Meet the dog lovers behind the dogs, people just like you who want to do the best they can for dogs in need. Join us. Volunteer today!


Meet the Board!


 

Brittany DeJohn10612732_1522469644666983_3230758801788563588_n

President, March 2015 – Present
Volunteer since May 2014

As one of our most active and creative volunteers, Brittany already had wonderful dedication to our organization in everything from dog handling to fundraising. Taking full initiative, she has implemented entire campaigns to raise hundreds of dollars for the organization and a personal campaign to fund the adoption fee for one of her favorite dogs. She also has terrific experience as a volunteer cat foster, so she knows the ins-and-outs of what it takes to find animals loving homes.

As a student of veterinary services, Brittany has an enormous desire to be deeply involved with the health of animals, but also the passion to be involved in the animal welfare side of things, too. Since her invitation to the Board, Brittany has investing many hours into learning all there is to know about our organization and, with her go-getter personality, has bright plans for our future.

 

Audra BentleyAudra Bentley

Founding Member
Treasurer, April 2012 – Present

Audra Bentley, a lifelong Rensselaer County resident, has grown up caring for local strays of all kinds. After accepting her board position, Audra returned a day later to adopt Tucker, a sweet senior boy who will live the rest of his days immersed in more love than he’s ever known. Audra’s commitment to this dog and our organization offers that same hope for all of Dog House Adoptions’ orphans.

Audra has been keeper of our books and manager of all things financial since inception, but her compassion comes from all angles. As former owner of Curves in West Sand Lake, Audra rallied her members around enormous undertakings of community fundraisers for charity, many of which benefited animals. As a Pampered Chef representative, she has rallied product parties to raise money for our orphaned dogs and donated her profits from those parties as well.

Audra isn’t shy about doing what it takes when a job needs doing. She’s committed to vet transports, handled dogs at clinics, organized volunteers, (wo)manned information tables, and had input on every aspect of this rescue since our founding. She has also taken a strong lead during our presidential transition. Dogs in need have a most sincere ally in Audra, as does this organization.

 

Marianne Hoeppner with GuntherMarianne Hoeppner

Secretary, September 2014 – Present
Volunteer since May 2014

Marianne joined Dog House Adoptions after losing her own dog to cancer. Not ready to adopt at first, she volunteered to walk with our rescued dogs. This type of volunteering is something she had never done before but she quickly fell in love with every dog she met and developed a fondness for our organization, as well. Walking dogs weekly, attending adoption clinics, and eventually adopting her latest dog from us (Sammy, now named Gunther), Marianne quickly became a treasured part of the DHA family.

Marianne has both hands-on and administrative skills to accompany her deep love for all dogs. Her addition to the board has been a huge asset, from keeping meticulous minutes to registering every one of our microchipped dogs through FreePetChipRegistry.com. She now manages donor relations in an ever-growing rescue skill set so, if you donate toward our dogs through PayPal, it’ll be her kind words that thank you.

 


Past Board Members Who Helped Us
Rise & Thrive


 

 

Kim CluneKim Clune

Founding Member
President, October 2013 – March 2015
Volunteer, May 2011 – Present

Dog House Adoptions was founded on core principles Kim learned in May of 2011 from her rescue hero and mentor, Mike Arms, after she attended his world renowned ACES rescue workshop in Rancho Sante Fe, CA . (The conference is now called The Business of Saving Lives.)

Using what she learned, Kim and the founding board members created Dog House Adoptions in just under a year. With hands-on experience revealing the softest side of dogs once deemed “unadoptable,” Kim believes that all dogs deserve the chance to shine, enriching people’s lives through therapeutic, educational, and companionship opportunities. In addition to helping the dogs, these dogs, in turn, help people to learn, grow and even heal broken hearts.

In addition to walking, chauffeuring and placing so many of our of beautiful dogs into loving homes, Kim has crafted and managed our mission, much of our policy, the website, social media channels, a system-wide database, microchip program, curriculum design, communications and publicity, volunteer coordination, skills training, photography, videography, and so much more. Perhaps her greatest skill of all is recognizing that every success comes only with the generous gifts of dedication and time offered by the fine people on her team. With so much help along the way, she is so very proud of all we have created together.

 

Tim CluneTim Clune

Founding Member
President, April 2012 – October 2013

Advisory Member, 2014-2015

Tim Clune, a public interest lawyer by day, was a founding member and dog adoption chairperson of a local rescue in his off time, placing over 500 dogs during his 15 year tenure.

After a brief rescue hiatus, Tim served as Dog House Adoptions’ Board President during the organization’s first year and as a valued adviser the rest of his time with us. Tim has had a heavy hand in creating our policy, applications and contracts, and coalescing the business side of rescue in our early days. He has also had a most gentle hand when handling our dogs at early clinics and fostering two rescued mill puppies in his own home.

Originally from downstate, Tim has proudly called Rensselaer County home for more than 20 years. He took great pride in addressing the unmet needs of stray dogs in his own back yard, and for all dogs who cross his path. He also isn’t entirely gone from DHA, having offered to volunteer and advise as needed.

 

Lori HarrisLori Harris

Founding Member
Secretary, April 2012- November 2013

Active in animal rescue for more than 12 years, Lori has long focused her volunteer efforts on local dogs.  As the owner of the “very best dog” who was returned three times before finding her permanent place in the world, Lori was committed to helping the very deserving dogs of the Capital Region find their homes.

Lori works for a private development company which specializes in building affordable housing throughout the U.S. For Dog House Adoptions, she used her professional skills to research and file for our Non-profit status, create early budgets, she helped to craft policy, managed the records of the organization, and worked with the dogs on a weekly basis, from walking them to placing the in loving homes. We are so grateful for all Lori has done to make us a viable organization.

 

Cassie HaydenCassie Costantino

Dog Director, November 2013 – March 2015

During her year + stint with Dog House Adoptions, Cassie spent the better part of a year in the specially crafted position of Dog Director, caring daily for most of our dogs. She also arranged and implemented meet and greets, vet visits, and home visits.

Cassie has a grand scope of dog knowledge based on her professional experience working at area kennels and veterinarians, and with other rescues. She has fostered over 80 rescue dogs and puppies, and has been an owner of both dogs and cats. As a certified Animal Behavioral College Dog Trainer, Cassie has taken many of her foster and personal dogs through CGC training and therapy dog training, too. We wish her well wherever life takes her next.

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