Barbara Shumannfang

Barbara Shumannfang is an angel to Saving Grace in many ways-primarily by donating her time to screen dogs at rural animal shelters for the Saving Grace program. This screening requires much time as each dog is carefully evaluated for temperament and suitability as a family companion. Barbara, also a gifted writer, writes many of the articles on our website and in our newsletters. She is the author of Happy Kids, Happy Dogs: Building a Friendship Right from the Start, which was honored with a nomination for Best Dog Training and Behavior Book by the Dog Writers Association of America. Saving Grace is honored to have such a dedicated and well-rounded volunteer as Barbara! Please read more about Barbara and her dog training business, Top Notch Dog, at www.topnotchdog.com.

Molly!

A well-run business needs a chief executive officer to lead at the helm and delegate authority, a financial officer to keep the books straight, a public relations and marketing expert, a vice president for customer relations, and a human resources officer to keep the staff well-trained, happy and appreciated. Molly wears all of these hats, and many others depending on the day. She has earned a reputation among animal control officers, cruelty investigators and veterinarians as a dedicated partner in helping dogs in need. Of curse, thousands of people from all over-- and their dogs--know her as the angel who brought them together. What's more, there is no doubt that Molly is the only person who personally rescues hundreds of dogs a year while simultaneously maintaining a flawless manicure. She is so moved by the suffering of homeless dogs, and so compassionate about helping rural shelters place their charges, that she drives hundreds of miles, cleans gallons of poop, meets with countless families to make those perfect matches, and does it all with that warm, slightly mischievous smile. If there is such a thing as Chief Executive Angel, Molly is it.

Mario

Our very own computer guy! After getting very frustrated by our old website, Mario decided to sign his life away (I mean volunteer his time) to create and manage the new and improved Saving Grace website. Everything you see here was created by him in an effort to provide you with a satisfying web experience that (hopefully) will help make the adoption process easier. He also comes around to make sure our office machines are in good working order, and the only payment he will recieve from us is a nice hot meal.

Life Saving Photography

There's something magical about the way professional photographer Diane Lewis reveals the personality and spirit of every animal she captures on film. Her camera shows the tilt of the head, the soft expression in the eye, the way the light makes those little whiskers on a puppy's chin stand out. So when Diane turns her camera on the Saving Grace dogs, she brings their individuality to life for potential adopters, making that special match all the more likely.

Diane's first dog came from a shelter, and photographing wayward dogs to help them find homes has always been important to her. In fact, she left the world of financial analysis to become a full-time photographer specializing in dogs (she also photographs other animals and children). Her amazing talent for getting a squirmy subject to show off their best side is nationally known; her work has been showered with awards and her dog images have been featured in books, on magazine covers and in advertising for major corporate clients.

Each week Diane photographs the Saving Grace dogs with the same care and professionalism she takes with any pet she works with. Her generous gift to Saving Grace in the form of these photos is also a gift to anyone who visits the Saving Grace website. You can see some of the magic for yourself on "Our Dogs" page.

Diane is available for private photo sessions; visit her website at www.dianelewisphotography.com.

Sheila

When the Saving Grace dogs see volunteer Sheila Fein coming, they know they're in for a big treat. That's because Sheila not only helps meet the dogs' daily needs for feeding, cleaning, and exercise, but she also provides them that extra dose of TLC. In doing so, she is preparing the dogs to be wonderful companions for some lucky family. Sheila even goes a step further when needed; she has been known to help take photos of the dogs for the website, take dogs home overnight to give them a break from kennel life, and has even taught herself some grooming skills to help dogs who come to us in a very messy state. Sheila volunteers most weekdays and makes a difference with each act of kindness she shows the Saving Grace dogs.

Susan

Is Fairy Dust Really Laundry Detergent?

If you were a dog, wouldn't you want a clean, dry, soft bed to snuggle up in at night? Saving Grace provides the comfort of bedding for each dog in our program. The down side is that we have an awful lot of laundry, and some of it is quite, well, stinky. The only possible way Saving Grace can provide each dog clean bedding is through the help of The Laundry Fairy, also known as Susan Klakoff. We are not sure exactly how she does it, but the piles of used bedding disappear and then (ta-da!) reappear clean and fresh smelling. Thanks to The Laundry Fairy, the Saving Grace dogs can stretch out and rest their little chins on their beds, and dream about who may be coming to adopt them. What a wonderful gift. Thank you, Susan!

