive changes related to aging is understood and acknowledged, resulting in less dogs and cats being abandoned or euthanized due to problems associated with their senile changes.
Dr. Monique Udell
MS, PhD, CAAB
Associate Professor
Animal and Rangeland Services
Oregon State University
Dr. Monique Udell is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and an Associate Professor of Animal & Rangeland Sciences at Oregon State University, where she directs the Human-Animal Interactions Lab and teaches courses on Animal Behavior, Cognition and Learning. Her research has focused on the development of social behavior, bonding and human-animal interactions in both wild and domesticated animals, and the impact that these bonds can have on the success and welfare of animals in captive, shelter, foster, home and working environments. In addition, Dr. Udell is a Co-director of an imitation-based dog training intervention program dedicated to improving the physical activity and quality of life of children with and without developmental disabilities and their family dog.
Dr. Christos Karayannis
DVM, MSc, Dip. ECAWBM(BM), MRCVS
RCVS Veterinary Specialist in Behavioural Medicine
EBVS® European Veterinary Specialist in Behavioural Medicine
Hellenic Institute of Canine and Feline Behaviour & Training
Pets Pro Academy