Pet Haven Team

Staff

Kerry D'Amato
Executive Director
Long-time animal welfare advocate Kerry D’Amato is honored to serve as Pet Haven’s executive director. She sees the challenges facing animal welfare, both at the Pet Haven and throughout our community, becoming increasingly complex. At the same time, she sees more opportunities than ever to save pets’ lives. Kerry’s devotion to animals began early in her life. In high school, she worked in animal care at the Denver Dumb Friends League, where she saw how challenging the shelter environment could be for companion animals.
She quickly understood the impact foster-based rescues could have—giving second chances and saving animals’ lives. Kerry went on to campaign for improved animal welfare through legislative action and rescue work in New York, Ohio, and Minnesota.In addition to her work in animal welfare, Kerry has more than 20 years of experience in special events and marketing, fundraising and development for nonprofit and political organizations, and project management. Her passion for animal welfare, broad base of experience, and strong relationship-building skills are an ideal fit for Pet Haven. Driven to rescue, Kerry often spends her free time helping homeless and feral felines thru TNR, fostering and re-homing. She also pursues a yoga practice, enjoys good food and conversation with friends, spending time at “the lake,” and being at home with her family and their rescued feline companions.
More about Kerry...
Molly Larson
Operations Director
Molly Larson joined the Pet Haven team in 2023 as the Volunteer and Events Manager and has moved into the Operations Director Role. Molly’s background includes event planning, fundraising, marketing, volunteer management, and operations management. She began fostering in 2013 and instantly felt a pull to get more involved. In 2015 she hosted a 5k for Secondhand Hounds which became a successful yearly event. In 2019 she joined Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue as their Event, Fundraising, and Program Coordinator and fell in love with working fulltime at a foster based rescue.
She looks forward to growing with Pet Haven and continuing to advocate for animals. Molly also teaches yoga at Bodhi Studios in Prescott, WI. She lives in River Falls with her 2 dogs Diego and Doris and spends her free time with them going on hikes, playing frisbee, and relaxing in the country.
More about Molly...
Anna Snyder
Programs Director
Anna has been a member of the Pet Haven community since 2020, with staff roles, as well as volunteer and foster roles. She has been a lifelong cat lover, and has fostered hundreds of felines in her 10 years of working in animal welfare. She has years of experience in operational management in animal welfare organizations, as well as foster management, and feline behavior support. She has worked in various animal shelters, rescue groups. even a sanctuary for wild cats!
he is originally from Fargo, ND, but has been living in the Twin Cities for the past few years with her husband and their 3 cats. She is looking forward to helping Pet Haven grow and transition, and support all of the life saving efforts of this amazing organization and its people!
More about Anna...
Brittany Morris
Volunteer and Events Manager
Brittany Morris was a long-time Pet Haven volunteer before joining as the Volunteer and Events Manager in 2023. Brittany comes to Pet Haven with nearly ten years of nonprofit experience in marketing, fundraising, and volunteer management. She fostered for a handful of organizations prior to coming to Pet Haven in 2021. Holding a variety of volunteer roles, Brittany quickly fell in love with Pet Haven's culture and community. Brittany's career started as a Marketing Manager, juggling fundraisers, website management, and marketing strategy.
She believes that transparency is the key to successful communication and is what sets successful nonprofits apart. Prior to coming to Pet Haven, Brittany was a volunteer manager with one of the largest nonprofits in the state. Her experience with this team set her up for success in leading the phenomenal team of volunteers Pet Haven has, and growing the team in the future! Her passion for animals and mission-based work collided when she joined Pet Haven, and she has never felt more empowered and inspired to do this work. Outside of work, Brittany spends her free time with her two dogs, Goose and Bruce and whichever foster has joined her family! She loves all things spooky and scary, and has recently started her amatuer ghost-hunting career!
Read more about Brittany...
Ashley Marks
