Our team

The people, and a good many of their dogs.

POMDR is led by a dedicated board and an incredible staff, and supported by a network of over 1,800 volunteers. Open anyone to read their story.

Board of Directors
Office Staff
Benefit Shop Staff
Clinic Staff
Advisory Council

Board of Directors

Cathy Heape President More about Cathy

Board of Directors

Cathy Heape

President

Cathy shares her home with two fun-loving POMDR alumni: Jenny, a terrier mix, and Churro, a feisty and entertaining little supermutt.

Cathy has been serving on the POMDR board since 2019 and took on the role of Board President in June 2024. Cathy joined the volunteer team at POMDR in 2017 helping with office duties, transport, special events, home checks, and walking brigades. Prior to her service here, she cofounded Silicon Valley Pet Project in San Jose and volunteered with various other rescue groups.

Cathy had a 20-year career working in in-house advertising and then as a freelance production artist for several companies including JCPenney. She then left the corporate world and started her own business as a Personal Concierge and Organizer. She retired in 2011 when she and her husband moved to England for two years before returning to California and settling on the Monterey Peninsula.

In addition to serving on the Board and volunteering for POMDR, Cathy also delivers Meals on Wheels weekly in our community.

Cathy received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Advertising Art from North Texas State University.

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Kim Bartholomay Vice-President More about Kim

Board of Directors

Kim Bartholomay

Vice-President

Kim shares her home with two rescue dogs: a little floof named Roman, adopted from POMDR; and a sassy Husky/German Shepherd mix named Atlas, adopted from the SPCA.

Before joining the board in October 2023, Kim was a POMDR volunteer. She continues to foster, perform home checks, and lead adoption and special events. She and her husband Noah have also hosted fabulous annual fundraisers for POMDR since 2020.

Kim previously worked as a tech in the CHOMP emergency room. Currently, she works in real estate at Monterey Coast Realty and promotes adoptable POMDR pups in all her email blasts!

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Susan Ferriby Treasurer More about Susan

Board of Directors

Susan Ferriby

Treasurer

Susan shares her home part-time with her son's two dogs. Juniper, a one year old Cavalier King Charles, and Cedar, a 13 year old Min Pin/Jack Russell mix.

Susan has been volunteering with POMDR since November 2022. She works in the office on Mondays and Thursdays, and also transports dogs, medication, supplies, etc. to and from Santa Cruz where she lives.

Susan moved to Santa Cruz from Seattle, WA in 2018 after a long career in banking where she managed real estate and bank branch design and construction. Prior to working in banking, she worked for several years for a start-up technology company managing their real estate and facilities.

Susan has served on many boards during her career in Seattle. Since moving to Santa Cruz, she has served on the Mid-County Democratic Club Board, the HOA Board where she lives in the Live Oak area, and most recently served as a Board member and Membership Services Chair for Nonprofit Connection.

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Barbara Allen Board Member More about Barbara

Board of Directors

Barbara Allen

Board Member

Barb shares her home with three fluffy companions: Acer, a scruffy mixed breed adopted from POMDR, Zephyr, a precious Maltese tripod who is another POMDR alumni, and Phoebe, an Aussie/Poodle tripod adopted from Animal Friends Rescue Project.

Barb was a volunteer with POMDR before joining the board in January 2024. In addition to her work on the board she continues to do transports, office work, phone calls and event work. Before that she volunteered with the SPCA of Monterey County.

Barb started her professional life in the hotel industry. She worked in hotels in Europe and Los Angeles, then moved up to the Monterey Peninsula to open a small bed-and-breakfast. After that, her love of animals took her to the SPCA, where she worked at the front desk, and then to Monterey County Animal Services, to help open the shelter on Hitchcock Road.

Before coming to the Peninsula, Barb lived in Southern California and went to college at UC Santa Barbara. She enjoys traveling and hiking with her pups and fostering dogs for POMDR.

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Dina Ruiz Board Member More about Dina

Board of Directors

Dina Ruiz

Board Member

Dina never had a dog until she was almost 50 years old. Now she shares her home with a lucky pack of rescued dogs: Tango and Aussie, both adopted from POMDR; Stanley, a Min Pin from Eastwood Ranch Foundation; and Coco, her very first dog.

