Meet Our Staff

Four is Lisa’s number. She has been with ARP four years, having been hired in 2016. She is the mother of four, Tony, 20, Kaitlyn, 17, and Jayden and Makayla, 13. She has four pets so far, Buck, Lil Bit, Big Daddy, and Mischief.

“I tend to bond more with the problem ‘children’ at our shelter,” she says, “who need a little more time and effort to see their full potential emerge. I like the ones who are jerks—most of the time.”

Jamie joined the ARP team in February of 2020. She is companion to two dogs, Porter and Stout.

“I love being able to take care of the animals,” she tells us. “The most rewarding part of the job is seeing them to go their fur-ever homes and getting updates on them.”

Bethany is our office manager and volunteer/foster coordinator. She lives in Paw Paw with her family, Lori and Steve; Bob, her fiancé; and her daughter Kallie. Bethany has four dogs, Remington, Chimborazo, Gemma, and Melvin. She enjoys reading, horseback riding, and K-Wings hockey when she is not at work. She has been employed with ARP since April 2011, making her our employee with the greatest tenure.

Haley has been with ARP since 2012. She has two children, Noah, 10, and Laikyn, 3. She has three dogs, Hanna, Shay, and Lil. Her family also includes two cats, Ghost and Spooky. “I love rescuing,” she said, “and seeing the transition of the dogs and cats once they get here and receive the love and care we give them.”

Richelle joined ARP in the Spring of 2019. She is currently our animal care supervisor. She shares her life with two dogs, Harlie and Thumper, and a cat called Pebbles. “I love being able to bring sunshine and happiness into the lives of the animals at ARP,” she said. “Learning their personalities and different needs is so important.”

Kaitlyn joined ARP in the Spring of 2019. She has a dog named Lil Bit and a gecko named No’me. She tells us, “I love helping all the animals learn to trust humans again and seeing them slowly open up to us. It’s great to see their personalities when they first come in compared to their personalities when they finally get their forever home.”

Mary has been with ARP since September 2018. She has two dogs, Wylie and Tank; three cats, Meeko, Skittles, and Dallas. Mary tells us, “My favorite thing is when I’m able to bring my own ARP alumnus Tank in to help some dogs learn how to be a good dog or help them burn off some extra energy. It’s extremely rewarding to see animals come in from bad situations and be able to rehabilitate them so they can find their forever home.”

Kara initially joined our staff in 2016 and worked on our animal care team, then took time away to do other things. She returned to us in March of 2020 and is back caring for our homeless pets.

“I have two dogs who were both adopted from ARP, Macy and Pinky, and a guinea pig named Greta,” Kara said. “In addition to working at the shelter, I’ve also fostered dogs for the rescue. What I really like about working here is seeing the transformation in the dogs during their time with us. I also love having co-workers who are just as passionate about saving animals as I am.”

Cait joined ARP in October 2021. She lives with her husband Shane, her children Isaac and Liam, her cat Kitty, and her two ARP rescue dogs Buddy and Ray.

She first learned of ARP when they would bring adoptable dogs to Wings Stadium during her roller derby bouts. After adopting Buddy in March 2020, and Ray in August 2020, Cait knew she wanted to help other rescue animals in any way she could. Working for ARP has given her purpose and satisfaction. Her favorite part is watching the transformation from shy scared shelter dogs into playful happy pets. She loves the bittersweet goodbyes of knowing the animals she loves and cares for are moving on to live their best lives with their new families.

Kathryn Smith began working at ARP in August of 2021 and has loved becoming a part of the team while creating videos of the dogs to help them find their fur-ever homes! She has a cat named Oscar and a dog named Lucy whom she rescued from ARP.

"My favorite part about the job is seeing scared or angry dogs come out of their shell and realize that they can be a normal dog. Showing them what love and compassion is for the first time will always make my day!"

Mae joined the ARP team in October of 2021. She has one spoiled cat named Hazel and hopes to adopt a dog of her own in the near future.

“Working here has been the best decision I have ever made! I love spending time with the animals and watching them grow. I'm always so proud of the progress they make. It's amazing that I get to be a part of that process."