Social Media Manager
Ashley Marks is Pet Haven’s Social Media Manager. Her role focuses on buidling awareness of Pet Haven and its mission through creative and impactful content and images. Ashley joined the Pet Haven team in 2017 as a special events volunteer. She has also opened her home to foster dogs and helped with foster outreach. Ashley’s background includes event services, operations management, and organizational development. Ashley has had a life-long passion for animals- she likes to say it’s in her genes. Many of her family members are those crazy animal people.
Her other interests include going to concerts, fishing, and being creative. Ashley shares her home with her partner, Brian, their two Chihuahuas named Frank & Beans!
More about Ashley...
Veronica Bartsch
Lead Surgical Veterinarian
Dr. Veronica Bartsch graduated from the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004. She went on to practice companion animal medicine in the Twin Cities for the next 18 years, working in both private practices and animal shelters. In 2020, Dr. Bartsch earned her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Minnesota. She joined the Minnesota Board of Animal Health in 2022 as a senior veterinarian in the companion animal sector. Outside of her work at the board, Dr. Bartsch is Pet Haven’s primary surgeon completing both high volume spay/neuter as well as more nuanced soft tissue procedures including amputation, various eye surgeries, and mass removal.
Alexandria Armeni
Staff Veterinarian DVM
Alexandria Armeni, DVM, was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio where she graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in Zoology. Following that, she earned her DVM from The University of Minnesota. After completing a small animal and exotics internship at a specialty hospital in Tucson, Arizona she moved back to the midwest. Her veterinary interests include exotic and wildlife medicine, shelter and rescue work and emergency and critical care.
Dr. Armeni, lives with her husband and their menagerie of animals; three dogs (Groot, Harley, and Indy), three cats (Drogon, Frejya, and Anakin), a leopard gecko (Bruni), and their horse (Cynder). When not working, she enjoys cooking, exploring the Twin Cities, and traveling.
More about Dr Armeni.....
Kate SKillrud
Vet Care Manager
Kate joined Pet Haven in February of 2024 in the role of Veterinary Care Manager . She is a Certified Veterinarian Technician. Kate has worked with animals for 13 plus years including both private practice veterinary medicine and shelter / rescue medicine. Kate is well prepared for her work at Pet Haven. Kate has two adorable dogs, Linkin and Bennie two cats, Kuro and Marvin at home. Kate has the biggest soft spot for senior animals and you'll often find her giving them a little extra lovin'. Kate is very excited to join the Pet Haven crew and looks forward to changing more lives with Pet Haven. Kate has a big role and is responsible for overseeing the wellness, sterilization and care needs of the animals fostered with Pet Haven. We have an average of 50-75 dogs and 200 cats in our program at any one time.
Katie Wernecke
Animal Care Assistant
Growing up Katie always enjoyed animals but found her passion for veterinary medicine in high school. Since then, Katie has worked in many aspects of the field including shelter, community, and emergency medicine. Outside of work, Katie enjoys hanging out with her family, both human and furry. She has four animals of her own: two dogs, Tanner and Charlie, and two cats, Barrett and Toby. Katie is currently in school at the University of Minnesota Veterinary program. When she has downtime, she enjoys reading as well as painting and gardening. Katie is very excited to join the Pet Haven family and we are thrilled she is part of our growing team!
Jodi Jalowitz-Brown
Medical Care Coordinator
Jodi worked in higher education for her first half of her career and then made the switch to follow her heart to work with animals and has been working as a receptionist in a vet clinic for the past 12 years. She is further following her heart and dream and has accepted a part time position with Pet Haven working to assist the vet team. Jodi lives with the father of her furchildren on a hobby farm in Wisconsin and has 6 rescue dogs and many rescue kitties! She also has goats, chickens, a horse, and two ponies! Her passion and purpose in life is to help as many animals as possible and loves fostering and volunteering for animals in need. Her favorite motto from one of her special Great Dane fosters, Matilda, is Live to Love.