Before joining the board in July 2025, Dina volunteered for POMDR, fostering dogs and helping with videos. She is on the board of CASA of Monterey County and serves as vice president of the board of the California Museum in Sacramento. She currently volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club of Monterey County, teaching yoga and helping as a speech coach.

Dina has enjoyed a long and varied career in media. She was a news anchor at KSBW TV, co-hosted the TV show Candid Camera, and had a reality show on the E! Network. She now does media for non-profits and writes for several magazines, including Carmel Magazine.

Dina earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcasting at San Francisco State University and a Master's in Creative Writing from San Jose State University. In addition, she holds two yoga teacher certifications. She is a distinguished alumna at Ohlone College and has been awarded a community service award from Boys and Girls Club of Monterey County.

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Office Staff

Carie Broecker Executive Director and Co-founder More about Carie

Office Staff

Carie Broecker

Executive Director and Co-founder

Carie shares her life with two lucky senior dogs: Sneakers and Abbey, both POMDR rescues, and is usually fostering multiple POMDR dogs, too.

Carie co-founded POMDR with Monica Rua in 2009. Upon its inception, she worked full-time running POMDR as Board President, and in 2010 Carie won the American Red Cross Animal Rescue Hero Award for her role in starting POMDR. In 2012, she was hired as Executive Director, POMDR's first paid staff person. Carie was one of the top ten chosen as a CNN Hero in 2022 for her impactful work serving senior people and senior dogs.

Prior to co-founding POMDR, Carie was one of the first volunteers for AFRP in Pacific Grove. She joined the AFRP board in 1999, and served for 12 years as Treasurer and unsalaried Executive Director.

Carie and her husband Scott published Coastal Canine magazine from 2009-2023. Carie's other career achievements include working as a bookkeeper and accountant for several businesses. She also worked as the Client Services Director for the Monterey County AIDS Project, where her work earned her the 1994 Monterey County Outstanding Woman of the Year award.

Carie graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology, minoring in Business Economics with a concentration in Accounting.

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Cameron Donegan Interim Development Director More about Cameron

Office Staff

Cameron Donegan

Interim Development Director

Cameron shares her home with two rescued animals: her dog, Pomela Anderson, who came to her from Animal Friends Rescue Project as a medical foster and never left, and a bunny from the SPCA who happily roams the living room.

Cameron started at POMDR as our Clinic Manager on May 11, 2020. In March 2021, she stepped into the role of Operations Manager, overseeing the daily complexities of rescue intake, medical coordination, and program logistics. In May 2024 she became our Behavior and Enrichment Manager, helping to build and strengthen POMDR's dog behavior program to support dogs with more complex needs. After a four-month hiatus, Cameron joined the POMDR Board of Directors.

In 2026, she stepped off the board to serve as POMDR's Interim Development Director, bringing her deep institutional knowledge, long-standing commitment to the organization, and strong relationship-building skills into this critical leadership role. Her experience across operations, behavior, and board service gives her a comprehensive understanding of POMDR's mission, programs, and impact -- an invaluable asset in working with donors, sponsors, and community partners.

Professionally, Cameron trained dolphins and sea lions for the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program in Washington state. She then worked as an Animal Care Specialist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, rescuing and rehabilitating sea otters. Throughout her career, she has developed strengths in leadership, cross-functional collaboration, public engagement, training, and high-stakes decision-making, skills that translate naturally into strategic development work and donor stewardship. Her past volunteer work includes the Seattle Aquarium, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the Alaska SeaLife Center, and a Humane Society wildlife rehabilitation center, working with animals from harbor seals and sea otter pups to raccoons, raptors, and even a baby long-tailed weasel. Locally, she volunteered with AFRP at the adoption center and as a foster for medical cases.

Cameron graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. While working for the Navy, she learned to conduct closed-circuit SCUBA diving.

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Allison McKee Executive Assistant, part-time More about Allison

Office Staff

Allison McKee

Executive Assistant, part-time

Allison currently shares her life with two POMDR dogs, Harley and also Maya, adopted after helping capture the frightened escape artist and then falling in love with her. The two lucky pups now enjoy adventures like hiking in Yosemite with Allison and her husband and their young son and daughter.

