Black Pine Animal Sanctuary - Staff & Volunteers

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ABOUT US

Welcomed

Black Pine Animal Sanctuary

1426 W. 300 N.

P.O. Box 02

Albion, IN 46701

(260) 636-7383

Contact Us

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

- Ghandi

Our Staff

[ Senior Staff ] [ Interns ] [ Volunteer Staff ] [ Board of Directors ]

Karen Hoag, Founder	"Life offers us many opportunities and one of the greatest of these is practicing kindness. Black Pine Animal Sanctuary has reached out to help and care for animals in many situations of need, and in the process we have been graced with wonderful experiences and stories. My childhood dream of finding ways to protect animals is now a reality. It has been my passion and privilege to create a sanctuary that ultimately becomes a forever home for the many animals we have rescued from dire circumstances. I am grateful to all those people who have contributed to the many demands of making a sanctuary for all God's creatures. My ongoing hope is that people will continue to step up and preserve the legacy begun in 1982. Our mission will continue to embrace providing love, care, and a forever home for animals who make all of our lives richer and extraordinary." - Karen Hoag, Founder
Scott Taylor, DVM	Dr. Scott Taylor has been practicing Veterinary Medicine since 1987. After graduating from Purdue Veterinary School, he worked as a large and small animal Vet in Southern Indiana and in DeKalb, and Allen Counties until opening the Kendallville Animal Hospital on July 12, 1995. Since then he has provided quality surgical and medical services for companion animals in the four county area. Dr. Taylor is licensed to practice Veterinary Medicine in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. During his Veterinary training, Dr. Taylor did a ten week externship in Ethiopia, Africa. He provided surgical and preventative medicine for domestic livestock and had opportunity to care for exotic animals like monkeys, cheetahs and lions. He became Black Pine's primary veterinarian in 2010. To learn more about our veterinary program, click here.
Lori Gagen, Executive Director	Lori Gagen began volunteering at Black Pine in 1995 when the facility added a gift shop at the point of admissions. Lori was a founding board member of Professional Animal Retirement Center, Inc., the organization formed to manage the sanctuary when it became a 501c3 non-profit organization in 2001. In February, 2006, she joined the paid staff as Director of Development. Lori became Executive Director in September 2008. "It is extraordinary to have come into this wonderful world of animal rescue as a volunteer just trying to lend a hand to friends who were living out their dream. To have continued this journey for so many years and learned first-hand how much impact a community of caring individuals can truly have on the lives of these animals we keep has been an inspirational, astounding, and unbelievably rewarding experience! I know how rare and special this opportunity is, and I cherish it and all my fellow caregivers and advocates deeply." - Lori Gagen, Executive Director
Jay Kumaran, DVM	Dr. Jay "Doc" Kumaran was Black Pine's primary veterinarian from 2006 through 2010, and has continued as a consulting veterinarian in his semi-retirement. Doc and his wife, Patrice, operated Allpet Hospital & Laser Surgery Center in Fort Wayne from 1972 until 2009. In 2006 the Kumarans announced an extraordinary pledge to donate 100% of their services, and to build and furnish a new vet clinic, dedicated in honor of Doc's father, on site at Black Pine. Construction is slated to be complete in 2011.

To learn more about joining our staff, click here!

Several of nearly 70 Black Pine staff members took a moment to pose for a photo in May 2009. Pictured are, front row from left: Allyson Blomberg, Karen Lemire, Dianne Lengerich, Lori Gagen, Terry Reyes and Kevin Adkins. In back, from left: Jenna Yeager, Brandon Lay, Teresa Bailey, Rebekah Chmielewski, Deanna DeRosa, Kristen Duncan, LaMont Tipple, Jim Blomberg, Tabitha Barbree and Kellie Adkins.

Our volunteers...

Black Pine's volunteer program provides opportunities to become involved in animal care, housekeeping, maintenance, public relations, fundraising, and all other aspects of the organization. In addition to a volunteer Board of Directors and Fundraising Committee, volunteers fulfill many of the day to day management roles. Those who make a very routine contribution to these efforts, more than 20, contribute an average of 200 hours of service each week! They include:

Level 4-5 "Senior" Keepers and Managing Staff

These staff members bring nearly 100 years of combined experience from a variety of professional backgrounds to Black Pine. They Their tenures on the staff range from two to 20 years and thousands of hours of service to the mission. Their long-term commitment has earned them the privilege of fulfilling the roles of senior management at this organization. They support and back up the paid staff routinely to keep things running smoothly!