Board of Directors

Aaron C. Young JD, LLM
President
Arron found his way to Pet Haven through his love of dogs, especially big ones! He is the proud companion to a Mastiff who thinks he is a lap dog! Aaron is very active in the business and charitable world and sits on Boards and Committees of several for profit and nonprofit Organizations, including the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Legal Advisory Committee for Springboard for the Arts in St. Paul, MN, is a board member of the Coalition of Recovery Investment (“CORI”) in St. Paul, MN, and is a present board member and past President of Film North in St. Paul, MN.
Aaron C. Young, JD, LLM is the principle and founder of Young Entertainment Law, PLLC with clients that include the Twin Cities Film Fest, award winning Filmmakers, Producers, Authors, Painters, Sculptors, Song Writers, Recording Artists, Professional Sports Executives, Professional Athletes, and Professional Coaches.   Aaron received his Juris Doctor (JD) from Marquette University Law School (Milwaukee, WI), in 2001, and his Master of Laws (LLM) from Southwestern Law School (Los Angeles, CA), in 2003, specializing in Entertainment & Media Law.     Aaron is an Adjunct Professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law teaching The Business of IP: Independent Film Production, and a former Adjunct Professor of Law at Hamline University School of Law teaching Sports Law, Adjunct Professor of Law at William Mitchell College of Law teaching Client Representation, and Adjunct Professor at McNally Smith College of Music teaching Legal Aspects of Music & Entertainment, Business Law, and Contract Law.
Read More about Aaron....
Karl Breitbarth
Treasurer - Finance Committee
Karl Breitbarth has a full plate managing our financial and administrative affairs for a major Law Firm but also has time to foster for Pet Haven. He has two Pet Haven Alumni, Coco a sweet senior pup and Kitty a big beautiful feline. Both pets were foster that found home with Karl. Thankfully, given his professional expertise, innate ability to gracefully multi-task, and congenial demeanor, Karl keeps things running smoothly in our financial department. Karl holds an Accounting degree from Mankato, a Business degree from Bethel University, and brings previous experience with law firms, CPA firms, work in technology, retail, and marketing.
Originally from Southern Minnesota, Karl has lived in the Twin Cities for more than 25 years. Karl is a member of the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants. More than your average “bean counter,” his depth of knowledge and astute insight are highly valued by all of us at Pet Haven.
Read more about Karl....
Janet Watson
Board Member - Secretary
We are so excited to have Janet Watson on our Board of Directors. She and her husband John are part of the Pet Haven Family having adopted their perfect pooch Shadow from us! Janet has her degree in Elementary Education from DePauw University. She has a long history in philanthropy and support of the Animal Rescue and Welfare community. She is a former board member of Cross Roads Shelter and brings with her passion and excitement to support Pet Haven's mission. We are incredibly grateful for the knowledge and expertise she brings to our board.
John Watson
Board Member - Devlopment Committee
John came to the animal rescue world through Springer Spaniel Rescue, where he and his wife were fosters. They found Pet Haven by adopting not just a dog from Pet Haven but their "wonder dog," Shadow, and were enormously impressed with the organization. He joined the Board in 2024 to help Pet Haven achieve growth and a wider reach, bringing with him extensive experience in marketing and development and service to the non-profit sector. He is currently involved with the following organizations:
Social Venture Partners, an organization that supports underserved teens through grants and consulting. John has served as a consultant and performed due diligence on applicants. John is also a mentor at Redemption Inc., which provides education and job support and has a great record of reducing recidivism. John mentors felons and supports them in beginning a new life. John is also involved in the Strong Minds Strong Bodies Foundation, which engages Middle School students at the Ella Baker School in community-building programs. They are currently creating a neighborhood newspaper. He is also a pro bono consultant for the Hennepin History Museum, where he was a former board member and has served on several non-profit boards over the years. Beacon Interfaith Outreach provides affordable housing. PRISM social service agency: provides food, housing, and counseling to residents of Plymouth and Golden Valley​. Accord: supports people with intellectual and physical disabilities. Hennepin History Museum. Child's Play International: which provides play experiences to children in 3rd world countries. ​John is deeply rooted in giving back and finds great satisfaction in making a difference. He accomplishes that by working collaboratively with others. He is very excited to be a part of Pet Haven's growth and community support!
Read more about John....
Marah Cuadrado Labey
Board Member - Finance Committee
Marah comes to Pet Haven with a business accounting and human resource professional background. She has a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Management and excels at identifying creative ways to reduce costs and increase revenues. She is currently managing the operations and finances of Restoration Professionals and is invested in Pet Haven's growth and sucsess. In Marah's spare time she raises 3 children, two dogs and is actively involved on the board of Dress for Sucsess and a member of MN Council for Non Profits and the St Paul Business Association. We are thrilled to have Marah on the Pet Haven Team!
Veronica Bartsch DVM
Board Member - Animal Care Committee
Dr. Veronica Bartsch graduated from the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004. She went on to practice companion animal medicine in the Twin Cities for the next 18 years, working in both private practices and animal shelters. In 2020, Dr. Bartsch earned her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Minnesota. She joined the Minnesota Board of Animal Health in 2022 as a senior veterinarian in the companion animal sector. Outside of her work at the board, Dr. Bartsch is Pet Haven’s primary surgeon completing both high volume spay/neuter as well as more nuanced soft tissue procedures including amputation, various eye surgeries, and mass removal. Dr Bartsch leads our Animal Care Committee.
Open Position
Board Member
Pet Haven is looking for engaged individuals with a passion for animal welfare that can help facilitate Pet Haven's growth and have areas of expertise in, Board Governance, Finance, and Development. If you are interested please fill out an application on our website!