Allison attributes her love for animals to the fact that she was brought up in a family with a long history of adopting rescue dogs and cats. The family “zoo” also included horses, rats, hamsters and birds. As a kid, Allison volunteered with the SPCA, and, later, with Hope, Horses and Kids, an equine learning program that focuses on helping children, particularly those with special needs, build confidence through working with horses. This experience helped Allison realize that her true passion lay in working with animals and people, rather than in corporate management. Soon after, in May 2015, she joined the staff of POMDR. Allison did indeed find her niche, as after just two years she was promoted to Operations Manager overseeing all aspects of POMDR programs. In August 2021 she was promoted to Deputy Executive Director playing a critical role in POMDR’s succession plan and expansion. In February 2022 she transitioned to a part-time role as an Executive Assistant so she could spend more time at home with her son.

Allison’s career includes a decade in retail management with Starbucks Coffee Company, and experience working as an Educational Outreach Coordinator for the Los Padres Forest Association. She is also passionate about international politics, travel and meeting new people (and their dogs).

Allison holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from San Francisco State University.

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Caitlin Lupien Operations Manager More about Caitlin

Office Staff

Caitlin Lupien

Operations Manager

Caitlin's sidekick is a 12-year-old Yorkshire Terrier named Jack.

Before joining the POMDR staff in November 2019, Caitlin volunteered for multiple wildlife rehabilitation facilities and an educational nature center in the Sacramento area. She also volunteered locally with the Sea Otter Research and Conservation program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Golden Oldies Cat Rescue as their volunteer coordinator and has served on the board of directors. Caitlin is currently involved with multiple rabbit rescue groups across California. Previously, she has worked in education with special needs students and as a middle school science teacher, at the SPCA of Monterey County as a barn specialist, and as a wildlife biologist for an environmental consulting company.

Caitlin originally started with POMDR as a Kennel Attendant but took on the role of Adoptions Coordinator in July 2021 and in May 2024, Caitlin moved into the Operations Manager role.

She graduated from CSU Monterey Bay with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Single Subject Science Teaching Credential.

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Andrew Zielinski Marketing and Communications Manager More about Andrew

Office Staff

Andrew Zielinski

Marketing and Communications Manager

Andrew shares his home with his rescued dog, Sydney, a sweet Golden Retriever/Australian Shepherd/Labrador Retriever mix.

He has always had multiple rescued pups in his home, so he was excited to join the POMDR staff in February 2024 to promote the work we do with dogs.

Andrew has worked at a digital advertising agency and also has worked as a freelance web and graphic designer, a social media coordinator, and a UI/UX (user interface and user experience) designer for websites.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Product Design at the University of Oregon, where he was on the Dean's List at the Allied Arts and Architecture School. While in a design class there, he received a monetary Lighting Design Award.

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Shanel Parolini Helping Paw Manager More about Shanel

Office Staff

Shanel Parolini

Helping Paw Manager

Shanel shares her home with Cody, an Akita/Malamute/Shepherd mix rescued from the forest in Shasta/Trinity County, where he was born the runt of a litter.

Shanel has spent many years retrieving loose dogs and saving abandoned kittens. She started volunteering with animals in 2017 for the SPCA of Monterey County veterinary clinic. There she learned basic small animal veterinary skills and participated in all day spay/neuter clinics. She joined the staff of POMDR in June 2023.

Before following her dream of working with animals, Shanel spent over 15 years in the hospitality sector in bartending and managing roles in Monterey, where she was born and raised. For five straight years, she participated in the Culinary Classique d'Elegance, a fundraiser to benefit Meals on Wheels of Monterey Peninsula. Upon switching careers, she was fortunate to gain experience in veterinary intensive care and emergency at Blue Pearl Pet Hospital. As a surgery assistant there, she was responsible for performing CT scans, among other tasks.

One of her proudest accomplishments was contributing to a project for Stanford marine research, scanning the marlin tail and producing images that had never before been obtained. Also on her list of achievements is having won first place in a bartending competition held by the Monterey County Hospitality Association!

