Anthony Barnett – Founder and Director, Chief Editor
(Board of Directors)
Anthony graduated Cum Laude with a business degree from Baker University. He successfully completed the Triple Crown Academy for Professional Dog Trainers distance education course. Anthony is a member of the Douglas County Animal Response Team and owner of a local business. He manages large dog packs and evaluates dogs for temperament and disposition. He also evaluates and shelters dog fighting and cruelty seizure dogs for local humane society, law enforcement and regional rescue organizations, particularly bully breed dogs. Anthony is a legislative liaison for local humane societies and advocacy groups in matters of dangerous dog ordinances and public safety, animal care and control, and Breed Specific Legislation.
Katie Bray - Legislative Director, Adoption Director, Pit Bull E.D.U. Program Coordinator
(Board of Directors)
Katie graduated from Missouri State University and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas School of Law. She was awarded the Walter Hiersteiner Outstanding Service Award by the law school faculty, which is given to the student whose service to her fellow students, university, and community, demonstrates the greatest promise for contribution to the legal profession and to society. Katie is the Founder of the KU Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and worked for Best Friends Animal Society while in law school. Prior to law school, Katie worked for the City Attorney's Office in Springfield, Missouri, for several years and worked in the complex litigation field for nearly five years. She volunteers for her local county animal response team, and is a former board member of the Mid America Bully Breed Rescue. Katie has volunteered for various animal shelters and breed specific rescues, worked mass spay and neuter clinics, and coordinated the successful adoption of hundreds of bully breed dogs. She has also traveled to various locations to help with large scale animal rescues and dog fighting seizures, and assisted law enforcement with the evaluation of seized dogs.
Crissa Seymour – Legal Analyst, Contributing Editor
(Board of Directors)
Crissa graduated with highest distinction (summa cum laude) and honors from the University of Kansas with bachelor’s degrees in Biology and French. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Mortar Board. She graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law as a Rice Scholar (full tuition scholarship) and Order of the Coif. She was also awarded the Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement, which is given to the graduating student selected by the Law Faculty as having made the most significant contribution towards overall legal scholarship. During law school, she was a member and Executive Note and Comment Editor of the Kansas Law Review, and authored an article on Patent Law. Crissa grew up in a multi-dog household and has been around dogs her entire life. During college, she volunteered for the local humane society fostering and working primarily with bully breed shelter dogs. Crissa has been a volunteer and foster for Mid America Bully Breed Rescue, and has worked with various local organizations, including Kansas City Dog Advocates to educate and inform public officials and their constituents regarding animal control and dangerous dog ordinances, spaying and neutering, and Breed Specific Legislation.
Lisa Carestia - Legal Analyst, Contributing Editor
(Board of Directors)
Lisa graduated summa cum laude from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in Business (finance) and was awarded the Alpha Kappa Psi Scholarship Award for the attainment of the highest grade point average in the College of Business. She received her Juris Doctor from Northern Illinois University College of Law where she was the recipient of the Honorable George W. Unverzagt Scholarship, Phi Delta Phi Balfour Scholarship and Justinian Society of Lawyers Scholarship. During law school, she was President of Phi Delta Phi and the Italian American Law Student Association and Law Review Notes and Comments Editor. Lisa adopted her first bully breed dog from Missouri Pit Bull Rescue during her second year of law school after volunteering at her local animal shelter, where she had her first personal experience with bully breeds. In the eight years since adopting Millie, Lisa has added two more bully breeds to her family, has prepared and reviewed business plans and legal documents for animal advocacy organizations, and has continued to be an active supporter of her local animal shelters and various Midwestern bully breed rescues.