Division Managers

Julie Bruber
Cat Division Manager
Julie is Pet Haven's Cat Division Manager. She started her journey with Pet Haven in October 2021, as a cat foster and fell in love with fostering and the organization! Since then she has quickly moved into other areas of the organization to support its success learning the ins and outs of Pet Haven's Cat Division leading her to Cat Division Manager.
Julie brings with her a background in business consulting that has helped improve processes and productivity. Julie's passion for rescue has a positive impact on improving the lives of Minnesota felines!
Read more about Julie......
Sara Deidrich
Dog Division Manager
Sara Deidrich has been volunteering with Pet Haven since 2018 as a foster, volunteer, adopter, and mentor. Her knowledge and experience is an asset to Pet Haven! Her experience gives her the ability to know our Dog Division inside and out- and ensuring our fosters, mentors, and dogs are supported!

 

 

Medical Team

Kate Skillrud
Vet Care Manager
Kate has 12+ years of being a Certified Veterinary Technician under her belt. She has worked in shelters, emergency and urgent care and private veterinary clinics. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position of Vet Care Manager.
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Open Role
Queen & Kitten Care Manager
The Queen & Kitten Care Manager position is open! This position supports our Queen and Kitten fosters as they nurture pregnant moms and their babies. Experience in the veterinary field or equivalent fostering experience preferred. Please email engage@pethavenmn.org if you are interested in this position.
Katie Wernecke
Animal Care Assistant
Katie joined the Pet Haven Animal Care Team in 2022 and has been a wonderful addition to our team. Katie provides support to our Animal Care Manager and coordinates internal vaccination clinics and wellness care. She is currently a veterinary technition attending the University of Minnesota to beome a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. We hope her expreicne at Pet Haven is so positive she stays with us after graducation!

Adoption Team

Jill Steele
Records Coordinator
Having grown up in an animal loving home with parents devoted to animal rescue, it is no surprise Jill followed in their footsteps and found her true volunteer calling. Jill joined Pet Haven in 2019 and quickly found connection, friendship and purpose with the Pet Haven family. Jill and husband Wayne, along with their two children and beloved rescue dog Murray, moved from New Zealand to MN in 2011 for a life adventure anticipated to last a "couple of years". Dozens of foster dogs later (and the odd foster cat), they are still saving dogs at every turn and loving every minute of it. "To help an animal trust and feel love again and be adopted into a family of their own, is about the most precious experience imaginable" says Jill.
Her biggest regret is not finding Pet Haven sooner to help with their mission . For Jill, Pet Haven is her family away from NZ and she is never happier than when she's volunteering with others who are as passionate about rescue as she is. Living close to the office, Jill has immersed herself in everything possible from supplies and donations coordination, fostering, mentoring, event help, surgery day support and recently the role of dog adoption processing. She cannot get enough! The Steele's beloved dog Murray passed away in 2023 after helping to mentor around 50 fosters in their home. Jill says they will always foster dogs in need, as part of Murray's rescue legacy and cannot imagine life in St Paul without Pet Haven, and the chosen family they have found here.
More about Jill...
Nassim Rossi
Cat Adoption Coordinator
Inspired by the joy unleashed when her family welcomed a cat into their home in 2019, Nassim and her youngest daughter Darya joined Pet Haven in February 2021 as a cat foster team and Nassim soon transitioned to the role of Cat Foster Mentor. Every day she is awed and moved by the compassion and dedication of the people she meets through Pet Haven.
She loves making a difference in the lives of vulnerable animals and helping people find their perfect cat match. Nassim enjoys spending time with her family, including her foster cats and resident cat Lea, and bringing happiness and positivity into the lives of humans through her wellness business worD.Aroma. In her free time Nassim enjoys crafting, playing piano and devouring audiobooks ... ok, fine, and also watching lots of cat videos.
More about Nassim...
Annie Crepeau
Dog Adoption Coordinator
Annie joined Pet Haven in 2023 as a foster and volunteer. Annie has brought organization and efficiency to our Dog Adoption Program- helping foster dogs find their forever families! In her free time, Annie loves to act in local plays and binge watch RuPaul's Drag Race.