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Emily Termotto Adoptions Coordinator More about Emily

Office Staff

Emily Termotto

Adoptions Coordinator

Emily shares her home with five rescued animals: three cats, a bunny, and a small Border Collie mix named Fig, adopted from POMDR, who may think he's a cat himself. He loves to snuggle with his housemates and particularly loves one of the cats, who is black and white like him and about his size. He is a very good boy!

Emily started with POMDR as an occasional transport volunteer. When she took on a volunteer shift at our front desk, she gained hands on experience and insight into POMDR's mission. She enjoyed meeting some of the dogs in our program and the people who came into the office for help. She still volunteers at the SPCA wildlife rehabilitation center as well as with the UC Davis Oiled Wildlife Care Network and the Audubon Society's local chapter.

Before joining POMDR's staff in August 2024, Emily was a client care specialist and veterinary assistant at the SPCA for Monterey County, and she still has a passion for veterinary medicine. She also works as a dog walker and pet sitter in her spare time and has loved getting to know local dogs and their families over the years.

Emily received her Bachelors and Masters degrees in International Relations with a Middle Eastern focus from New York University. She used her degree to work in the non-profit policy sector and at a law firm before pivoting to work with animals. Since then, she has taken many upper-division science courses to supplement her veterinary medicine career.

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Elizabeth Ramsay Volunteer Coordinator More about Elizabeth

Office Staff

Elizabeth Ramsay

Volunteer Coordinator

Elizabeth shares her home and just about all her adventures with her rescued senior Black Lab mix, Roo. Roo even joins her on aquatic explorations, eating seaweed and playing with fish!

Before joining POMDR in August 2024, she volunteered at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Student Oceanography Club teaching middle school students how to conduct ocean research projects. She also volunteered on career days at local middle and high schools. In summer 2023, she presented during Sea Otter Awareness Week about the importance of kelp restoration in restoring our California coastal regions.

Professionally, Elizabeth is a phycologist (seaweed biologist) and aquatic biologist, having spent most of her career studying plants and fish in both freshwater and ocean environments. She has worked as a scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, in academia, and at several environmental consulting firms.

Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science from Cal State University Monterey Bay and a Masters in Science in Marine Science from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, and has attained certification in science diving. She recently joined other scientists, legislators, community members, business owners and others to discuss a pathway forward to making Monterey the first regenerative economy in the United States, and was highlighted for her work in kelp forest restoration.

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Alejandra Raya Helping Paw Coordinator More about Alejandra

Office Staff

Alejandra Raya

Helping Paw Coordinator

Alejandra shares her home with a senior Chihuahua whose guardian could no longer care for her, and two kitty siblings who were rescued in Oregon and flew down to join her pack. She says everyone gets along great and they enjoy sunbathing together in the yard.

Long before joining POMDR in April 2025, Alejandra volunteered for the Mercer Clinic, a non-profit that provides medical care for the pets of homeless people in Sacramento. She also volunteered at the SPCA of Monterey County for a time, helping with maintenance of the adoption center and also at the clinic.

She previously worked at BluePearl Pet Hospital in Monterey, starting as an ICU assistant and then transferring first to the surgery department and then cardiology.

Alejandra obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Animal Science from UC Davis. She became a Registered Veterinary Technician in 2022. She says she is grateful for everything she has learned and all the lives she has helped save.

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Hannah Wakefield Interim Dog Behavior and Enrichment Coordinator More about Hannah

Office Staff

Hannah Wakefield

Interim Dog Behavior and Enrichment Coordinator

Hannah shares her home with a Pug/Labrador mix named Fried Calamari, adopted from the SPCA of Monterey County.

She tells us that every animal she has ever raised was rescued. This includes the animals she currently lives with: two cats, a California desert tortoise, and of course the aforementioned Pugador, Fried Calamari.

Before joining the POMDR staff in January 2026, Hannah worked in dog boarding and daycare facilities in Monterey and throughout the East Bay area.

She holds an Associate's Degree in Social Sciences from Monterey Peninsula College.

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Benefit Shop Staff

Cortina Whitmore Benefit Shop Manager More about Cortina

Benefit Shop Staff

Cortina Whitmore

Benefit Shop Manager

Cortina's family includes a 7-year-old rescued Dachshund mix named Ziggy.

