Meet the Team

My name is Gucci and I own Nancy and she is responsible for our Facebook page and is the voice of the rescue dogs in our care as shared on social media. She loves dogs, and has been passionate about helping them since birth, or at least, pretty close to it.

She originally had a keen interest in disaster Animal response from her previous work for Japan after 311, but she redirected her attention to assist locally upon realizing how many wonderful canines find themselves homeless in our local shelter systems. She wanted to put an end to their plight and she is a Founding Director of TEAM.

To contact Nancy please email [email protected]

My name is Lola, and I’m a very lucky girl, I have a home, a family and a mommy that loves me so much. My mum’ s name is Jackie, and sometimes she gets really busy, she tells me it’s because she is trying to help some dogs who aren’t as lucky as me, find families that will love them just like mine loves me. My mum says that some dogs are so sad, she says its because they are hurt, hungry, and homeless, and this makes her sad. My mum loves all animals but she says, I’m her special baby, which makes me really happy. My mum is something called an adoption coordinator, and she and a group of amazing ladies are with a group called T.E.A.M dog rescue and they help these sad dogs find families. I’m not sure how she does it, but sometimes she comes home smelling like other dogs, ok I’ll be honest I do get a bit jealous sometimes but I’m happy my mommy wants to help these dogs. I can’t imagine not having a family and being all alone in the world, so I forgive my mom for being busy sometimes. She says her dream is, that one day all the dogs in the world will have homes and families that love them, because that’s all a dog wants in the whole entire world is to be loved. I really hope her dream comes true!

To contact Jackie please email [email protected]

My name is Zoey. My mom Gillian is one of the Adoption Coordinators for TEAM Dog Rescue. Her job is to make sure that dogs in need find loving and committed homes. My mom has adored animals since the day she was born but her special love for dogs began when her dog Bobby was adopted from a local animal shelter. He brought so much joy into her world. Years later, she realized that she could help other homeless dogs through transporting, fostering and fundraising. This is how she met our friends at TEAM and became part of the rescue crew. My mom always tells me that dogs bring unconditional love and enjoyment to people’s lives and that’s why she is dedicated to helping dogs find furever homes. She knows they all deserve to be as loved and cared for as I am. “If you haven’t loved a dog, part of your heart hasn’t opened”.

To contact Gillian please email [email protected]

Our names are Penny and Rosie, we are sisters, and we found our Mom and our furever home after we had been living alone in the streets of rural Arizona for the first 6 months of our life. Our Mom loves dogs and apparently she was feeling a bit lonely after her son and his dog moved out of her house into their own home, so she wanted more company. She opened her door and we pranced in! We have managed to fill the lonely gap ++ and have wheedled our way into her and our Dad’s life. We have learned to go camping and hiking and all kinds of fun outdoor adventures. Our Mom was so happy with us that she wants to share her happiness and is now the Volunteer Coordinator with TEAM Dog so that others can help spread the love! Our Mom is a big sap, she cries at all the “stuff” on Facebook and just loves all animals and wants to help in whatever way she can. Mom’s goal is to encourage every person contemplating dog ownership to consider adoption before shopping!

To contact Kelly please email [email protected]

Hi! My name is Taffy but some people call me Taffy-Lou. I came from a shelter in Northern Quebec and my family adopted me, at the insistence of my mom when I was 4 months old. I turned 10 years old in January so I’ve been part of the family for a long time. I’m kind of spoiled but mom says I deserve all the love I can get because I’m an angel. As a matter of fact, mom says that every dog deserves lots of love and a good home and she recently joined T.E.A.M. as an Adoption Coordinator to try and help make this a possibility!

Mom has loved animals since she was a little girl and I now have a foster brother horse and a foster sister orangutan but they don’t live in our house though that would be cool!

When mom isn’t busy cuddling me, she plans charity events. She say it’s good to help those in need. I’m so happy that she helped with the first T.E.A.M. gala though I was heartbroken that I wasn’t invited. I saw all kinds of cool pictures and it looked like a real hoot! Signing off ‘til next time.

To contact Michele please email [email protected]

Hi! My name is Ozzie and this is my mom Chantal. She worked in veterinary medicine for many years but moved on to a different career path, however she wanted to ensure she continued to help at risk dogs. Not only does she help make sure all TEAM dogs are healthy medically before they go to a forever home, on occasion I also get foster brothers and sisters to hang out with at home before they are adopted. She told me she’s got a fondness for older seniors like myself.