Intake Team

Valerie Christoferson
Return Intake Coordinator
Val is an avid animal lover! She became a cat foster in May of 2020 while a full time college student. She now works in medical research and currently has no pets of her own (though has gotten very close to foster failing a few times). Val loves to read and hike in her free time and spends as much time as she can with her family.
Laura Vanic
Cat Surrender Team Lead
Laura joined Pet Haven in 2020 as a cat foster, and has grown in the organization into several other roles. She is now an intake coordinator for a rural MN shelter, application reviewer for the cat owner surrender program, and a dog respite foster. Laura grew up with a family dog and has loved her time venturing into the "cat world" during COVID (and beyond) which works well with her busy schedule!
She says, "Pet Haven has been an absolute joy to work with the last few years. I've learned so much about rescue and met so many INCREDIBLE people who are selflessly giving their time and energy. The work that we do hasn't stopped amazing me yet. This is a very special group of people and pets!" Outside of Pet Haven, Laura likes to read and wake surf, and is busy with a job in the investing world.
More about Laura...
Makayla Higgs
Intake Records
Makayla started volunteering with Pet Haven in January 2023 and does fantastic work as an intake records admin and a cat care volunteer. She found Pet Haven when she was looking for an organization to volunteer with and knew she loved being around cats. She loves ending the day and spending the weekend helping around the facility and hanging out with some adorable kitties! In her free time, she loves being outside and spending time near the lakes.
She also enjoys watching adventure movies and is a member of the youth and young adult choir called Known MPLS.
More about Makayla...
Laura Briggs
Home-to-Home Coordinator
Laura joined the Pet Haven organization in 2010 as a dog foster. As both a dog and cat lover, she's served as a Dog Foster Mentor, Cat Foster Mentor, Cat Foster, and as Secretary of the Board. Currently, Laura is the Home-to-Home Coordinator and an Intake Coordinator for owner surrender dogs. Laura's passion for animal rescue has brought so many opportunities her way, such as helping with spay/neuter clinics at various reservations in Minnesota.
She has also done cross-country trips to save animals from euthanasia and bottle-fed abandoned newborn puppies. Outside of Pet Haven, Laura works as a Program Manager at a tech startup and recently started a coffee roasting business with her partner, Brian.
More about Laura...
Kate Aanestad
Shelter Intake Coordinator
Kate, her husband Tim, and their son Jay joined Pet Haven during the summer of 2022. They originally signed up to be dog fosters, but within a few months, Kate wanted to do more. In early 2023 she became an Intake Coordinator for a local shelter and since then she has taken on that role for a few others. She also serves as her own Records Coordinator. Kate has volunteered with several other non-animal based organizations, but is loving her time at Pet Haven.
Professionally, Kate is a Senior Analyst at a Telecommunications company, and works with her husband on their family business. In her spare time, Kate enjoys going on adventures with her family. They love sailing on the Saint Croix, Ice Fishing on Mille Lacs, and escaping to a cabin in the woods to relax.
Read more about Kate...