Prior to joining the POMDR staff in November 2024, Cortina had a varied professional career including being the sole proprietor of a consignment store. She is also the former City of Carmel-by-the-Sea Administrative Coordinator and a former employee turned board member of the nonprofit Youth Arts Collective.

She holds a Bachelors Degree in Organizational Leadership and an Associates Degree in Business Administration.

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Carmelita Garcia Benefit Shop Sales Associate, part-time More about Carmelita

Benefit Shop Staff

Carmelita Garcia

Benefit Shop Sales Associate, part-time

Carmelita shares her home with Slainte, a scruffy Terrier mix who was a longtime beneficiary of our Helping Paw program's volunteer dog walkers. Carmelita temporarily fostered Slainte when his guardian went into the hospital, and then permanently adopted him when his guardian moved into an assisted living facility and could no longer care for him.

Before joining POMDR in April 2025, Carmelita was well known in Pacific Grove for many reasons, not the least of which is her work protecting the local deer. She is the founding member of the non-profit PG Deer Awareness Resource. Their mission is to advocate for the safety of Pacific Grove's native deer through education and public outreach. You may see the group's signs around town during fawning season.

Carmelita has a long record of local public service. In 2009 she became Mayor of Pacific Grove, after being elected to the City Council in 2008. From 2020-2025, she served on the City of Pacific Grove's Administrative Enforcement Hearing Officer Panel.

After attaining a Certificate in Counseling from UC Santa Cruz, Carmelita went on to earn a Law for Life Paralegal Certificate and an Advance Paralegal Certificate from CSU Monterey Bay. She has been named Outstanding Citizen of the Year by the Crime Prevention Officers Association of Monterey County and was honored as one of Monterey County's Outstanding Women of the Year.

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Clinic Staff

Dr. Erin Trannel Medical Director More about Dr. Erin

Clinic Staff

Dr. Erin Trannel

Medical Director

Dr. Erin shares her home with Brooklyn, a 3-year-old Labrador Retriever, and Berley, a 2-year-old Samoyed.

She came to POMDR in July 2023. While in veterinary school at Iowa State University, she was an active member in the Shelter Medicine Club and helped facilitate low-income vaccine clinics in Des Moines. She also volunteered for the Josh & Friends Project, benefiting children in hospitals and utilizing the human-animal bond to encourage sick adolescents during their treatments. She has volunteered at shelters and free vaccine clinics across the country and helped facilitate a spay/neuter and preventive care clinic for animals in South Dakota.

Before coming to POMDR, Dr Erin worked as a small animal general practitioner in Ankeny, Iowa.

She completed her Bachelors degree in Biology and attained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University.

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Dr. Shahla Dourod Veterinarian More about Dr. Shahla

Clinic Staff

Dr. Shahla Dourod

Veterinarian

Dr. Shahla, admitting it may be crazy, shares her home with three herding dogs -- a Cattle Dog, a Border Collie and a Corgi -- and a rescued Chihuahua on a weight loss journey.

She first joined POMDR as a relief vet in the summer of 2024. Previously, she worked in general veterinary practice, and then at a municipal animal shelter for two years. She works part-time doing high quality, high volume spay and neuter surgeries, which, as we know, vastly reduces the number of homeless animals and overcrowded shelters.

Dr. Shahla earned an undergraduate degree in animal biology at UC Davis and did equine stem cell research. She went on to veterinary school at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and did research on the use of antibiotics during dermatologic procedures.

She is Fear Free certified.

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Kelly Fischer Clinic Manager More about Kelly

Clinic Staff

Kelly Fischer

Clinic Manager

The dog currently in Kelly's life is Bobo, a Chow Chow mix who lives with her family. Though she doesn't have pets of her own, having recently moved back to California from across the country, she'll be spending plenty of quality time with all the dogs rotating through our clinic!

Before joining the POMDR staff in August of 2022, Kelly volunteered as a POMDR foster and as a dog walker in our Helping Paw program. She fostered for the SPCA of Monterey County as well.

Kelly has previously worked at veterinary clinics as a vet tech and a customer service representative. It was there that she found her love of working with dogs and people. She has also worked at a doggie daycare facility and taught dog training classes.

Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Sciences from the University of Connecticut. She is an accredited dog training instructor and is Fear Free certified.

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Celina Arceo Head Registered Veterinary Technician More about Celina

Clinic Staff

Celina Arceo

Head Registered Veterinary Technician

Celina shares her home with a notably lazy 6-year-old husky named Seven. When he's not napping, you can find them outdoors walking in the forest or playing at the beach.

Celina joined the clinic staff in January 2022 and became Head RVT (Registered Veterinary Technician) in June 2023. Her love for veterinary medicine began when she volunteered at the Stockton animal shelter back when she was in middle school. Working alongside the shelter team and with various rescues, providing care for pets who had no one else to advocate for them is what inspired her to pursue a career in veterinary medicine.

She worked at a small animal general vet practice for several years. She then transitioned to emergency and critical care medicine and worked as an ICU technician at an emergency/specialty hospital in Monterey.

Celina completed the Veterinary Technician program at Carrington College. She became a Registered Veterinary Technician when she obtained her license in 2018.

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Caite Jackson Veterinary Assistant, full-time More about Caite

Clinic Staff

Caite Jackson

Veterinary Assistant, full-time

Caite shares her home with a senior white German Shepherd named Sasha. She also takes a pup named Kita on adventures around the peninsula during the week. Kita belongs to a local firefighter who rescued her in rough shape in the Dominican Republic and nursed her back to health.

Caite grew up working at a horse rescue called Walking in Circles in the mountains of New Mexico. Her work with dogs started with pet sitting in middle school. She joined the POMDR clinic staff in August 2020 as a Kennel Attendant and was promoted to Veterinary Assistant in January 2021. Caite worked part-time at POMDR for 4 years and joined the full-time staff in 2025.

Prior to joining POMDR, Caite worked in retail, doing home and apparel management for Anthropologie and social media for outdoor gear retailer REI. She also worked locally at a small organic juice bar.

She graduated from CSUMB in the fall of 2019 with a degree in Communications concentrating in Film and Literary Studies.

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Elisa Clay Veterinary Assistant, full-time More about Elisa

Clinic Staff

Elisa Clay

Veterinary Assistant, full-time

Elisa currently shares her home with three sweet kitties: Sanka, Tiger Lilly and Mowgli. Sadly, her precious rescued pit bull, Harley, had to be let go in 2020. Since then, she's been waiting for the right time to bring another dog into her family.

Elisa joined the POMDR clinic staff as a Kennel Attendant in August 2021 and was thrilled to have the opportunity to be promoted to Veterinary Assistant. Elisa worked part-time at POMDR for 4 years and joined the full-time staff in 2025. She previously volunteered with the SPCA, fostering dogs and cats until they found forever homes.

Since graduating from high school, Elisa has tried on many hats, including bartender, pizza maker, housekeeper and sales associate. She is even a certified Zumba fitness instructor. She says working with POMDR is the first job she's had that she truly loves, and she feels fortunate to be a part of this team.

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Veron Yip Veterinary Assistant, full-time More about Veron

Clinic Staff

Veron Yip

Veterinary Assistant, full-time

Veron shares her home with Dagget, a senior Jack Russell Terrier adopted many years ago from Hitchcock Road Animal Services.

She has a soft spot for senior dogs, and fostered retired working dogs in New Zealand while she was attending college there. She joined the POMDR clinic staff in October 2024.

Before moving to Monterey, Veron lived in Singapore, where she worked as an anesthesia/surgical veterinary technician in a busy emergency/specialty hospital.

She graduated from Massey University in New Zealand with a Bachelor of Veterinary Technology degree and is currently working toward getting her US Registered Veterinary Technician license.

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Toni Selby Receptionist, part-time More about Toni

Clinic Staff

Toni Selby

Receptionist, part-time

Toni shares her home with five rescued dogs. Sammy, a German Shepherd, came from a co-worker who needed to rehome her dog many years ago. The other four came from the SPCA: Ashley, a Chihuahua/Pug; Sophia, a Toy Poodle; Clifford, a Chihuahua/Miniature Pinscher; and Chance, a German Shepherd/Husky.

