Board Member
Social Media Director

Anne joined the Pet Allies board in 2021 after spending numerous summers in the White Mountains with friends in Lakeside, Arizona & volunteering with the organization. Anne is originally from Dallas, Texas & recently retired in 2020, now spending the fall/winter months in Texas and the spring & summer months in Arizona.

After 23 years as a paralegal working for various law firms in the Dallas area, Anne decided to follow her true passion & started her own business as a personal chef 15 years ago. She attended culinary school in addition to working for various catering companies on week-ends, as well as building her business with personal chef clients.

Anne has previously worked at Dallas Legal Hospice as a volunteer notary for 7 years, assisting with the execution of estate planning documents. She was also a volunteer for 2 years with the Supper Club Project through AIDS Services of Dallas, helping to cook and serve dinner once a month. Another “pet project” was working for a no-kill shelter in the Dallas area, Operation Kindness, where she volunteered to help with dog-walking and socializing every kitten available in the building. She currently volunteers with The Resource Center in Dallas, helping to provide hot meals on a weekly basis to those in need.

The experience she has with social media is one of the strengths that Anne brings to Pet Allies. She is hoping to expand the Internet presence of Pet Allies through various mediums such as Facebook & Instagram, as well as assisting with marketing for the organization.
Anne lives with her partner Kathy, also an animal advocate, and they enjoy traveling the United States and hopefully Europe in the near future.

“Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received - only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.” -St. Francis of Assisi

Board Member
Board Treasurer

Karen grew up near Fort Wayne, Indiana, and worked at the local veterinarian's office while in high school. She has always had pets including cats, dogs, fish, and parakeets. While in college at Ball State University, she had an opportunity to intern at an architect's office in Phoenix, AZ. Once out of college, she moved to Phoenix where she lived for over 30 years. A major renovation project to the Show Low hospital brought her to the White Mountains area.

While in Phoenix, she also became a real estate agent and eventually got into property management, which, 22 years later, she still does part-time. Karen began buying rental houses and used her architectural experience to remodel and upgrade those houses. She still owns rental houses in Phoenix and Lakeside.

Karen started volunteering with Pet Allies after the rescue of the more than 120 hoarded cats in August, 2021. She was happy to help and even happier to see the transformation of the traumatized cats "coming out of their shells" to become the affectionate beings they were meant to be. Her helping with the cats gave her the chance to work side by side with Pet Allies' veterinary technicians and other volunteers. She was so impressed with the care and concern the technicians and volunteers showed toward the traumatized cats and decided this is the group with which she wanted to be involved.

When not taking care of her two cats Henry and Chaz, Karen can be found working on small building projects around the house, tending her large garden, working on a puzzle, or taking long weekend sightseeing trips with friends.

Board Member
Donor Engagement Director
Graphic Designer

Lisa joined the Pet Allies board after moving here from Colorado in 2018. Lisa held the role of President for Grand County Pet Pals, an all-volunteer non-profit promoting responsible pet stewardship in Grand County, Colorado for 11 years before moving to Arizona.

Jonas has over 30 years of experience in the design and production of visual communications, creative direction, brand management, and leading teams for Fortune 500 companies as well as small businesses and non-profits. Her greatest passion is animal advocacy and she endeavors to blend her creative and business expertise for the greater good of all animals and their welfare. She is consistently in awe of animals and their healing essence and strives to promote the importance of the human/animal bond and nurture that connection.

Lisa lives with her husband Wayne their two rescue dogs Betty and Stella, both former Pet Allies residents, plus five previously homeless, and now incredibly spoiled cats.

Board Member
Grants and Event Coordinator

Jennifer Rinaldi is an artist and her work is almost exclusively of equines. From an early age, she began to draw them; this infatuation has continued expressing itself through the equis subject matter. She thinks of each as a self-portrait. Media is no barrier, be it clay, wood, bronze, or paint, the need to tell a story is evident in her works.

