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Disaster Response Team Members
In 2005, in the devastating wake of Hurricane Katrina, the ASPCA implemented a team of experts to aid animals and guardians caught in the violent storm. Since then, this team, now known as the ASPCA Disaster Response Team, has grown into a group of specially trained staff members who assist animal victims of both natural and man-made disasters throughout the country. From hurricanes and wildfires to puppy mill raids and other large-scale animal cruelty cases, the team works tirelessly with other emergency responders, humane associations and shelters to rescue animals from life-threatening situations and provide them with the essential care they need.
Sandra Monterose,
Senior Director of Community Outreach
Sandra Monterose has been ASPCA Senior Director of Community Outreach since 2001. She has been a member of the Disaster Response Team since its inception in 2005.
Sandra has taken part in numerous trainings, including Wildland Fire Rescue, Swift Water Rescue, Emergency Sheltering and Crime Scene and Forensic Evidence Collection.
“Since my first deployment during Hurricane Katrina—our team has played a crucial role in floods and storms, at animal shelters and in criminal cases. We've worked with every type of animal from dogs to chinchillas, we have been involved in planning and creating standards for disaster response on a national level, have received requests for assistance from small shelters to federal agencies and have given millions of dollars to aid organizations either faced with or preparing for disasters. Our team represents the whole ASPCA and our efforts to help animals and people!”
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Allison Cardona,
Director of Disaster Response
Allison Cardona has worked with the ASPCA since 2003 and currently serves as the Director of Disaster Response. She has been a member of the Disaster Response Team since its inception in 2005.
Allison’s special trainings include Swift Water Rescue, Large Animal Technical Rescue, Rope Rescue Techniques, Oiled Bird Response, Wildland Fire Rescue and Emergency Animal Sheltering.
“There’s a big difference between responding to a natural disaster and responding to a cruelty seizure. With a natural disaster, you are either working to keep the people and pets together or responding to the aftermath and trying to reunite the pets with their pet parents. In a cruelty seizure, we work to get the animals away from the owners and relieve their suffering. Both are challenging, but each brings up different emotions and obstacles. At times, it’s frustrating to work on cruelty seizures because you can’t control the outcome. You see an animal in horrible condition and want him or her to be removed and have the abuser brought to justice, but you can’t guarantee that. What we can do is make sure our evidence collection is impeccable so that we create a strong case against the perpetrator.”
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Jeff Eyre,
Director of Field Operations
Jeff Eyre has been a member of the ASPCA Disaster Response Team since 2008.
As Director of Field Operations, he spends his days assisting other humane and law enforcement agencies with large scale animal cruelty cases. Jeff’s special trainings include Swift Water Rescue, Large Animal Technical Rescue and Rope Rescue Techniques. He is also certified as a police officer and firefighter.
“I truly enjoy working with the dedicated individuals who form the ASPCA Disaster Response Team as we strive toward the common goal of rescuing hurt, stranded and abused animals.”
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Kristi Adams,
Field Responder
Kristi Adams has been a Special Agent with ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement since 2004. She joined the Disaster Response Team in 2008.
Kristi has taken part in numerous trainings, including Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue, Crime Scene and Forensic Evidence Collection, Farm Animal Handling and CPR for the Professional Rescuer. As an ASPCA Special Agent, Kristi has the skills and knowledge to work through an investigation and deal directly with perpetrators of crimes.
“I love that we are specially trained to go into the worst situations and rescue helpless animals—it's a great feeling. The hardest part about being on the team is seeing the suffering the animals have endured—whether a dog fighting case, an animal hoarding situation or a natural disaster—many animals spend their entire lives injured and scared.”
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Todd Cramer,
Field Responder
Todd Cramer has been the Community Initiatives Director for the ASPCA since 2004. He joined the Disaster Response Team in 2005.
Todd is an expert in evidence collection, photography and the forensic examination of live animals. His special trainings include Incident Command System Training, Search and Rescue, Ice Rescue and Crime Scene and Forensic Evidence Collection.
“It is not as glamorous as television shows make it seem. Raids require a significant amount of advance planning and are executed in a very organized and systematic way. It is rewarding to be present and see action being taken to benefit animals. I am proud to be able to make an immediate difference and of the camaraderie that our team is known for.”
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Chris Fagan,
Field Responder
Chris Fagan has worked with the ASPCA since 1992 and currently serves as the Mobile Clinic Maintenance Manager. He joined the Disaster Response Team in 2004.