Karen

It sometimes takes the patience of Job to work with rescued dogs, and Karen has that in abundance. She takes on the difficult cases, acting as foster mom to dogs with greater emotional needs. And even more difficult, she helps raise money by collecting donations from her clients. She also takes the dogs for hikes and helps care for them - giving the Cheif Executive Angel a much-needed break. Karen operates a superb pet sitting service, so if you are in need of a home away from home for your pet look no futher than Happy Dog Fun!

Robot Johnny

"Robots love dogs!" This was the response given when we asked Robot Johnny if robots liked dogs. Uh, who is Robot Johnny you ask? Well, he is the artist (known as John Martz to other unsuspecting people) who created the "Girls are weird" font that we used for our logo and as headers throughout our website. He was kind enough to allow us free use of his artistic property, all in the name of helping dogs! What a guy, er robot... Anyways, head over to www.robotjohnny.com and you can see his other works, and maybe even hire him to illustrate something for you.

Dr. Jennifer Derby

Dr. Derby is not only a top-notch veterinarian, but she's also very creative with numbers. She has an amazing ability to take the limited amount of cash donated to Saving Grace and make it cover every medical issue we bring to her. Without her generosity, Saving Grace would never be able to afford all the medical care required for our rescued dogs. Without her sense of humor, we would never be able to laugh at ourselves and some of the bizarre situations in which we find our animals.

Babs

Super Woman will have to relinquish her title. Babs is the most dedicated and amazing volunteer and we're fortunate to have her at Saving Grace. She spends hours of her personal time, each and every week, to keep this organization running smoothly. Babs is a personal chauffer to the dogs, picking them up and taking them wherever they need to go. She does the worst of the work without ever complaining and does much more than her share. If a job at Saving Grace has been done perfectly, you know it's been done by Babs. Simply put, Saving Grace would not continue to exist without her.

Lisa C.

The lives and reputation of shelter animals are improved every day thanks to Lisa. She works long, grueling hours at the Johnston County Animal Shelter and still finds time to volunteer for Saving Grace. And thank goodness! Her knowledge and passion are huge assets. Lisa is the paperwork queen, handling the not-so-fun, but still important, part of rescue work. She's great at working with volunteers, and her experience dealing with the full range of dog personalities comes in handy when dealing with humans too.

Wake Forest Animal Hospital

The entire staff of Wake Forest Animal Hospital offers amazing support to Saving Grace. The veterinarians have donated their time for after-hours emergencies and surgeries; they send families looking to adopt dogs to our organization; and they donate supplies they no longer need.

SNAP Team

This mobile spay/neuter clinic makes a HUGE difference toward animal welfare in our community. They help Saving Grace by working around the organization's schedule and taking in last-minute surgeries every week. They help the rest of our community by traveling where they are needed most, reaching lower income populations and offering their services. This goes a long way toward reducing the pet population and the large number of dogs that end up in shelters. In most instances, it's the only vet care those animals will ever get. Visit them at www.snap-nc.org

Blake

When young Blake is not busy enjoying the Saving Grace newsletter, he likes to read all about the lucky shelter dogs who find homes thanks to our adopters and donors. Blake's mom, Diane Lewis, is a professional photographer. Each week she takes beautiful photos of the Saving Grace dogs so that potential adopters get their first peek at the dogs' personalities. Who knows, maybe Blake will be a volunteer at Saving Grace one day, too!

Isabelle Derby

The 4 year-old daughter of a veterinarian, Isabelle is destined to work with animals. She's practically a fixture at Saving Grace, and is the reason most of our dogs get along well with children. As young as she is, she has a great sense of dog behavior, understanding which dogs like children and which ones won't tolerate little people. Isabelle is learning the value of volunteers as she rides shotgun to deliver many of the dogs to their appointments. She takes great care of her dog Moon Pie, a Boxer, and her cat, Spider Man.

Georgia Mae Bryant

Georgia Mae's love for dogs must be in her genes - she's the niece of Saving Grace's Executive Director Molly Goldston. At only two years old, Georgia Mae already likes to play with the puppies. She's great at holding them and socializing them. It's tough to find good volunteers, so we start training them early! Georgia Mae has two dogs at home, a bloodhound mix named Mabel and an English bulldog named Lulu.