Meet some of our key staff members...

Chief Veterinarian

Dr. Talia graduated from Colorado State University Veterinary School in 2013. She is passionate about being a shelter vet, preventing animal suffering through compassionate medical care and high-quality high-volume spay/neuter.  Her favorite part of working at Animal Outreach is helping the animals and families most in n

Chief Veterinarian

Dr. Talia graduated from Colorado State University Veterinary School in 2013. She is passionate about being a shelter vet, preventing animal suffering through compassionate medical care and high-quality high-volume spay/neuter.  Her favorite part of working at Animal Outreach is helping the animals and families most in need. 

Talia moved from Colorado to California in 2023, where she loves the warmer climate to enjoy all sorts of outdoor activities, including hiking with her dogs, biking, and gardening. When she’s not at work, she spends time with her husband, son, and their many adopted furry family members. 

Director of Operations

Dallas’ love for animal welfare began in 2015 when she stumbled upon a feral mom cat and her babies in her neighborhood. She spent the next week learning how to trap and about her local animal welfare resources. After successfully trapping the little family and ensuring they were all spayed/neutered, each of them wer

Director of Operations

Dallas’ love for animal welfare began in 2015 when she stumbled upon a feral mom cat and her babies in her neighborhood. She spent the next week learning how to trap and about her local animal welfare resources. After successfully trapping the little family and ensuring they were all spayed/neutered, each of them were placed in loving homes! This whole experience made her realize her passion for animal welfare which led her to get involved as a volunteer at a local cat rescue. 

After a couple years of volunteering her time, she knew that she wanted to change her career path and dedicate a full-time work schedule to this important cause. This is when she officially stepped into a foster rescue coordinator role at a local municipal shelter where she spent three years learning, growing, and changing the lives of the felines that came into the shelter. In her time there her hard work helped to grow the foster and rescue base while also allowing her the space to dive into sheltering best practices and local ordinances. 

She then was able to move into a new role as the Operations Manager at a local cat rescue/clinic where she spent the next few years managing the organization’s programs and staff, focusing on intake, sheltering, foster, adoptions, and clinic. She also assisted with social media/fundraising campaigns and shelter deferment and public education programs, which included the creation and initiation of new programs. 

Her last two years were spent as the Volunteer Manager for Make-A-Wish Northeastern and Central California, where she was able to help build a strong volunteer program and learn even more about what it takes to run a nonprofit. 

In addition to the hands-on experience Dallas brings to our organization, she also received a certificate from Cal Animals for completing their Executive Leadership Program in 2024. 

Dallas’ main reason and drive behind all of the work that she has done and continues to do since that first little family that she trapped in 2015, is to bring positive change to the lives of the voiceless and vulnerable animals and the people that care for them. 

Dallas’ favorite quote: 

“In a culture as harsh as ours, being kind doesn’t always come easy- it takes intention and effort. Take the difficult path. Choose kindness, especially to those who are vulnerable. ‘It takes strength to be gentle and kind.’” -Hannah Shaw (Kitten Lady) 

Finance & Marketing Manager

 At twelve years old, Leah started her journey with Animal Outreach by volunteering in the shelter once a week with her neighbor and soon convinced her family to start fostering litters of kittens each summer. In 2011, as soon as she got her drivers license, she started volunteering on her own in any and all are

Finance & Marketing Manager

 At twelve years old, Leah started her journey with Animal Outreach by volunteering in the shelter once a week with her neighbor and soon convinced her family to start fostering litters of kittens each summer. In 2011, as soon as she got her drivers license, she started volunteering on her own in any and all areas she could, learning all aspects of the shelter and clinic. The majority of her time was spent in the shelter with cleaning, animal care and facilitating adoptions but would join the clinic team on Free Feral Days to assist with recovering animals. Leah was hired as a permanent part of the Shelter Care Team in the spring of 2011. She remained a key member in our shelter until the summer of 2013 where she decided to step back from a paid position and move her focus to her new son. Leah remained a foster for A.O. and had many “foster fails” along the way. In beginning of 2019, Leah came back to work in the shelter and quickly moved into assisting our longtime Board Member and Bookkeeper in the office. Soon after Covid, our Bookkeeper retired and Leah took on the role full time, stepping away from the shelter. In addition to her bookkeeping duties, in 2020, Leah took on the role of Marketing Coordinator, managing the business advertising, social media accounts and event promotions. In 2026, Leah was promoted to Finance Manager where she continues to perform the financial recordkeeping while assisting the Director of Operations with daily operations, developing financial projections, and coordinating HR responsibilities. Leah has one dog and four cats of her own, Aurora, Barni, Norm, Juan Pablo and Carlos.   

Office Manager

 Francie started at Animal Outreach as a volunteer in 2013 and soon was hired as a receptionist. She quickly moved up to become our Office Manager where she now supervises our reception and office team. She brings with her an accounting background and earned her Associates Degree in Business Management in 2014. In her time a

Office Manager

 Francie started at Animal Outreach as a volunteer in 2013 and soon was hired as a receptionist. She quickly moved up to become our Office Manager where she now supervises our reception and office team. She brings with her an accounting background and earned her Associates Degree in Business Management in 2014. In her time away from work, you can find her raising her wonderful grandchildren (you might even see them around AO!). Over the years, Francie has fostered many litters of kittens for Animal Outreach, with three of her current cats, Zabella, Barney, and Ellie, being happy “foster fails.” Her fourth cat, Tiger, she rescued after he was abandoned near her home. Favorite quote: “Imagine all the people…living life in peace.” – John Lennon  

Clinic Coordinator

Vallean is a lifelong member of the El Dorado County community who has grown up surrounded by animals of all kinds. From caring for baby farm animals to bottle-feeding litters of kittens, animals have always been a central part of Vallean’s life and heart. 

Working in the animal field since 1998, Vallean brings decades of

Clinic Coordinator

Vallean is a lifelong member of the El Dorado County community who has grown up surrounded by animals of all kinds. From caring for baby farm animals to bottle-feeding litters of kittens, animals have always been a central part of Vallean’s life and heart. 

Working in the animal field since 1998, Vallean brings decades of hands-on experience and a deep understanding of animal care. Vallean has also passed this love on by teaching her daughter the importance of caring for and respecting animals, helping nurture the next generation of compassionate animal advocates. Skilled in running a clinic environment, Vallean is known for strong teamwork, a willingness to teach, and a dedication to going the extra mile-especially for people who may have limited funds but still want the best possible care for their animals. Above all, Vallean is driven by a passion for doing what is right and necessary to support the health and well-being of animals everywhere. 

Foster Coordinator

 After being a stay-at-home mom to her two sons, Donna began volunteering with Animal Outreach in the summer of 2011. Her dedication and compassion quickly stood out, and she was hired that October as a member of our Shelter Care Team. Over the following years, Donna steadily expanded her knowledge of animal care by work

Foster Coordinator

 After being a stay-at-home mom to her two sons, Donna began volunteering with Animal Outreach in the summer of 2011. Her dedication and compassion quickly stood out, and she was hired that October as a member of our Shelter Care Team. Over the following years, Donna steadily expanded her knowledge of animal care by working closely with the organization’s shelter veterinarians and executive director. This hands-on experience and growing expertise naturally led her into the role of Foster Coordinator, where she now plays a vital part in supporting our 200+ fosters and the animals they care for. Donna has three dogs and four cats of her own. Two of her cats are Animal Outreach alumni and two are rescues.