BtC4animals.com is a site voluntarily managed by and for the animal advocate community. That said, we are happy to introduce the talented people behind Team BtC, a family of bloggers on a mission to help all animals in need – everywhere! Have a talent you’d like to offer? Write to us!

Vicki Cook – Staff Writer and Social Media Manager

Vicki Stringfellow Cook is a mom, self-professed crazy cat lady and a passionate pet blogger. Her blog is dedicated to her pet rabbit, Bunny Jean Cook, and it focuses on animals and animal-related causes. She is also a volunteer fundraiser for Nipclub, a virtual “nightclub” on Twitter that raises money for animal charities, and she writes for Examiner.com as the Pittsburgh Animal Rescue Examiner.

Blog: Bunny’s Blog
Twitter and Facebook

Kim Thomas – Staff Writer and Facebook Community Liaison

Kim Thomas is a freelance writer and mother of four; her family shares their Chicago-area home with two dogs, three cats and foster kitties. She volunteers with Almost Home Foundation, an all-volunteer organization that has rescued over 5,000 dogs and cats since its inception in March 2005.  Kim shares her love for pets and concern for animal welfare in her blog, CindyLu’s Muse – appropriately named after her strong-willed but irresistable pup, CindyLu, who occasionally injects her own views.

Blog: CindyLu’s Muse
Facebook and Twitter

Peggy Frezon – Staff Writer and Editor

Peggy is an award-winning writer specializing in pets, with stories in The Ultimate Dog Lover, Miracles and Animals, and others; a regular contributor to Guideposts magazine; and a contributor to more than a dozen Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Her first book is Dieting with my Dog (Hubble & Hattie, 2011). Her “pet cause” is pet adoption, sparked by the love of a scrawny stray beagle-lab named Happy, an orphaned farm mutt named Corky, and currently, her rescue spaniel-mix pooch, Kelly. Peggy enjoys sharing tips and inspiration in her twice-monthly web column, Pawsitively Pets, and on her blog Peggy’s Pet Place. Although she’s been mom to dogs, cats, rabbits, gerbils, turtles, fish and hermit crabs, she has a soft spot for guinea pigs.

Blog: Peggy’s Pet Place blog
Facebook and Twitter

Kristine Tonks – Staff Writer

Kristine Tonks’s day job is at a non-profit organization in Nova Scotia but what she really loves to do is eat cheese, read pretentious novels, and post photos of her rescue dog, Shiva, on the Internet. That last one – and more – is accomplished on Kristine’s always interesting, insightful and inspiring blog, Rescued Insanity. There, she also hosts a life list of 100 things she’d like to do (like wear pajamas all day during a blizzard and ride a really big roller coaster that goes upside down). We love the adventurous side of Kristine’s brain, as well as her intellectual acuity. Get to know her and we’re sure you’ll feel the same.

Blog: Rescued Insanity
YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter

A.J. Postiglione – Staff Writer

A.J. Postiglione is obsessed with bad puns, pop culture, powdered sugar, and dogs. She inherited her love of animals from her family, most of whom agree that they would rather be one of the family dogs if given the choice – it’s a good gig. When not reenacting Legally Blonde as part of her day job, you can find her hanging out with her husband and her rescue pup/muse, Bella. She also volunteers with two local rescue groups: Friends of Homeless Animals, where she helps out with adoption events and Twitter; and City Dogs Rescue, where she is a volunteer blogger. She also contributes to Sisterhood of the Whispering Crowns, a blog dedicated to ovarian cancer awareness, and maintains an oft-neglected cupcake blog.

Blog: I Still Want More Puppies
Facebook and Twitter

Mary Haight – Staff Writer 

Mary Haight was fascinated with animals from a young age and cared for whatever — cats, birds, chipmunks – showed up in her yard. Mary’s been learning from animals ever since, working with horses and dogs. Currently living in the Chicago area with her dog Tashi, Mary is an officer on the board of Lake Shore Animal Shelter, one of the first No-Kill shelters in the US, serves on the board of the Chicago Animal Shelter Alliance, and is founder of the podcast site Animal Cafe. She has been involved in animal welfare for over 15 years.