To contact Chantal please email [email protected]

Hey! My name is Themba, as i’m sure you already know since I like to make frequent appearances on TEAM’s social media. I rescued Jess when I was only a pup and it was the best thing to ever happen to her. Back then she was a foster for TEAM and now she is TEAM’s Adoption Manager. That means not only do we get to foster dogs. but we also help them find their new homes! Jess is my partner in crime, we like to go on lots of adventures together like camping, hiking and paddle boarding, I even get to come to work with her. I’m so glad I get to help other dogs find their new families because clearly I know how to pick a good one!

To contact Jess please email [email protected]

I’m Josie. Bettina is my mom. She keeps track of the money and pays the bills. I hate writing. I prefer going to the park to play fetch.

To contact Bettina please email [email protected]

My name is Lao and I’m 17 years young. My mom, Ashley, is in every sense of the word a crazy dog lady (in a non radical way). She has been with TEAM Dog Rescue since its inception in 2012 and does a little bit of this and a whole lot of that. Her primary focus is helping with adoptions, organizing events and acting as the Instagram guru. Her goal over the next year is to drive TEAMs #THINKRESCUE campaign, create programs that teach children responsible pet ownership and work closer with the community to grow the organization. Outside of TEAM she loves to travel. She has witnessed firsthand the dire situation of street animals around the world which inspired her efforts to assist worldwide animal welfare organizations. Prior to joining TEAM, she spent time volunteering with animal groups in Mexico, Central America and Africa as well was a dog walker at Toronto Animal Services. When she isn’t helping animals she is chasing a toddler around and working at her paying job. My mom adopted Winston the pug a few years back and encourages families everywhere to #thinkrescue first when considering welcoming a pet.

To contact Ashley please email [email protected]

Koda here! I’d like to introduce you to my mom Ana – we rescued each other in 2018 after my trip from Manitoba, and the cuddles haven’t stopped since! I think what led the path to our crossroad was my mom witnessing the countless street dogs during her trip to South America. She just knew she had to find a way to help at least one, or maybe more, of us awesome 4-leggers.

TEAM brought us together, and after a long chat we decided that we could not leave this rescue behind! Aside from her skills of finding us the best hiking trails, tent pads, and swimming spots, her never-ending passion for animals is real. There are oh so many more of my long lost doggo friends that need her, and for a long time she did not know the best way to help, I think because she struggles knowing that she can’t possibly save every single dog soul out there. TEAM and I made it easy though, and showed her what a huge impact a small number of us can have.

Once I was settled in, she started supporting others in finding the best adopters, lending a hand with events, and then by becoming our rescue’s Individual Giving Coordinator. She makes sure our special donors know how much we appreciate them, with me beside her [cuddling] for inspiration. I wouldn’t be right here in my favorite spot if it was not for them, and for that we are both furever thankful.

Lotsa love, Koda

To contact Ana please email [email protected]

Crystal has been a dog-lover (obsessed, really) for as long as she can remember and is the token dog-sitter amongst her friends. In 2021, she had to say goodbye to Tucker, her chocolate lab, as he journeyed across the rainbow bridge. Having Tucker by her side for almost 14 years was a privilege, and she wanted to honour his memory by joining TDR as an Adoption Coordinator to help other dogs find their forever families.

Crystal joined TDR in early 2022 and is committed to giving dogs-in-need a voice they do not otherwise have. Her time spent with Tucker, filled with love and care, is the foundation for the support she brings to the organization.

When she’s not working, Crystal spends her time hanging out with her friends’ dogs, going to concerts, and playing her favourite card game (Star Realms).

To contact Crystal please email [email protected]

Hi! My name is Esther and this is my mom Sonya. Mom has always loved dogs, and knows that there are so many in need of loving homes. Because she can’t adopt them all herself, she decided to help by volunteering as an adoption coordinator with TEAM. She says it’s really great because she gets to work with a lot of other nice people who are passionate about dog rescue! Plus, she gets to meet cute dogs all the time, and help them find amazing homes where they will get tons of cuddles and treats! I think it’s awesome that she is helping out…as long as she doesn’t try to bring any of those dogs home herself…the couch is allll mine! 

