Formerly a manager of Dogtown, I have taken what I have learned to my role as the campaign specialist for Best Friends “Pit Bulls: Saving America’s Dog,” the Best Friends outreach effort to reclaim the image of the American Family dog.

Before coming to Best Friends, I managed a popular restaurant in SoHo, New York, for a few years. I then started my own fine furniture/art moving company. It was during a moving job that I was introduced to the Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition (BARC) shelter. I began volunteering with them, and was amazed at what a difference one person could make in the life of an animal who had been abandoned or abused.

I continue to relish making a difference in the lives of the animals here at the sanctuary while they await their forever homes. I love getting involved, whether it’s by fostering a special-needs pup or helping to dig holes for fence posts. Best Friends has offered me the opportunity to help companion animals in need on a much greater scale than I could have ever imagined. I was also involved in the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and believe that what I learned from that experience will stay with me forever.

I grew up outside the suburbs of Chicago. I played bass for many years in local bands, and it was this pursuit that brought me to New York City. I was having marginal success when my band broke up, and a chance meeting at a Tom Waits festival introduced me to my soon-to-be wife. I currently live in Kanab with my wife, our four dogs, Scratch, Topaz, Zephyrella and Parker, and six crazy cats, Tivali, Plumpkin, Mr. Cat, Fluffy Feet, Zinger and Slayer. I believe the cats will get along as soon as there’s peace in the Middle East.