Cat Foster Team

Nassim Rossi
Cat Foster Mentor
Inspired by the joy unleashed when her family welcomed a cat into their home in 2019, Nassim and her youngest daughter Darya joined Pet Haven in February 2021 as a cat foster team and Nassim soon transitioned to the role of Cat Foster Mentor. She is daily awed and moved by the compassion and dedication of the people she meets through Pet Haven.
She loves making a difference in the lives of vulnerable animals and helping people find their perfect cat match. Nassim enjoys spending time with her family, including her foster cats and resident cat Lea, and bringing happiness and positivity into the lives of humans too through her wellness business worD.Aroma. In her free time Nassim enjoys crafting, playing piano and devouring audiobooks ... ok, fine, and also watching lots of cat videos.
More about Nassim...
Roxanne Merriman
Cat Foster Mentor
Roxanne joined Pet Haven in early 2021 after 5 years of experience in the rescue community fostering kittens and cats of all ages and ailments nearing 200 foster kitties! She grew up in a family of cat lovers, thinking she’d be a veterinarian when she got older but, turns out fostering was the perfect fit! Roxanne has 2 cats of her own, Moe and Izzy, who do a wonderful job teaching kittens how to well… cat!
She started a social media page to track and share the bajillions of photos and videos being taken of all the adorable happenings, and has come to enjoy every piece of fostering from the fun, creative photos, bio writing, being the bridge between now and forever, and finding the purrfect homes! Becoming a Cat Foster Mentor is a wonderful compliment to her enjoyment of training and leadership opportunities, so getting to share her experience and guiding other fosters to success is one more reason to love all that Pet Haven does for the community and the pets who need us!
More about Roxanne...
Neha Bressers
Cat Foster Mentor
Neha joined Pet Haven in December 2020 as a Cat foster and later added the role of cat adoption coordinator. Neha's resident cat - Ben was rescued just a year prior and is the most skittish cat (EVER). Ben needed to learn proper social skills and exposing him to other felines was one way to do so. Not having any pets growing, it was a very welcome challenge - to learn and understand cats and kittens with different personalities.
She has fostered cats of all ages and traits and holds a special place for senior cats. Neha transitioned to become Foster Mentor soon after to help other fosters have equally great experience fostering a furry friend with Pet Haven. Neha and Scott enjoy the outdoors - backpacking, hiking, traveling, puzzling in cold winter evenings, drinking delicious beers and generally everything Minnesota offers.
More about Neha...
Jess Guernsey
Cat Foster Mentor
Jess joined Pet Haven in February 2022 after 4 years of fostering with other rescues. They have now fostered 49 cats and kittens! They couldn't have done it without the help of their 3 resident cats. Finnegan is a grumpy gray giant who all their foster kittens love to snuggle. Dandelion is mostly white with an orange mullet. He's sweet and silly. Zealand is black with bright green eyes. This goofball has so much energy he can keep up with the 5-week-old kittens!
When Jess is not fostering, they are typically hiking somewhere on the other side of the world. They enjoy traveling almost as much as fostering. Almost. Jess is looking forward to many more years of fostering and mentoring with this awe inspiring, brilliant Pet Haven team.
More about Jess...
Krista Onadipe
Cat Foster Mentor
Krista joined the Pet Haven team the summer of 2022 and her primary roles are being a foster parent and a foster mentor for cats. In the last year, she and her husband have fostered 16 kittens with Pet Haven and she enjoys being able to guide other fosters with the experience she has gained. She got involved with Pet Haven because she loved that the adoption process encourages bonded pairs to be adopted together and that it has a mentorship program.
She and her husband have three cats of their own (Jasper, Buttons, and Della) and in her free time she likes to spend time outside hiking, biking, gardening, and doing yoga (sometimes even with her cats). She is very passionate about cats and loves to share that with likeminded people!