To contact Sonya please email [email protected]

Hi I’m Lauren and like everyone at TEAM I am very passionate about Dogs! Of course when I was little I desperately wanted a dog but not everyone in the family was on board. So naturally when I moved out of my parents home I was bound and determined in getting a furry companion. I was young and uneducated about finding a dog, however I was lucky enough to find my best friend Lily. She has been by my side for 15 plus years and she was worth the wait! I hope I can help you find the unconditional love and joy that a dog at TEAM can bring you.

To contact Lauren please email [email protected]

Hi there! My names Duke, at least I think it is.. I get called something different every time. I was a stray roaming on a reserve in Northern Quebec before I found my furever home with my mom, Sara. Now I spend my days telling my mom I’ve had enough when she constantly attacks me with kisses and snuggles, sleeping on the couch with a pillow under my head, and going on hikes and camping adventures with my best friends.

My mom has had a lot of experience with rescue pups like me, she has fostered around 13 to-date. Mom grew up volunteering for doggy daycares and has remained the go to friend/family member for any dog questions or pet sitting needs. She has shifted gears now from fostering to being an Adoption Coordinator with TEAM, looking to help pups just like myself get matched with their perfect families. Moms a big advocate for rescuing and hopes to change as many dogs lives as possible through her volunteer work with TEAM.

To contact Sara please email [email protected]

Hi there! We are Vanna White (Great Pyrenees) and Leo (Bernedoodle), and this is our mom, Robyn. Our mom has always been an animal lover since she was a little girl, and then when she grew up she met and fell in love with a man who is also a lifelong animal lover. They always joked about how if they ever got married they would fill their house with animals, and now the joke has become a reality! In addition to their two human children, they are the loving parents to the two of us and three cats! Though it may sound like a chaotic home, it’s actually not. Rather it is a home filled with abundant love and happiness. Although mom keeps busy caring for all her furry and non-furry children and works as a Registered Nurse, she still wanted to do more. So now she is proud to also be a Medical Coordinator with Team Dog Rescue where she fulfills her dream of helping save lives of innocent pups. In fact, Leo is a puppy that mom was just supposed to briefly foster but he quickly became a forever family member!

To contact Robyn please email

Hey guys! I’m Brady and this is my mom, Maja. When she was little, she really wanted a dog and after a whole lot of begging, grandma and grandpa gave in and brought JJ home. Good thing they did, because she loved him so much, and it was her love for him that led her to me! I was lucky enough to meet him before he went to heaven. I was rescued from Texas, and I’m not too happy about how cold it is up here, but I am very happy to be safe, loved, and spoiled. Mommy calls me the King of the household, and she is right. She loves every single dog in the whole wide world, and it makes her really sad that some of them don’t have homes, families, or love. She really wanted to help these dogs, so she became a Foster Coordinator for this place called TEAM. Pretty quickly, she started fostering and bringing strange new dogs into our home. I think I preferred being an only child, but she still gives me a lot of love, and is always telling me that this makes her really happy, and that we’re doing this to give these other dogs the life that I have. I think those are good reasons so I’m cooperating with this whole thing.

To contact Maja please email [email protected]

Hello, this is me, JJ, with my mom Jasna. Yes I made her this happy every day of my life. She kept calling me her third child but HELLO, I will only accept the number ONE spot!! I came from New York, I was hanging out in hospitals and retirement homes there. But it was not my cup of tea, I had way too much energy. So when I came to Toronto, I could not get enough of running, fetch, and skunk chasing. She loved me no matter what – even when I knocked down her precious Christmas tree or ate the entire Hawaiian pizza when she wasn’t looking. I don’t know why she keeps talking about that to this day, I left her all the pineapple pieces – you are welcome mom! I wish I could have stayed with my Toronto fam forever, but you humans live way too long. I am watching her from above, she has this new grand dog Brady that she loves a bit too much but that’s okay, he is bringing back that smile I so enjoyed all my life! Her heart is huge and she loves all the dogs out there. She is volunteering with TEAM Dog Rescue and calls herself an adoption coordinator, foster mom and whatever else she needs to be there.

To contact Jasna please email [email protected]

My name is Daisy and this is my mom Melanie. She is the best mom to my fur-sister Sammy and I. She takes really good care of us and we wouldn’t any other mom! She has always loved dogs and has never been without one. My mom is an Adoption coordinator and became part of TEAM Dog Rescue to help all the dogs find loving homes. It makes my mom’s heart sad that so many dogs and animals don’t have families to love and cherish them. My mom is dedicated to helping as many dogs as she can find their furever families, just like me and my sister.

To contact Melanie please email