A Fur-Less Family Member
Garret Barcheski
Shelter Director
Garret has a lifetime of pet ownership and is our in-house dog whisperer. He keeps everyone at the shelter on their toes with his crazy amount of energy! Garret is knowledgeable about so many aspects of dog training and being a pet parent, he is always willing to share his advice with everyone! But it's not all fun and games, as Garret handles most of the business related to the shelter as well. Garret can usually be seen walking a dog when he's not hard at work at his computer - usually singing a tune while he does so! Make sure you say hi - he is always ready to talk to new people about their pets!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Evan Kerekes
Animal Care Manager
Evan has ten years of experience working as a Veterinary Technician, mainly in the non-profit spay and neuter sector. He is a life long pet owner who's dedication to animal welfare inspires all of those around him. His wife, Amy, and him are the proud parents of three rambunctious human boys, Hendrik, Robin, and Seamus. They have two furry babies as well, Heidi, the ever bouncy ball of energy in dog form and Mimi, the perpetually sleeping cat. Evan spends most of his free time with his family, outdoors, cycling, and running.
A Fur-Less Family Member
Dr. Michelle Hewitt
Veterinarian
Dr. Michelle Hewitt has been a veterinarian at the Tranquility Veterinary Clinic since 1997. In 2008, she started volunteering at Father John's Animal House. Dr. Hewitt examines all of the dogs and cats that come to the shelter, manages their preventative health care and treats illnesses and injuries. She is one busy veterinarian but working with all of the wonderful animals and dedicated staff at Father John's has been extremely rewarding for her. Dr. Hewitt looks forward to finding happy homes for all of the special animals that she meets!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Michael DeLuise
Volunteer Coordinator / Front End Lead
Mike joined the Father John's team back in 2015 as a kennel attendant and certainly found his niche. Having a few dogs and cats of his own, he felt right at home. Over the years Mike as drawn on his art background to creatively aide in the development of our volunteer and customer service programs. With his big personality, sense of humor, and warm, welcoming attitude, he loves to welcome new people to Father John's. Thinking of contacting the shelter, or becoming a volunteer? Say "hi" to Mike!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Leon Richards
Caretaker
Leon started as a volunteer for the shelter but for many years has lived in the apartment at the shelter as Caretaker. In addition to keeping the facility looking good, his commitment to the animals is non-stop. He is up before the sun and tucks all the dogs into their kennel runs each night. He treats each animal here like they're his own, and showers them with love and affection during their stay with us! You're sure to run into Leon walking a dog or doing some important maintenance work when you stop by, so be sure to say hi!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Jill Hollister
Receptionist
When you call the shelter, expect to speak with Jill! She spends most of her day on the phone helping people looking to either surrender or adopt. And speaking of adopting, she handles most of the adoption paperwork with everyone who takes home an animal! She's that friendly face that will greet you when you stop in the shelter, so come by and tell Jill "hi"!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Patti Mastellone
Administrative Assistant
Patti helps out in so many ways at the shelter, primarily by inputting donations into our database and organizing them. It's a lot of computer work, so she is also one of our fantastic kitten fosters! Patti specializes in little bottle feeders, and doesn't mind waking up in the middle of the night to feed these precious babies. If you ever adopt a kitten from us, chances are he or she was one of Patti's fosters!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Rhianna Montanez
Communications & Events Associate
Rhianna started as a volunteer focusing on cat cleaning and socializing, and has recently joined the team as a staff member. She runs our social media on Facebook and Instagram, and is also the point of contact when it comes to running events. In addition to all of this, she is one of our kitten fosters, focusing especially on kittens and young cats who are shy or have behavioral issues. If you have questions about your kitten's behavior, Rhianna may be able to help!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Joanna Kugler
Veterinary Technician
Joanna has recently joined our team as a vet tech, but she has been working in the industry for years! Joanna has helped animals from all over, whether at veterinary clinics or on the farm, she loves treating all kinds of animals! Her expertise is critical in her role, as we see pets with all kinds of medical needs, and are often challenged to save these precious lives under daunting circumstances. When you stop in to adopt your newest family member, Joanna may be doing just that!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Matt VanVliet
Veterinary Technician
Matt is our newest vet tech, but he is learning quickly under Joanna and Evan's wings! He is enthusiastic, passionate about our animals (he adopted a dog the first week he was with us!) and has a great sense of humor as well! Although he's new here, he's not new to working with animals - he previously worked on a farm! When you're here, be sure to ask Matt about any medical needs your new pet may have!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Guiselle Montero
Cat Care / Veterinary Technician
Guiselle is one of our dedicated vet techs AND cat counselors, and you'll have a hard time finding someone who loves animals more than her! Not only is Guiselle responsible for making sure all of our animals get their medications, are healthy and on track with their weights, checking for parasites and so much more, but she is also an amazing kitten foster who specializes in caring for kittens who are sick or otherwise very fragile. She has spent over 40 years in the animal medical field, but now spends most of her time at Father John's working with our cats. When you work with Guiselle to adopt your next cat, you'll learn all about their medical needs as well!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Lisa Deutsch
Cat Care Lead
Although Lisa is our newest member of the cat care crew, she's no stranger to our feline friends! She is currently an ACO, filling in when it's needed with Sparta, and she also worked 12 years as an animal cruelty investigator for the ASPCA. Lisa knows more than anyone all of the terrible things that can happen to a pet when in the wrong hands, which is why she is so dedicated to helping the cats at our shelter. Do you need to surrender a cat, or perhaps you're looking to adopt a new friend? Lisa is here to help!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Maribeth Brancato