More about Krista...
Julie Bruber
Cat Foster Mentor
In addition to her Cat Division Manager duties, Julie also mentors cat fosters. She started her journey with Pet Haven in October 2021, as a cat foster and fell in love with fostering and the organization! Since then she has quickly moved into other areas of the organization to support its succes. Julie brings with her a background in business consulting that has helped improve processes and productivity. Julie's passion for rescue has a positive impact on improving the lives of Minnesota felines!
Denise Jospehson
Cat Foster Mentor
Denise Josephson joined Pet Haven in 2018. Denise has fostered dozens of cats, and also mentors fosters with pregnant mamas and kittens.
Jackie Wright
Cat Foster Mentor
Jackie Wright joined Pet Haven in 2022, and has fostered nearly a dozen animals.
Val Christoferson
Cat Foster Mentor
Val is an avid animal lover! She became a cat foster in May of 2020, and moved into the mentor role quickly! She now works in medical research and currently has no pets of her own (though has gotten very close to foster failing a few times). Val loves to read and hike in her free time and spends as much time as she can with her family.
Jessica Lakis
Cat Foster Mentor
Jessica joined Pet Haven in 2022 and became a mentor in 2023.
Jenifer Parrington
Cat Foster Mentor
Jenifer has always deeply loved and advocated for the welfare of all animals. When she had to say goodbye to her beloved cat and dog of 18 years within months of each other, she decided it was time to honor their memory by fostering. She joined Pet Haven as a cat foster and found it to be incredibly rewarding. She soon became a cat foster mentor, and a dog foster. Jenifer feels privileged to provide dogs and cats a warm, loving home, and finds great joy being able to connect animals with the perfect forever home.
Jenifer has passed her love of animals to her daughter and son who are thrilled to share their home with so many different animals in need. Jenifer spends her days as a Talent Acquisition Parter, and her free time doing yard work, traveling, and researching the paranormal.
Read More About Jenifer...
Kate Trautman
Cat Foster Mentor
Kate joined Pet Haven in 2023 as a foster, and moved into the Cat Foster Mentor role and took on an additional intake role to support our owner surrender program.
Kiersten Madsen
Kiersten started fostering with Pet Haven in 2023, and became a mentor in 2024. She hit the ground running, and foster failed on one of her first cats! Kiersten started to foster after she lost her beloved soul cat, Mimi. Kiersten says, "I truly admire the Pet Haven organization, and everyone I have gotten the privilege to know and work with during my time fostering and now being a foster mentor. I am so proud to be a part of such a terrific organization and thankful to be able to help cats find their forever homes."
Chelsea Cashman
Chelsea joined Pet Haven in April 2023 as cat foster, joined the Cat Owner Surrender team in July 2023 reviewing applications, and then became a Cat Foster Mentor April 2024. She has always been a cat lady (had a family tortie then a trio, and now has her own pair of ginger brothers) and decided fostering would be a great way to get to have more cats in the home without committing to adopting more, plus it's a way to help save animals and help them find their purrfect home! Fostering has been a natural fit.
It's expanded her knowledge of cats, given the opportunity to work on slow intros between fosters and the resident duo, and has provided a new community of awesome people working to make a difference. While all fosters have taken a piece of her heart with them and they come to mind often, the experience of rescuing a pregnant mama roaming the streets and helping care for her and her six sweet kittens holds an extra special place. Fostering can be overwhelming at times and the adoption phase can be hard when you care so much for the fosters, but it is truly awesome to see how happy their adopter(s) are to have them in their life and see how they bond with each other.
Read More About Chelsea....
Farha Ismail
Cat Foster Mentor
Farha joined Pet Haven in 2023 as a foster and recently, a Cat Foster Mentor!

