Our Team

I guess I’m the founder of this rescue? Prior to the inception of Alleycats & Aristocats in January 2022 I briefly served on the board for another Cleveland rescue. My vision for A&A was to bring like-minded passionate cat lovers together in Medina County to help homeless community cats. I wasn’t always a crazy cat lady. I’ve always loved and kept many animals as pets throughout my life. But I did not become heavily involved in cat rescue until the beginning of the pandemic. It became my passion project during a time when I really needed something to give me purpose. I fell in love with cat rescue and I fell fast. I started fostering and doing TNR work and it just grew from there. I am addicted to creating happy endings for cats; especially the ones that have been through some crap, the ones that don’t trust you yet but you can see something in their eyes. They are longing for love. I do a little bit of everything within the rescue as Chief Cat Wrangler. But really, I am nothing without the amazing people that serve on this board with me. Each of us plays a very significant role in making this rescue successful. I am thankful every day for all the people that make this rescue a success, for both the people and the cats.

I have been with A&A since the beginning. I met our founder in 2020 when she was fostering for another local rescue group. I adopted one of her fosters and eventually started volunteering for the group as well. When Jen started A&A, I followed her over and she quickly convinced me to join the board and start fostering.

Getting updates from the adoptive families is one of my favorite parts of rescue. It’s so rewarding to see your former fosters in their forever homes, bringing joy to their families – especially the cats that started out “spicy.” These are the kitties that took extra time and work to help them blossom into sweet furry family members.

I have 3 cats of my own: a sassy foster fail, one with a neurological disorder & chronic health issues and a chatty cuddle bug. They are all special in their own way and I’m honored they chose me to be their momma.

I first started with A&A when they started taking cats from my TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) partner and me. It was a connection worth nurturing, and I found myself getting more involved as time went on. I started doing TNR as a young teenager and volunteered with several rescues, then struck out on my own as an independent rescuer. Though I did a lot of other aspects of rescue in the past, my true passion lies with feral and stray cats. In mid-2023 I finally gave up my independent status and joined as their TNR coordinator.

I have two cats, one old (Poofball) and one young (Kingsley), and live with a third cat, a dog, and a guinea pig. I have a degree in Animal Science, work in Veterinary Medicine, and am working on becoming Fear Free certified which can be helpful when working with feral cats.

My favorite part is getting the shy/traumatized cats to come out of their shell and trust again. I prefer working with adult cats, especially when there’s nowhere else for them to go. Seeing the cats that previously struggled and now thrive is amazing. I’m excited for the future and all of the cats that will benefit under this collaboration. I’m honored to be invited to be a part of A&A.

I met Jen the summer of 2023 when I asked A & A to help with medical. Many members of my family are nurses and I originally started off as a Nursing Assistant. Quickly, my love for animals took over. I worked at the Medina SPCA for almost 9 years as Foster Coordinator, Lead Medical, and Kennel. When I stopped in to meet the team at Alleycats & Aristocats / Cats off the Square, I felt very welcomed and I couldn’t help but stay. I enjoy fostering neonatal kittens as well as critical care medical cases. I now serve as the Medical Coordinator for the rescue.

I met Jennifer in 2022 when I adopted my first Suphalak, now known as Binx. I have been fostering for a number of rescues since 2014, and always have a pack of dogs and cats in the house due to consistent foster fails. I joined Alleycats & Aristocats in 2023 to help support their incredible rescue efforts and handle any legal issues as they arise. Running a 501(c)(3) isn’t easy, and I’m so impressed by Jennifer’s and the whole team’s amazing work to build such a successful organization. I’m honored to become part of this incredible group.

Brian is Jennifer’s husband, and has been a cat lover his whole life. Being lovers of cats, Brian and Jennifer both knew there was a need for adoption paired with TNR efforts in the Medina county area. Brian’s main contributions are Fostering/caregiving at home, transporting cats & supplies and working on events. He likes being supportive of others and is always ready to lend a hand wherever needed. Brian encourages others to become a Foster home for cats, to volunteer at special events and pick up a shift to help care for our adoptable cats at Cats Off the Square, our brick and mortar cat cafe. Brian believes the experience of volunteering is gratifying and extremely rewarding. Donations are a big help too but people are really the key to running a great rescue organization.

I met Jen in the summer of 2023 when I wanted to rescue a cat. My goal was to adopt a hard to adopt cat. In searching Petfinder I had found an adult cat I wanted to meet. Before we went to meet the cat, I asked Jen if he had a cat friend in the rescue as I thought it was better to adopt in pairs so the cat would have a friend. Jen was overjoyed as this cat did have a friend who was also very shy. We scheduled an appointment and went into Cats Off The Square. I knew before even meeting this cat he was coming home with me. The bigger issue was if the other shy black cat would come home too. We couldn’t even get close to this guy. Jen convinced me to give him a try and we took two adult Thai house cats home. These two very shy adult cats have turned into the most loving, quirky, momma boys, when this happened, I knew I could never repay the rescue for saving these momma boys who have changed my life and that is how my involvement began.

I started off cleaning one night a week and loved spending time with all the cats and kittens. When events started happening, I started volunteering more with other events. I was eventually approached to assist with some accounting and records. I bring over 35 years of tax and accounting experience to the Treasurer role. I have experience with small non-profits and corporations of all sizes.

My latest endeavor is fostering and/or foster failing. I have two beautiful shy souls I am working with who are also turning into lovable babies that will enrich any family’s lives. They just need a chance.

My passion has always been for adult animals especially the ones no one seems to want. I know firsthand what some love and TLC can do for an animal and an owner.