Before joining the clinic staff in January 2024, Toni had been volunteering with POMDR since October 2022. She volunteered with the SPCA of Monterey County for about five years before that.

In January 2021, she was hired by the SPCA as a Humane Investigator. This followed a 25-year career with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, from which she retired as a Captain in December 2020.

Toni attended Monterey Peninsula College and Hartnell College, taking courses for her interest in Criminal Law. She received her certification to be a Reserve Police Officer and was hired by the Marina Police Department. Toni was honored as Reserve Officer of the Year in 1997/1998, and then Supervisor of the Year while serving as a Correctional Lieutenant at Salinas Valley State Prison in 2015.

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Advisory Council

Monica Rua Co-founder/Non Profit Consultant More about Monica

Advisory Council

Monica Rua

Co-founder/Non Profit Consultant

Monica currently shares her home with three rescue dogs from POMDR: Zeta, Zorro and Katmai. She is usually fostering one or two POMDR dogs also.

Monica has devoted over 27 years of her life to animal rescue. She first worked with dog and cat rescue groups in the Bay Area. In 1998 she co-founded AFRP in Pacific Grove, where she served on the board for 11 years, with 8 of those years as Board President. Monica oversaw and actively participated in all aspects of the organization’s operations, including educating the public, fundraising, volunteer database management, animal tracking, and fostering many dogs and cats. She was also instrumental in helping foster families with dog behavior issues.

Monica was on the POMDR board from 2009, when she co-founded this organization with Carie Broecker, until June 2024 when she moved to the advisory council.

Monica has been studying animal behavior and positive reinforcement techniques for 20+ years. She brings her knowledge to POMDR to help with behavior assessments and troubleshooting dog behavior issues with staff, fosters, and adopters. Monica also helps with photography, graphic design, web design, communications, and strategic planning.

Before launching into animal rescue, Monica was the Education Director of Happy Hollow Zoo in San Jose. Prior to that, she worked as a software engineer for NASA Johnson Space Center, Lockheed, and Sun Microsystems.

Monica holds a Master of Science in Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (MSAI) from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a minor in Philosophy.

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Patrick Casey Legal Consultant More about Patrick

Advisory Council

Patrick Casey

Legal Consultant

Patrick became involved with Peace of Mind Dog Rescue in February of 2012 when he and his family fostered and then adopted a sweet little Pomeranian/Terrier mix. They currently share their home with Autumn, another POMDR "foster keeper." He joined the POMDR Advisory Council in 2017.

When he is not acting as a member of the POMDR Advisory Council, Patrick keeps busy as a practicing business attorney. He has been with the L+G law firm for over 17 years, where his CPA license and 24 years of experience allow him to effectively represent clients in complicated real estate deals, corporate negotiations, and closings.

Patrick has a variety of nonprofit volunteer experience as well. He served the YMCAs of Monterey and San Benito Counties on the Board of Directors, and in various aspects of community campaign support over two decades. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Grower Shipper Association Foundation and for the Monterey County Barristers Association.

Patrick is a graduate of the Leadership Salinas Valley program, and the AgKnowledge program. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Albion College and a JD degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

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Barbara De Groodt Dog Behavior Consultant More about Barbara

Advisory Council

Barbara De Groodt

Dog Behavior Consultant

Barbara shares her life with a Rottweiler, two senior dogs, one a little red-headed terrier and the other an oversized Yorkie and a young Chihuahua.

Barbara has been involved with animal rescue and volunteering for as long as she can remember. She used to run a private Rottweiler rescue, and she has been a volunteer with POMDR since its inception, helping with dog evaluations, transportation, dog training and behavior counseling.

Barbara has a keen interest in animal behavior, and she holds certificates from multiple training seminars. Barbara has worked with trainers in India, New Zealand, Thailand, Spain, several other countries and all over the United States. She has worked with the Venezuela airport drug detection dogs. Barbara was awarded Trainer of the Year at a Westminster pre-show event. With all her excellent experience, Barbara is a natural choice to join the POMDR Advisory Council!

Barbara earned a Bachelor's degree in Animal Science, and she is slowly working on a Masters degree from University of Edinburgh.

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