Dog Foster Team

Beth Alexander
Dog Foster Mentor
Beth Alexander began volunteering with Pet Haven in 2013 as a puppy foster. After adopting 2 of her foster dogs, she could no longer foster so she became a foster mentor to support fosters in their journey. Beth has loved dogs her entire life and is very passionate about saving as many as possible!
Beth says, "I love helping our new fosters start out and supporting the ones who have been with us a while. One of my most memorable stories is being involved in helping another foster with her semi-feral pup. We worked very hard to get him to trust and love. The day he started coming out of his shell is a day I'll never forget. Two years after being adopted, his dad still brings him to our events to visit and he still remembers and loves me." Another passion of Beth's is volunteering with Red Lake Rosie's Rescue in northern Minnesota at their spay/neuter/wellness clinics: "These clinics have a big impact on the community and I'm proud to be able to help." In her spare time, Beth enjoys spending time with her two rescue pups, a Shepherd mix, and a Staffie mix. She also enjoys spending time at her cabin with her husband and two adult children.
More about Beth...
Rita Widmer
Dog Foster Mentor
Rita has been volunteering with rescues since 2016, and joined Pet Haven in 2018. She started out as the dog spay/neuter coordinator, and has helped welcome new fosters into rescue as a new foster home visit volunteer. She is also a dog foster.
She is looking forward to helping fosters find the right dog for their home and be there for all the ups and downs of fostering, like having to say good-bye. In her four years in rescue, she has taken on hospice, medical cases, bite issues, skin issues, and much more. When Rita isn't helping rescue dogs and cats, she works full time as a Special Education paraprofessional and job coach to high schoolers- plus, she is working on getting her Bachelor's in Social Work.
More about Rita...
Sara Diedrich
Dog Foster Mentor, OS Application Reviewer
Sara has been with Pet Haven for several years, as she got her first dog Ani from Pet Haven in 2002. Her current focus is helping dog owner surrenders find new homes and is proud to be part of the community outreach to which Pet Haven is committed. Through her years of experience, she has found that she really likes shy dogs and has had a few success stories where scared and timid puppers transform into better adjusted and adoptable dogs.
She continues to be an avid Siberian Husky fan and has 5 of her own who have become excellent helpers in getting other shy dogs out of their shells, and even keeping younger puppies in line by modelling calm behavior. Sara continues to be enthralled by dogs and has been shown a lot of guidance in her own life by her dog Ani. In her free time, Sara teaches piano and voice lessons from her home and says that her students love meeting the foster dogs she brings in.
More about Sara...
Brittany Tedford
Dog Foster Mentor
Brittany joined the organization in 2021 as the Dog Foster Coordinator and fell in love with Pet Haven. What started as a few hours a week volunteering has changed her life. She quickly fell in love with the community and never looked back, joining the team as a foster as well. Now, Brittany serves as a foster, mentor, and the Volunteer and Events Manager!
Brittany and her wife are moms to two of the best rescues around. Goose and Bruce are the best big brothers to their foster siblings and are a perfect example of how there is always room for another dog!
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Molly Larson
Dog Foster Mentor
Molly joined the Pet Haven team in 2023 as the Volunteer and Events Manager, and now serves as the Operations Director. A long history in rescue, she has worked with many of our rescue partners in the Twin Cities! She looks forward to growing with Pet Haven and continuing to advocate for animals.
Molly also teaches yoga at Bodhi Studios in Prescott, WI. She lives in River Falls with her 2 dogs Diego and Doris and spends her free time with them going on hikes, playing frisbee, and relaxing in the country.
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Nicole Marella
Dog Foster Mentor
Nicole joined Pet Haven in 2019, and has fostered over 40 puppies with us! Her knowledge of Pet Haven and pups is so beneficial to her mentees.
Lisanne Boogard
Lisanne and her husband J have been fostering since Sept 2021 and that we are proud parents to 4 pet rats (Bootsy, Flea, Maki, and Sushi). Lisanne hit the ground running with have always loved all animals; my very first pets were roly-polies and worms in a pickle jar filled with dirt when I was 2/3 or so, and they all had names (the first pet that I didn't find outside was a rat when I was 4). I'm going to school to get my PhD, and I'm also a musician. I can't think of anything else!
Molly Kerr
Dog Foster Mentor
Molly Kerr is an animal lover and Pet Haven volunteer since 2019. Originally from North Dakota, Molly’s love for the outdoors and adventure is central to her life. She now resides in Owatonna, MN, where she spends her days with her husband, Jason, her daughter, Birdie, and two beloved dogs, Georgia and Loki. Animals have always held a special place in her heart, and fostering has given her the opportunity to care for some truly amazing dogs.
Chris Kemp
Dog Foster Mentor
Chris started fostering in 2005, and focused on the quirky dogs that needed an extra experienced hand. Chris started mentoring in 2023, and finds helping dog fosters save lives is so rewarding.
Jill Steele
Having grown up in an animal loving home with parents devoted to animal rescue, it is no surprise Jill followed in their footsteps and found her true volunteer calling. Jill joined Pet Haven in 2019 and quickly found connection, friendship and purpose with the Pet Haven family. Jill and husband Wayne, along with their two children and beloved rescue dog Murray, moved from New Zealand to MN in 2011 for a life adventure anticipated to last a "couple of years". Dozens of foster dogs later (and the odd foster cat), they are still saving dogs at every turn and loving every minute of it. "To help an animal trust and feel love again and be adopted into a family of their own, is about the most precious experience imaginable" says Jill.
Her biggest regret is not finding Pet Haven sooner to help with their mission . For Jill, Pet Haven is her family away from NZ and she is never happier than when she's volunteering with others who are as passionate about rescue as she is. Living close to the office, Jill has immersed herself in everything possible from supplies and donations coordination, fostering, mentoring, event help, surgery day support and recently the role of dog adoption processing. She cannot get enough! The Steele's beloved dog Murray passed away in 2023 after helping to mentor around 50 fosters in their home. Jill says they will always foster dogs in need, as part of Murray's rescue legacy and cannot imagine life in St Paul without Pet Haven, and the chosen family they have found here.
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