Along with her artistic endeavors Jen is an event planner and has always involved herself in volunteer community events. From Grass Ridge Horse Trials as lead jump judge and board member to the Fairgrounds in Sonoita which she managed for 5 years, animal events have been her specialty. From 500 to 5,000 people no group is too large and no non-profit too small. Her passion is helping in whatever capacity needed.

Jen’s education has been broad and varied. She studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, and UW Milwaukee. She has worked as an artist in every job she has been hired to do. She worked at Oak Brook Esser Studios in WI, as a glass designer, and restoration specialist, moved to Arizona to continue in glass, and has gone on to graphic design and media. She recently retired from managing The Sonoita Fairgrounds, where she designed all of the print and graphic media for their events.

Jen's work can be found at www.rinaldiarts.com

Board Member
Board Secretary

Kathy was born and raised in California and moved to Arizona in 1964. She and her husband split their time between Show Low and Tucson after retiring from Tucson Unified School District after 30 years. They are proud parents of 1 son who lives in Show Low full time. Kathy volunteers at the shelter during the summer and enjoys every minute of it. They have adopted 3 dogs over the past 8 years, Dolly, Penny, and Hershey.

Board Advisor
Marketing Consultant

Rebecca has been a member of Pet Allies since 1999 and has been on the Board of Pet Allies since 2005. Rebecca's passion is helping pets live longer, healthier lives through spaying/neutering. She acts as the Spay/Neuter Adviser for Pet Allies. Rebecca helps develop a protocol for Pet Allies' high volume spay/neuter clinic and is also a Marketing volunteer.

Rebecca advises Pet Allies in all avian matters and fosters feathered friends while they await their new forever home. Among the variety of pets, Rebecca fosters she holds a special soft spot for rats and degus. She and her dog Sirius volunteered at Navapache Regional Medical Center as a Certified Therapy Team. Rebecca has been a small business owner for the past 34 years. She brings both business and marketing skills to Pet Allies assisting with the design and implementation of marketing campaigns and staff training to help further the mission of the group and its programs.

Rebecca shares her life with a blue & gold macaws: George; and her little dog Three. Her husband, Dan, is her best friend....

Marsi Van Scoter has been an active volunteer with Pet Allies since October 2021, primarily working to help socialize and care for the cats and kittens at the shelter. Marsi adopted one of the hoarded cats that the shelter rescued in 2021 from the Timberline RV park in Show Low. She loves her boy “Binx,” and is fosters cats & kittens as well for Pet Allies. Marsi started her career as a CPA, working for KPMG in downtown Los Angeles, & currently works for Health Net. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, and from the University of Phoenix with a Master’s in Management. Marsi is also a former small business owner. When she’s not managing her teams at work, or volunteering at Pet Allies, Marsi enjoys spending time with her husband, traveling to see their six (grown) children, “glamping” and boating at Lake Powell, reading, and bike riding.

Board Member
info to come

Nicole grew up on a farm in Wisconsin, which is where she developed her love for animals. In her mid 20’s, she moved to Colorado & lived there for the next 14 years. She moved to the Show Low, Arizona area in 2015 & at that time started working as a realtor. Shortly after moving to the White Mountains she adopted her cat, "The Dude," from Pet Allies. She and her husband Tom later adopted their dog, "Bear". Nicole was a sponsor for the 2022 White Mountain Rubber Duck Pluck 2022 and later that year she & her husband started volunteering at the shelter by walking the dogs. Shortly after that she decided to join the Pet Allies Board of Directors to help make the lives better for the shelter pets.

Director
Foster Chair
rjowens@petalliesaz.org

RJ is Director, of Pet Allies, after being Board President for several years. She has been a dynamic member of Pet Allies since 2002 and has seen immense changes and expansion in the organization. As part of a hands-on working board, RJ's positions include Foster Chair. RJ's passion is fostering dogs for Pet Allies. There is a great joy in seeing pets find new loving forever homes. Many more people contact Pet Allies for pet assistance than the organization is able to help and this is the most challenging element of the position.
RJ acts as Fundraising Chair. With many years of business experience, RJ leads Pet Allies into the future making the group mission a reality. Prior to volunteering her time with Pet Allies RJ served as Treasurer and Foster Chair for the Silver Creek Regional Humane Society, as a foster for Arizona Humane Society, on the Board of Directors as Secretary for Westridge Lutheran Church, President of Women of Westridge, a volunteer for Maricopa County Legal Secretaries Association, and Treasurer of the East King County Legal Secretaries Association.