Chris has taken part in numerous trainings, including Haz-Mat First Responder Operations Rescue, Ice Rescue, Search and Rescue, NY State EMT Basic and Swift Water Rescue. His expertise in working with the ASPCA Mobile Clinic allows him to serve as the team’s equipment manager and veterinary technician.
“As the ASPCA Disaster Response Team grows, we get better and better. I have a great sense of pride in the work we do. We are on the forefront of preventing animal cruelty, and we are setting the standard for everyone else.”
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Kristen Limbert,
Field Responder
Kristen Limbert has served as the ASPCA Humane Education Coordinator since 2007. She joined the Disaster Response Team in 2008.
Kristen has taken part in numerous trainings, including Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue, Ice Rescue, Search and Rescue, Farm Animal Handling and CPR for the Professional Rescuer. Her experience and expertise with Excel databases has put Kristen in the important role of evidentiary data collection for cruelty cases.
“Responding to a natural disaster is a wonderfully satisfying task, but there’s also something incredibly gratifying about saving animals from cruelty at the hands of human beings. To know you may be the first kind, gentle hand that has ever touched them—to be able to show them that not all humans are cruel, it is intensely emotional—both rewarding and completely heartbreaking. Our days are long and exhausting, but it is so satisfying to know that by the time you complete your mission, countless animals have been saved. It feels really good.”
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Joel Lopez,
Field Responder
Joel Lopez has been the Administrative and Outreach Manager for the ASPCA Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinics since 2006. He joined the Disaster Response Team in 2008.
Joel has taken part in numerous trainings, including Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue, Ice Rescue, Search and Rescue, Farm Animal Handling and CPR for the Professional Rescuer. His experience in working with the ASPCA Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinics has led him to become one of the team’s logistics specialists—he gains access to needed supplies, assists in adjusting work flow and aids in pre-deployment planning.
“In cruelty situations, the hardest part is seeing the animals in the condition they’re in when we arrive. Some of the scenes are so appalling, but it’s crucial to be able to swallow your emotion a bit in order to get the job done. We’re there for the animals—to get them out of there quickly, safely and effectively. Sometimes it’s difficult to hold back the tears and keep working, but that’s just what you have to do.”
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Tiffany Mahaffey,
Field Responder
Tiffany Mahaffey has worked with the ASPCA since 2006, and currently serves as the Disaster Preparedness Manager. She also joined the Disaster Response Team in 2006.
Tiffany has almost 15 years experience in the field of rescue and recovery, including acting as a canine handler for human search and rescue. She has also taken part in numerous trainings, including Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue, Confined Space Rescue, Ice Rescue, Search and Rescue and Incident Command Training.
“The animals on this planet are our responsibility. We must treat them with dignity, compassion and respect. How we treat them is an excellent reminder of the quality of our own characters—as individuals and as a species. One of the hardest things about being in the field is the visual reminder that not everyone feels the same way about animals as I do...and seeing how they suffer at the hands of those who should be taking care of them.”
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Diane Trivino,
Field Responder
Diane Trivino has worked as an ASPCA groomer since 1994. She joined the Disaster Response Team in 2006.
Diane has more than 15 years’ experience handling and grooming animals, two skills that are much-needed during cruelty raids. She has also taken part in numerous trainings, including Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue, Ice Rescue and Search and Rescue.
“We all work well together. We talk to one another, and we all know what each person is capable of doing. If you need help, just shout it out and any one of your team members will be there.”
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Jesse Winters,
Field Responder
Jesse Winters has been the ASPCA Senior Director of Community Outreach since 1999. She joined the Disaster Response Team in 2005.
In addition to 20 years’ experience in the animal sheltering field, Jesse has participated in numerous trainings, including Technical Animal Rescue, Search and Rescue, Swift Water Rescue, Haz-Mat First Responder Operations Rescue, and Veterinary Forensics and Animal Crime Scene Investigation.
“For me, the focus of each deployment is humane animal care. The circumstances of each mission are different—during natural disasters, we’re helping local residents maintain their bond with their companion animals by helping them stay together. At large-scale animal crime scenes, we’re getting animals to safety where they’ll get the care they need, and documenting evidence to make the case. Although no two cases are the same, the overarching priority is always the same no matter what—applying our technical skills, expertise, level-headedness, compassion and respect to achieve the best possible outcome for every animal.”
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