Melody Kelso is one of the original founders of The Pet Connection, Inc. She has been training dogs for over 15 years. After doing a 3-month internship with Anne Mackey in 1993, she completed a one-year internship with Westwood Animal Hospital and was hired as one of the primary dog trainers for their clinic. She has trained in various animal hospitals and provided educational seminars for various organizations including Animal Haven, Companion Animals, Johnson County Community College, Johnson County Mental Health, Longview Community College and Ranchmart.

In 1996, she operated a day care, pet sitting and dog training service for a little over a year before she closed the doors to be the executive director of Animal Haven. Through her work with Heart of America Humane Society, Abandoned Animal Rescue, Border Collie Rescue and Animal Haven, she has fostered hundreds and hundreds of dogs. Many dogs rescued by Melody are considered special needs requiring work with aggression, separation anxiety, fears, basic training, deaf, blind, etc.

Melody is the proud owner of Sasha, a Chow/Shep champion, abused. Ali, 9 years old, trained to herd and play Frisbee, brain damaged. Hannah, 7 years old, trained to be herself. McD, a 7 year old feral. Herd, 15 years old, certified to work with the elderly and children. Diamond, 12 years old, a local Frisbee champion.

President of the Board/Manager/Foster Care/Obedience Training
Involved in rescue since 1993

Jason Huff is one of the original founders of The Pet Connection, Inc. He became involved because of Melody Kelso. Jason graduated from High School in 1994 and went on to get a degree in Sociology from
KU in 1999. He started fostering for TPC in 2000. He started studying animal behavior in 2002. He became
a full-time employee for TPC Rescue Development in 2003. He became a Board Member in 2005 and started teaching Behavior Consultant classes for TPC in 2006. In 2006 he became Director of Operations in charge of starting new programs and overseeing the dog adoption program.

Some of his duties include:

• Assists as a Vet Tech
• Remodeled current shelter in 2006 to current
• Helps out wherever needed

Jeanine Mindrup is one of the co-founders of The Pet Connection, Inc. Jeanine graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Elementary Education. She began working in animal rescue in 1998 after learning about the foster home system. She fostered dogs for Animal Haven from 1998 - 1999, until one of her fosters decided to permanently live with her. She co-founded The Pet Connection, Inc. in 2000. She is one of the shelter managers for TPC and a foster parent for some of the dogs looking for their forever homes. She has assisted in spay/neuter clinics, helped with fundraising, and is working part-time as a receptionist/adoption counselor.

Shelter Manager/Foster Care
Involved in rescue since 1998

Jenny Caiharr's work with The Pet Connection, Inc. began in 2003. She has had a licensed foster home since 2003, where she has been working with feral cats and fearful/aggressive dogs. She has been teaching obedience classes since 2004.

She received an Associates of Arts from Johnson County Community College in 2000 and went on to get her Bachelors of Zoo Science from the Friends University in 2003. Her professional responsibilities include being the secretary for the Kansas City Chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers and the Vice Coordinator of the Mangabey Species Survival Plan for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. She is a member of the American Association of Zoo Keepers and Association of Zoos and Aquariums. She has attended numerous workshops and seminars:

• Old World Monkey Taxon Advisory Group Social Behavior Management Workshop
• Positively Trained, Working with Fearful Dogs
• Gorilla Workshop, hosted by the Gorilla Species Survival Plan
• Amercan Association of Zoo Keepers annual Conference
• The Art and Science of Animal Training presented by Natural Encounters

Her papers/studies include the following:

• Food Choice/Preference study on Desmodus rotundus, Vampire Bats
• Size Does Matter, Sexual Selection study
• Pudu pudu Pudu Husbandry Survey
• Ultrasound Conditioning of a Captive Western Lowland Gorilla Gorilla gorilla

Deborah Kallevig first encountered The Pet Connection in 2006 when she was looking to add another canine companion to her household. She was eventually matched with Dixie, a sweet little rat terrier (thank you Jason!). Her sons (17 and 9) and she loved the staff, the facility and the rescue environment and began to volunteer their time. Before long they were fostering dogs, something they found enormously satisfying. Deborah was then hired to work part-time as an animal caretaker working with both cats and dogs at The Pet Connection. She also works full-time as a Legal Assistant to a criminal defense attorney and is a trained EMT and a Respiratory Therapist. Deborah and her sons share their home with a chocolate lab, 2 rat terriers, 2 cats and 2 birds.

Penny Minniear began with The Pet Connection in February of 2000 when she went into PetSmart with her newly adopted dog MAX to shop. She met Melody and Jeanine looking for volunteers to help with their new group. By April of 2000 she had become a foster failure by adopting the very first dog she fostered. Max loved his new sister Rachael, so the three of them became a family. Penny has worked in the various areas of shelter work, fostering, , helping with events, fundraising, Spay Neuter Clinics and Teaching Obedience classes.

Volunteering at The Pet Connection has provided the opportunity to do what she loves, work with animals. The training and education received working in the shelter environment allowed Penny the hands on experience to gain the knowledge needed to help rescue animals in the rural area where she lives and start Pets Are Worth Saving, Inc.

Her family consists of – the dogs -Max, Rachael and Sierra, the cats – Scrappy, Oreo and Cinnamon, the pigmy goats – Toffee and Licorice and the Sugar Gliders Sweetie and Darwin. And don’t forget the Husband – Roger who also volunteers many hours working in Pet Rescue

• Aaron Mindrup
• Carmen Sigler
• Vicki Hendricks
• Cynthia Williams