Cat Care Counselor
You'll be hard pressed to find someone who loves cats as much as Maribeth! She started as a volunteer and now is a dedicated staff member, primarily responsible for our feline population. Maribeth is a pro at calling potential adopters to make a match with one of our cats, since she is the best at getting to know each kitty on an individual basis. She loves every cat here, so when you come by, you'll probably find her cuddling our cats before they go home!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Lynn DePasquale
Cat Care Counselor
Lynn has been with us for many years as a volunteer, and was hired as a team member in 2015. Since then, she has been diligently caring for our cats. Have you ever noticed a sparkle to our shelter when you walk in? That's all thanks to Lynn! She's got a constant flow of laundry going and polishes the floors once a week! If she's not with the cats, she's keeping our shelter clean and tidy!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Noelle Titus
Kennel Care Lead
Noelle is the head of our kennel team, so if you're looking to adopt or surrender a dog, you'll probably be working with her! Noelle is an expert at getting to know each dog individually to make the perfect match with potential adopters. Since each dog is so different, and may display different behaviors in a kennel vs in a home, Noelle does her best to understand each dog's behavior. She cares for every dog like they're her own! You'll probably see Noelle when you go to adopt your new pup, or maybe you'll find her taking our dogs on a nice walk outside of our facility!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Sarah Oehler
Kennel Care Counselor
Sarah has been with us working with our dogs since 2015! She loves and cares for every dog that comes to our facility. When she's not out with the dogs getting some exercise in one of our beautiful play yards, she's checking adoption questionnaires to see if there are any potential matches. Outside of the shelter, Sarah is also a realtor in the local area! Sarah can help you with so much, so make sure you stop by to say hi!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Sandy Pender
Kennel Care Counselor
Sandy is one of our dedicated kennel team members, so you can usually find her out walking some of our adoptable dogs, or counseling potential adopters. On the weekends, you may find her here with her daughter, who volunteers with us! Sandy is so loving to all of our animals, and is always trying to find the best possible home for each pup. Come in to meet some of our adoptable dogs and say hi to Sandy!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Kaila Yezuita
Kennel Care Counselor
Kaila is our newest kennel team member, and she is already diving on in! She loves getting the dogs their daily dose of exercise - walking them and bringing them to the play yards. Kaila has already shown how much she loves the dogs here! If you see her walking them in the early hours of the morning, give her a wave!
A Fur-Less Family Member
Diane Tees
Kennel Care Counselor
Diane is one of our team members dedicated to caring for our many dogs. She is always on the move - from thoroughly cleaning the runs every morning to walking the dogs throughout the day to meeting with potential adopters! Diane never slows down! If she looks serious, that's because she's so dedicated to finding each one of our dogs a forever home. Give her a high five if she stops moving long enough!
Our Fur-less Family
Meet the humans behind Father John's
OUR MISSION
The main objective here at Father John’s Animal House is to find homes for otherwise homeless pets. We provide veterinary care, necessary medication, housing, love, food, companionship and time for their rehabilitation process. We know that this will give our animals the best shot at being able to find a forever adoptive home. Our intake animals, including some of which are homeless, handicapped, elderly, abandoned and abused, often come from local municipal shelters or are owner surrenders. This can be a time consuming and costly process.
We also seek to be a resource of information and service for the community to encourage responsible and committed pet ownership.
Father John’s Animal House is a limited admission shelter. This means that no adoptable animal is ever euthanized because of breed, age, space requirements, or a treatable condition.
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Garret Barcheski
Shelter Director
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Evan Kerekes
Animal Care Manager
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Dr. Michelle Hewitt
Veterinarian
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Michael DeLuise
Volunteer Coordinator / Front End Lead
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Leon Richards
Caretaker
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Jill Hollister
Receptionist
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Patti Mastellone
Administrative Assistant
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Rhianna Montanez
Communications & Events Associate
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Joanna Kugler
Veterinary Technician
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Matt VanVliet
Veterinary Technician
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Guiselle Montero
Cat Care / Veterinary Technician
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Lisa Deutsch
Cat Care Lead
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Maribeth Brancato
Cat Care Counselor
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Lynn DePasquale
Cat Care Counselor
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Noelle Titus
Kennel Care Lead
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Sarah Oehler
Kennel Care Counselor
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Sandy Pender
Kennel Care Counselor
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Kaila Yezuita
Kennel Care Counselor
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Diane Tees
Kennel Care Counselor
Staff Expertise
We have a well rounded staff full of knowledgeable folks that simply want to help animals. In addition to our teams specific expertise's, we have a well rounded understanding of the following.
- Adoption Matchmaking
- Dog Behavior
- Cat Behavior
- Pet Loss
- Pet Ownership Counseling
Volunteers that Care
Our volunteers are fur-less friends that are simply the best. They come out and spend their time, compassion, and effort to help all of us here at Father John's with everything; from socializing animals to fundraising events. Volunteers are an absolute necessity for Father John's to continue doing what we do. If you are even curious about volunteering, please stop by and check us out!