Alexandra Maxwell - Senior Keeper

Barb Smith - Special Events

Brenda Cureton - Education/Special Events

Cris Hensley - Veterinary Ass't

Dianne Lengerich - Senior Keeper

Jim Blomberg - Senior Keeper

Karen Hoag - Founder / Emergency Responder

Kati Speer - Veterinary Assistant

Kevin Adkins - Senior Keeper

Kim Lauer - Telecommunications

LaMont Tipple - Senior Keeper

Mark Thaler - Senior Keeper

Nathan Shelton - Senior Keeper

Renee Runkle - Senior Keeper

Ron Oetting - Film Production

Terry Reyes - Customer Relations

Level 3 "Assistant" Keepers

Assistant Keepers are those authorized to shift and work in close proximity to many of the big cats, primates, bears, large reptiles, and other potentially dangerous animals. These keepers complete hundreds of hours of training and have proven safety records that qualify them to carry out core animal care needs, under the supervision of paid staff and Senior Keepers. Many among them have from two to eight years of on-the-job experience in their keeper roles at Black Pine.

Abby O'Grady

Alexandra Johnson (Intern)

Ambrose Krouse

Amy Hartzell

Amy Kreg

Anne Lawson

Bridgette McCue

Donna Kelly

Ed Campbell

Forrest France

Joe Pegan

Kassie Harrold

Kellie Adkins

Kristen Duncan

Laren Molinari

Linda Kratzat

Nathan Shelton

Level 1-2 "Junior" Keepers

Junior Keepers carry out animal care for resident birds, grazing animals, small reptiles, and other non-dangerous animals, as well as assist level 3-5 keepers with other animal care needs.

Barb Ellison

Blake Carter

Chandra Royer (Intern)

Corliss Decker

David Mishler

Gay Hickman

Grace Chorpenning (Intern)

Kaleigh DeBeck (Intern)

Karen Lemire

Kristin Mishler

Leslie Pettit

Mark Ellison

Randi Speer

Other Volunteer Staff:

Those listed below perform a variety of volunteer services such as diet preparation, housekeeping, customer relations, special event staffing, and more. Their contributions are also important to our success!

Brenda Cureton

Diana Leffel

Ron Oetting

Our interns excel...

Our internship program is flourishing and we are so proud of the ambitious students who hail from universities around the U.S. and local high schools. Interning at Black Pine provides students planning a career in animal science a unique opportunity to learn practical skills in a fun, interactive environment while helping really make a difference in the lives of our rescued and retired animals. Those who have completed the program have gone on to paid positions in some of the nation's finest institutions, including Shedd Aquarium, Brookfield Zoo, Washington Park Zoo, Columbian Park Zoo, Northwest Trek, Yosemite National Park, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and the Zooquarium at Cape Cod. Read a student's project paper here. Some past interns include:

	Mikey Marazzi was a winter 2011 intern at Black Pine. He is currently interning at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, LA where he works six days a week, five of which are in the primate department, and one day in the hoofstock department. Mikey is a graduate of California State University with a degree in Anthropology.
	Ali Schreiner was a Black Pine intern in 2010. She has been accepted into veterinary school and is a member of the class of 2015, hoping to have a future in zoo medicine.
	Jessi Kendro interned at Black Pine the summer of 2009. Soon after, she secured a job at the Humane Society of Huron Valley as a shelter supervisor. In June 2011, Jessi was hired at the Capital Area Humane Society in Columbus, OH as their Volunteer Programs Manager.
	Katie Blomquist graduated with a BS in Animal Sciences from the University of Illinois in 2008, and completed an internship at Black Pine that summer. She is now employed by the Dupage County Animal Care and Control as a kennel worker in Wheaton, IL. Katie completed an internship at this shelter before coming to Black Pine.
	Allison Pepich is attending the University of Illinois veterinary school in hopes of becoming a zoo veterinarian. Allison completed her internship at Black Pine in 2008.
	Candace Brawner graduated from San Diego State University in 2008 with a BS in biology with emphasis on zoology. After completing an internship in 2007, Candace is now employed as a hoofstock keeper at Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City, KS. Candace came to Black Pine's internship program in 2007 to gain new "real life" experiences that exceed her textbook knowledge so she can ultimately make a difference in the survival and lives of animals.
	Kelly Sinak graduated from Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, then from Purdue University majoring in neurobiology and physiology in 2009. She was an intern at Black Pine in 2007. She went on to complete an internship at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, FL. Kelly is now a hoofstock keeper in the African Journey at the Fort Wayne Childrens Zoo.
	Kiely Clark Carlson was one of the first two student interns at Black Pine. She helped put together the internship program before beginning her college studies at Purdue, where she also served as president of the Purdue Zoological Society. Kiely graduated from Purdue, then worked in preclinical drug research, then later at Purdue in the psych department studying artificial sweeteners and the effects on body weight gain. She has since quit research and is a full time photographer - not of animals - but of newborns! She still gets her "animal fix" working PT in an emergency vet clinic.

To learn more about joining our staff, click here!

Please... Click here to read more about Professional Animal Retirement Center, our non-profit organization!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

to all of our staff!