In her spare time, RJ loves to garden, especially garlic. She is a Master Gardener and volunteers with the local County Extension as well as helps her friends and clients of the Barkin' Basement with their gardening questions. She also reads avidly, principally psychological thrillers. RJ shares her home with dogs and cats from the shelter who are senior or medically or behaviorally challenged, making them less adoptable. RJ fosters dogs who receive love and guidance while awaiting their own forever, loving homes.

Animal Shelter Manager

Jennifer and her family, which includes 2 horses, 2 dogs, and a handful of barn cats, moved to the White Mountains in 2019. She was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and has been a veterinary nurse since 1991. Working in the veterinary field was a childhood dream and she has fulfilled that dream by working in general practices as well as emergency/critical care, and specialty practices.

When not at Pet Allies leading the shelter staff in the care of homeless, stray, and owner-surrendered animals, her hobbies include horseback riding and wood working.

Jennifer has also used her skills and talents to raise and assist in the training of several service dogs.

Christina (“Chris”) Elenes joined the Pet Allies staff in August, 2022, after having recently moved to the Vernon, Arizona area from Norco, California. Chris previously worked at the Norco Animal Shelter in many capacities, starting as a volunteer at the age of 12. She was hired at the age of 15 as a kennel attendant/tech and eventually became an Animal Control Officer with them, where she was on call many times after hours. Chris has always wanted to live in a small town, so she was very happy to find that Pet Allies had a position open when she was looking to make a move. Chris has volunteered at a wildlife sanctuary and has worked with everything from horses, peacocks, birds, dogs, cats & more in her lifetime of helping animals. At one time, Chris fostered 30 kittens who were “bottle babies” in her home! Pet Allies is happy to have such an experienced & talented person working for the shelter.

Enrichment Specialist

Dental Technician

Kathy grew up on a farm in a small town in Nebraska where she developed her love for animals large and small. In her younger years she rode hunter jumpers which is where her love of the Jack Russell began and started her name at Pet Allies " Jack Russell of all trades". Currently Kathy has 4 Jack Russell's,1 Golden Retriever, 2 Horses and 3 Feral Cats. In 2005 she and her husband bought property in the White Mountains where they enjoy riding their horses and exploring wildlife in the forest. Kathy has been associated with Pet Allies for 7 years in which she started volunteering at the clinic recovering animals after surgery and was then hired as a Recovery Technician. After a short time she was placed in the position of Surgery Technician and Dental Technician which is her current duties at Pet Allies. Pet Allies is fulfilling her passion for working with animals.

Alice Hill
Clinic Recovery Leader

Lead Veterinary Technician

Debbie hails from the fast paced Urban Jungle of the Bronx and entered veterinary medicine as a licensed Veterinary Technician in 1994. She excels in the areas of nursing care and surgical assistance and has worked in several animal hospitals while in New York. Debbie applied her skills to become a senior technician at a high volume, low-cost spay/neuter clinic.

In 2004 Debbie relocated, with her family, to the White Mountains of Arizona. From the Jungle to the Country was a drastic transition for a city girl used to all a large city has to offer. The animals of the White Mountains have greatly benefited from Debbie's amazing animal handling skills, calm demeanor and professional attention to detail. Debbie began working with Pet Allies in 2007 as lead technician of the surgical team at the spay/neuter clinic. Her experience as a licensed Veterinary Technician will benefit thousands of animals, helping them live longer, healthier lives.

Debbie shares her life with husband David, son Emmett and 3 kitties: Grizzle, Dusty and The Cheese. Some of Debbie's other interests include tattoos, body piercing and her ever growing Tarot card and Oracle card collection. The cards are in her favor....