Blog: Dancing Dog Blog
Facebook and Twitter

Maggie Marton – Staff Writer

Maggie Marton is a freelance writer based in Bloomington, Indiana. When she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out with her dogs while trying to convince her husband that they also need a cat. Maggie’s cause to end Breed Specific Legislation in Denver, CO was the first cause ever hosted on BtC4animals.com, making her a member of the BtC team since the very beginning!

Blog: Oh My Dog! blog
Facebook and Twitter

Jenny Threet – Staff Writer

Jenny Threet is the administrative assistant at Rumpydog.com, where she performs a variety of duties for Rumpy, June Buggie, DeDe and a host of other animals who have lots to say about animal welfare, but sadly cannot type. At Rumpydog.com, they talk about all things animal with a focus on animal welfare and responsible animal companion guardianship. But they also like to throw in a heaping helping of cute!

Blog: Rumpydog.com
Facebook and Twitter

Mel Freer - Adviser 

Mel was an active cause scout and BTC contributor since June 2011. She made her writing debut during our 2011 October-long campaign against puppy mills.  Mel’s yellow lab, Daisy, is rescued mill dog – #201. Mel is a former pet sitter and dog walker from St Paul, Minnesota. Before becoming a pet sitter, she volunteered at the Minnesota Valley Humane Society (MVHS) for 8 years as a dog walker and Star program trainer. In her time at MVHS, she fostered 4 dogs, failing with three – Daisy, Jasper and Lady (her present dogs). She also has a cat, named Nick. Mel went on in 2012 to pursue more hands-on, local rescue work.

Blog: No Dog About It
Facebook and Twitter

FOUNDING MEMBERS, BLOG THE CHANGE SPONSORS

Kim Clune – Adviser, Contributing Writer, Director 2010-2012

Kim directed BTC4animals from its inception through December 2012 and she continues to support Team BTC in an advisory capacity. Balancing a quest for global change with a desire to act locally, Kim now blends her passions at Dog House Adoptions which she co-founded to serve stray dogs and the people of New York’s Rensselaer County. With hands-on experience revealing the softest side of dogs once deemed “unadoptable,” Kim believes that all dogs deserve the chance to shine, enriching people’s lives through therapeutic, educational, and companionship opportunities.

Kim’s business, Mixed Media Matters, Inc., helps animal welfare and humanitarian aid groups promote initiatives using print, digital and social media. She also celebrates human/animal connections at her personal blog, ThisOneWildLife.com.

Blog: This One Wild Life
Social Media Spaces: http://xeeme.com/KimClune

Amy Burkert - Financier, Former Writer

In addition to BT4animals.com, Amy is a co-founder of the award-winning pet travel website, GoPetFriendly.com, a free resource for all the pet friendly information needed to travel with pets throughout the US and Canada. She and her husband spend much of their time traveling in a Winnebago with their dogs, Ty and Buster. Their blog, Take Paws, is an encyclopedia of pet travel tips, pet friendly destination advice, and humorous tales of the couple’s dog friendly adventures.

Blog: Take Paws
Facebook and Twitter

FORMER MEMBERS WHO HELPED US RISE

Shauna Stewart – Cause Scout

Shauna was a single dancer/backpacker/student living in Toronto, Melbourne, Tokyo and Amsterdam… and then she met her husband, John, moved to an island off the west coast of Canada, got married, got a mortgage, and added two dogs to the mix: Mickey (a chihuahua x) and Kayloo (a pittie/collie/australian mix of some kind). Her blog, Fido & Wino, is  about all three  and she posts lots of photos – because that’s how she rolls. Shauna is also “the chick” behind the R.O.A.R. Squad- Rescue Owners Are Rockin! which was profiled here on BtC4animals. Shauna is now making room in her life for a bambino and we wish her growing family all the best!

Blog: Fido & Wino (& Bambino)
Facebook and Twitter