Shannon Wells – Head Trainer (email Shannon here)
Shannon studied at the Tom Rose School for Professional Dog Trainers were she learned to train pet dogs, working dogs, and sporting dogs. In addition to obedience training, Shannon provides behavior assessments and assists clients with behavior modification including using the Constructional Aggression Treatment (CAT) Model. Shannon works with all breeds and especially enjoys training her Belgian Malinois in a variety of dog sports including agility, dock diving, and tracking. She also is a Dogs & Storks instructor in the Kansas City Missouri metro area and has been active in local and regional animal legislation for eight years, including serving as the co-chair of the Canine Legislation Conference 2007, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Camille Lindquist - Events Coordinator (email Camille here)
Camille Lindquist is a registered nurse with 14 years of experience working on the Hematology Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant unit at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. Having first worked as a care assistant while in nursing school, then as a charge/staff nurse, she saw how difficult life can be for kiddos with cancer. Through a program known as Pet Pals at CMH, she saw how animals really make a difference in peoples' lives, especially sick kids. She saw children who had not smiled in days go to Pet Pals and come back to their hospital room actually talking and laughing, ready to show off pictures of their favorite dogs. Camille believes the positive effect that animals have on people is contagious. In December of 2008, she became a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, and for the last 2 years has worked as a nurse analyst at a medical malpractice and personal injury law firm. Camille has always been an animal lover but really became a true "Pit Bull" advocate while watching the Michael Vick story unfold in 2007. Having never actually met a pit bull type dog before, she began volunteering for a local rescue and fell in love with the breed. Living in Kansas where there are many bans against owning a “pit bull,” she is interested in spreading the word about these wonderful dogs in the hope that breed specific legislation will cease to exist.
Nicole F. - Volunteer Coordinator (email Nicole here)
Nicole is a Licensed Masters Social Worker (LMSW) working in a local emergency room. Her undergraduate and graduate degrees are from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. During graduate school she was on the honor roll each semester, and completed her practicum placement at Children’s Mercy Hospital in the Emergency Department. Nicole is skilled in crisis intervention and working with at-risk families to prevent child abuse and neglect. Nicole became a social worker in order to help people help themselves, and to advocate for some of her most vulnerable and stigmatized clients. Nicole realizes how misunderstood pit bull type dogs are and is passionate about advocating for them. She enjoys working with dogs who are wonderful breed ambassadors, and loves seeing pit bull type dogs open the minds and hearts of the people they interact with. Nicole previously volunteered for a local bully breed rescue for three years. During that time, she built relationships with many of the dogs, and enjoyed working on training and socialization with them.
Sage Dragen - Foster Home and Records Coordinator
Sage is currently working on her business degree at Johnson County Community College with plans of transfering to Kansas University to finish her bachelor's degree. As a lifelong animal lover, Sage has worked and volunteered with animals of all kinds at multiple farms, stables, and veterinary clinics with a focus on horses and dogs. Sage is currently managing Home Sweet Home Dog Resort and working with the Game Dog Guardian dogs who are in boarding and training. Through her work with Game Dog Guardian, Sage has developed a passion for helping rehabilitate special needs dogs who require extra time, patience, and understanding after experiencing extreme abuse and trauma.
Heddie Ledger - Delta Force Therapy Dogs Team member/Trainer
Heddie and Hero reside in Liberty, Missouri. Since Hero came into her life Heddie has spoken to thousands of people regarding the importance of responsible pet ownership, spay neuter, anti-bully, and positive motivational reinforcement training. She has become an instructor/evaluator for an international organization, The Delta Society, and regularly speaks to classrooms, both at the elementary level and university level. She and Hero have developed programs across the state of Missouri. She is a Hug A Tree and Dog Gone Safe presenter, always with Hero as her demo dog. Heddie has become a Certified Humane Educator and is on the team of Wayside Waifs, a local shelter, which provides resources for many homeless animals and Best Friends Education Ambassador. She has also become a crisis intervention CERT member and helps with emergency situations working with emergency personnel with her other Rottweiler, Halo, a certified search dog.
Curt Shontz – Illustrator, Graphic Designer
K. Curtis Shontz is a freelance illustrator, graphic artist, and web designer operating under the name The Agile Badger (http://www.theagilebadger.com). He produces illustrations for magazine feature articles, web sites, tee-shirts, logos, and advertisements for print and web. He also produces dozens of unwashed coffee mugs and staggeringly deep piles of recyclable waste. He dabbles in freelance writing and feels awkward constructing brief biographical summaries using the third-person voice.
Jud Kite – Graphic Designer
Jud Kite started Killer Kite Productions in 2000 specializing in the design and marketing of merchandise including: tour and promo posters, t-shirts, stickers, package design, brochures, logos, identity creation and branding, web design, and more. Pricing is always fair and competitive.
Email: jud@killerkite.com
Phone: 913-406-2377
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/killerkiteproductions
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jud.kite
Scott Murray – Graphic Design (Beef.0 logo)
Adam Yarnevich – Web Designer
Adam Yarnevich is an Art Director at an interactive/advertising agency in Kansas City. He specializes in interactive design and web solutions for major corporations. In his spare time, he enjoys eating tacos.
Andy Young – Web Developer, English Bulldog Owner