As the Chief Program Officer, Marc Peralta brings together Best Friends’ programs and aligns all things related to Best Friends direct care work outside of the Sanctuary along with developing the knowledge and capabilities of individuals and partner organizations involved in lifesaving in order to empower them to achieve no-kill in their own backyard. These initiatives include lifesaving programs, national programs, shelter outreach, mentorship, staff-embedding programs, community cat programs, no-kill leadership training, and emergency response training and operations.

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All My Children Wear Fur Coats is pleased to introduce Dr. Rob Silver and Joni Kamlet with Real Mushrooms. Dr. Robert Silver graduated in 1982 from Colorado State’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He established one of the first integrative vet clinics in the USA in Boulder, CO in 1993. Since then, Dr. Silver has become a nationally recognized expert in veterinary herbal and nutraceutical medicines, medicinal mushrooms, veterinary CBD and cannabis therapeutics. He has adjunct faculty positions at Lincoln Memorial University, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Chi University, a College of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Silver has published a peer-reviewed paper on the Endocannabinoid System of Animals, and three chapters in the textbook: Cannabis Therapy in Veterinary Medicine. He co-authored the chapter Cannabis in Veterinary Medicine: Cannabinoid Therapies for Animals in the Springer Nature publication, Nutraceuticals in Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Silver brings to the Real Mushrooms Science Team 40 years of practical clinical experience treating small and large animals with diet, acupuncture, nutraceuticals, botanicals and medicinal mushrooms. Read more

The Gwen Fund provides financial aid for veterinary care with priority given to emergency, palliative, and after death care. The Gwen Fund was inspired by a very special chocolate lab, Gwen. President of The Gwen Fund, Chris Olinger, had the pleasure of having Gwen as his sidekick for 15 years! In September of 2020 Gwen was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma. She experienced changes in behavior which drove Chris to seek an opinion from his veterinarian.  Unfortunately, the vet still was unable to make any determinations. Chris then was presented with the option to do more testing, one of which was over $700 dollars. Chris and his family wanted answers so they did the test and got the devastating results. Gwen’s tumor had ruptured and she had only a few days left. Read more

All My Children Wear Fur Coats is pleased to introduce Dr. Karen Griffin. She is the Founder and Executive Director of The Dog Rehoming Project. Karen Griffin, PhD is a research scientist in the field of shelter dogs and dog rehoming. She earned her doctorate in animal sciences at the University of Lincoln in Lincolnshire, England. Her research experience includes how a dog fits into a home environment, what qualifies as successful dog placement, and how to improve the likelihood that a placement will be successful. Dr. Griffin grew up with only cats and adopted her first dog, Ratatouille, as an adult. Her interest in dog rehoming was sparked by Ratatouille and he forever changed her view of the world.

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All My Children Wear Fur Coats was pleased to introduce Dr. Melissa Jacobs! She is a veterinarian, biology lab instructor, and mother, not only to her children but to the famous Remy. Remy is the very special 12-year-old Pitbull who inspired RemysBrands. Dr. Jacobs adopted Remy in December of 2010 after convincing her husband it was time to get a dog. It took her two trips to the humane society to finally adopt him – the first time she noticed him, but he did not have a name or any information on his cage. The second time she visited, Remy was still there, so she asked about him again. This time, the manager discovered Remy had been inadvertently overlooked. He was never named or listed for adoption.

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