👋 Hi there! A little background on me:

I began my caregiving career as a shelter intern, equipped only with a passion for the cause and a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing & Communication. I wanted to start a sanctuary of my own, and my dreams got a huge reality check my first week on site. I saw firsthand how many cogs need to be in motion to keep a sanctuary funded and running.

Like many folks who dream about starting a sanctuary, I wanted to spend my time caring for the individual residents, not worrying about fundraising or communication strategy. I was fortunate enough to be hired on the shelter immediately after my internship and never looked back.

We may have met before! In the mid-2010s, I frequently presented at Farm Sanctuary’s Farmed Animal Care Conference. This event holds an exceptionally soft spot in my heart, as it combines two of my passions: training and educating others about the nuances of farmed animal sanctuary care and connecting with sanctuary (and sanctuary-hopeful!) community members.

From my various roles at farmed animal rescues, I know how physically, emotionally, and logistically challenging it is to conduct sanctuary healthcare and lead high-stress shelter teams. I’ve been there with the consistent 11-hour, 11-miles-walked work days. I’ve done the 2 AM, then 4 AM, then 6 AM, groggy and terrifying lamb tube feedings. I’ve withstood the tornado of a nearly full-staff tumultuous turnover.

My years of farmed animal rescue, care, and management have brought me gut-wrenching heartache and gallons of tears, both in despair and in ecstasy. It has brought me to the brink of quitting more times than I would like to admit.

It has also given me my very best friends (on both four and two legs) and given me a sense of purpose in the world. 

I can’t imagine my life without it.