Leadership
Josh
Executive Director
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PETS: 2 GERMAN SHEPHERDS, GOLDEN RETRIEVER, YELLOW LAB
Executive Director
As much as we love our dogs, its the people on the other end of the leash that play the biggest role in making us who we are. This past year, Josh has taken on the role of Executive Director, and he has done nothing but amazing things for this company. His journey started when his younger brother needed a service dog through Little Angels, ever since then, he has been fascinated by the training and use of these animals to help the disabled community. With his passion and his background in business and marketing, he managed to take on the largest role in the company, and be an amazing leader for its employees. He is pictured here with his personal German Shepherd, Nika. He also owns a Yellow Lab named Kai, another German Shepherd named Kona, and a Golden Retriever named Nellie.
Katie
Founder & Director of Training
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PETS: BULL MASTIFF, GOLDEN RETRIEVER, GERMAN SHEPHERD
Voting Board Member
Executive Director – Oversees administrative staff, training staff, and site directors, for the betterment of the organization as a whole.
~Responsible for: Human Resources, final recipient applicant review and phone consultations, all legal matters and contracts, and financials as reviewed by the board Treasurer
Director of Training, CA
Responsible for evaluating each dog and trainer’s performance, and gives instruction to move forward with specific trainings methods and tasks based on a dog’s personality and propensities.
Darlene
Director of Recipient Relations
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PETS: 2 GOLDEN RETRIEVERS, TEACUP MALTISE, AND A RESCUE
Director of Recipient Relations & Director of Human Relations
Darlene is the woman who does it all. She has many hats at our company. Even after all the hard work she puts in to keep the company running, she finds time to be, not just Josh’s and Ryan’s Mom, but every staff member’s second Mom. She started her Little Angels journey when her son Ryan did, 5 years ago. She was on the hunt for a service dog organization that would help Ryan, and she found Little Angels. She couldn’t be more grateful for her place within the company and enjoys touching lives, one dog at a time. She is pictured here with one of her personal dogs, Lily. She also owns a mix breed named Maddie, a Golden Retriever named Sonya, and acts as a breeding foster for one of our breeding dogs, Luna.
Steph
Site Director, San Diego
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Board Treasurer & San Diego Site Director
Bio coming soon.
Remote Staff
Melody
Fundraising Manager
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Fundraising Manager
Bio coming soon.
Mary
Grants Manager
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Grants Manager
bio coming soon.
Dana
Breeding Program Manager
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Breeding Program Manager
Dana has been involved in the assistance dog industry for over eight years and has whelped multiple litters for service dog programs. Dana has the gift of a watchful eye when it comes to the little details that go into starting a newborn puppy on the path to good health and behavior to become a much-needed service dog. Dana has trained for Little Angels for years and is a blessing to those touched by the program. She also works directly with prison staff to accommodate the needs of dogs within their facility, and directs training and instruction of inmates, responsible for inmate trainers and gathering monthly reports on dogs’ progress
Amie
Applications Manager
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Board Secretary & Applications Manager
My position at Little Angels as, Admissions Administrator, is much more than just a job to me. I truly want to help all of my applicants through the LASD application process and in doing so change their lives for the good. I also know that this is a very stressful time for my applicants and their families. Not only are they having to tell a complete stranger about their disability and many matters that they may have always preferred to keep private, they also are stressed about the outcome of their acceptance into the Little Angels program. I do try to alleviate some of that stress and let them know that I am on their team in their effort to obtain a service dog.
I have been involved with Little Angels from the inception more that 20 years ago. It is a pure delight to see how far this brainchild of Katie’s to give the disabled to a opportunity lead a more stable and comfortable life, has come. I remember when the concept of “Changing Lives One Dog at a Time ” was born and seeing the actual change that our dogs are making in peoples lives is one of the most fulfilling accomplishments of my life.
