Genesis of Our Logo
All dogs have an incredible way of touching our souls. Something about the way they convey emotion, despite not having a voice, makes it easy for us to connect with them and infinitely harder to forget them. All dogs have their distinctive features, but the ears that adorn our logo are distinctively Oakley’s. For every one of his rough edges, Oakley had twice as many soft spots. He epitomized a dog that you wish you could’ve talked too, heard his story and assured him it would be okay. By including him here, we ensure Oakley is never forgotten and the lessons he taught us continue to be our guiding light.
Empowering the Rescue Community Through Expert Guidance
Meet the passionate team dedicated to improving the lives of rescue dogs.
Dan Skultety – CCDT & FFCP
Behavior Consultant and Trainer
Dan is a Fear Free Certified Professional Trainer and CATCH Certified Dog Trainer. He runs Element Dog Training and has experience fostering, volunteering, and working in shelter environments.
Kirsten Letham
Training Coordinator
Kirsten has experience running training program for shelter dog. She is also a shelter volunteer with a soft spot for nervous dogs and play groups. Her passion for rescue animal extends to her day job with the Canine Science Collaboratory
Holly Priddy
Community Outreach Coordinator
Holly has been involved in the sheltering world for years. She is a volunteer for a number of local rescue groups. She has years of experience working for boarding facilities and municipal shelters.
Laura Eastwood
Operations Manager
Laura is Fear Free Shelter Program Graduate and a CATCH Dog Training alum with experience volunteering in shelters and a deep passion for dog behavior and welfare.
What We Stand For
This organization is committed to promoting the highest standards in animal welfare. This includes not endorsing the use of training techniques that intentionally use pain or compromise safety (dog, human, or other animal) as part of the training process. This organization will make every effort to be a positive reinforcement first organization and utilize models like the LIFE (Least Intrusive Functionally Effective) model to guide our decisions and maximize the welfare of our animals.
We do not promote the use of prong collars, shock or equivalent electronic collars, choke chains, electronic suppression devices, or leash corrections as part our training process. That said we are an inclusive organization, and we encourage anyone to participate – this is a judgement free zone. We believe that everyone has done the best with the knowledge that they have. We’ll come in with an open mind and if you do the same, we’ll find a solution that impacts your dog in a positive way.
What Are We
We are a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit with the IRS.
We are registered under the name: Paws – Post Adoption and Welfare Support Program
You can verify by searching the IRS website: Tax Exempt Organization Search | Internal Revenue Service