Gwen
Assistant Trainer/Groomer
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Assistant Trainer/Groomer
Bio Coming Soon…
Julia
Applications Assistant
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Application Assistant
Julia comes to our organization with many years of experience in the medical and customer service fields, however, what makes her an ideal employee is that she herself is the recipient of Hope, a Little Angels Service Dog. She knows firsthand what it’s like to go through the application process, fundraising, the wait time for placement, and best of all living a new, more independent life with the help of her Little Angel. Julia is extremely grateful to have had Hope by her side, and now Echo, and to be a part of helping others receive their life changing dogs.
New Hampshire Team
Spencer
Operations Manager, NH
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PETS: 2 GERMAN SHEPHERDS, A MIX BREED
Operations Manager & Training Manager
Spencer got his start with LASD in San Diego, four years ago. He worked his way up over the years from Kennel Maintenance to Operations Manager at our New Hampshire Ranch. Many of you have worked with Spencer before, or seen him working with recipients at Handler Training. His heart really shows in the way he interacts with our recipients. He has a passion for these dogs and what they can do for their humans, and that has taken him a long way. He is pictured here with his personal German Shepherd, Ryder. He also lives with his second German Shepherd, Reyna, and his rescue, Braxton.
Kyler
Maintenance Manager
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PETS: TEACUP MALTISE, MIX BREED, 2 GOLDEN RETRIEVERS
Volunteer Maintenance Manager
Door letting in too much air? Leaky faucet? Broken dog yard fence? Kyler is your guy! He works tirelessly to keep all the trainer cottages and main LASD buildings running and keeping our staff and dogs safe. He mostly volunteers his time, so on top of all of that, he works full time at a local construction company that he part owns, L.A. Drew. L.A. Drew donates a lot of their time and resources to our company as well. Kyler works closely with Scott, directing him regarding fixes on property. We wouldn’t have standing buildings if it weren’t for Kyler! He is pictured here with one of his personal dogs, Sonya. He also owns a rescue named Maddie, a teacup maltise named Lily, and acts as a breeding foster for one of our breeding dogs named Luna.
Ryan
Admin
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SERVICE DOG: LABRADOODLE (MOCHA)
Admin & Maintenance
Ryan is an incredible part of the Little Angels story. Five years ago, his family set out to find him a service dog, and stumbled upon Little Angels. Now his mother, Darlene, is our Director of Recipient Relations, his big brother is the Executive Director, and he works in Admin and Property Maintenance! What a journey! When he isn’t up at all hours of the night plowing or maintaining the property, you can find him elbow deep in admin work, with his LASD Service Dog, Mocha, right next to him. His attention to detail and amazingly positive attitude, make him the perfect representative of a Little Angels employee.
Megan
Training Instructor
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SERVICE DOG IN TRAINING: English Cream Golden Retriever (Lily)
Training Instructor & Pack Leader
Megan is a new trainer at our New Hampshire Ranch. She graduated from Vanguard University of Southern California with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. Throughout her time in college she focused on the study of brain based disabilities. She started her journey with LASD when she applied for an Angel Retriever, beginning her dog training career. After demonstrating her knack for dog training, she was offered a position to join LASD as a trainer in summer 2021. Her psychology background and personal experience owning and training service dog puppies has prepared her for this role and her passion for both dogs and the disability community shows through her commitment to this organization and recipients. She is pictured here with her personal service dog in training, Lily.
Myel
Animal Care Technician
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Bio Coming
Emily
Animal Care Technician
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Bio coming
Phil
Prison Program Coordinator
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Bio Coming
California Team
Jen
Training Manager
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Kennel Maintenance
Responsible for caring for dogs and making sure their living environment is safe and healthy, day-to-day care of dogs, free play time, and caring for new puppies
Bio Coming Soon…
Julia
Training Instructor
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Bio Coming Soon…
Trinity
Kennel Maintenance
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bio coming soon.
It costs over $38,000 to train and place a Service Dog.
Your contribution helps fund training and development for our Little Angels and to continue expanding our services to aid people with disabilities.
