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The Good Shepherd Founders and team members have over 17 years of animal rescue experience and have spent time in the vegan activist community around the greater Toledo area.

Our volunteers all provide the best, most compassionate care through education, hard work, and dedication.​

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Founder / President,

She/Her

Elle is the founder of The Good Shepherd Animal Sanctuary. She has worked in Animal Advocacy and Rescue for 16 years. She is certified in TLAER (Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue Operations Level) and FEMA Animal Crisis Management. She enjoys seeing her hard work unfold in a Sanctuary setting as animals live out their best lives. She works at the family business Lead Foot Customs and is on the Providence Township Volunteer Fire Department. When not working at The Good Shepherd, Elle enjoys camping with family and attending car shows.

Board Member / Treasurer

He/Him

Tony has been on the Board of Directors at our sanctuary for three years now.  He is also general manager and a Director with a cold header company in Sylvania, Ohio that is the exclusive distributor for a machinery company in Garlate, Italy.

He has been married to Leigh for 25 years and presently there are four dogs and two cats residing with them.

Board Member / Vice President

She/Her

Heather is not only a board member for TGSAS, but is also our legal counsel.

She was working as a teacher on the Navajo Reservation when she discovered her passion for law. So, Heather spent her time working full time as a third-grade teacher while attending law school at night.

She has her Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education and obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Toledo College of Law. She is admitted to: OH Bar, IN Bar, AZ Bar, MI Bar, US District Court; Northern District of OH, US District Court; Southern District of IN, and the Department of Justice Immigration Courts.

On top of all that, she & her husband welcomed their first child early in 2024! 

Volunteer Team Leads

Jase 
Cox

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Angie
Gresko

Meagan
Sager

Coming Soon...

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We are also unbelievably grateful for the additional volunteers who support our residents and the sanctuary on a weekly basis by not only cleaning up after and caring for our residents, but also helping with maintenance, putting together projects, attending events, and just sharing their love and support for The Shep:

Caroline Habel | Leigh Macaro | Wolfgang Mann | Maggie Fuller | Lilly Laubenthal-Otis | Paige Dailey | Lory Lazzaro-Wilson | Janice Miller 
Marian Estifan | Dave Hughes | AJ Gossett | Nyomi Bell | Arden St. John

Thank you for all you do and for being part of The Shep Family!

If you are seeking volunteer opportunities to join our team, click below.

The Good Shepherd Animal Sanctuary is a Federally Exempt U.S. 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization dedicated to improving the lives of all sentient creatures. All rights reserved, 2026. Do not replicate, distribute, or utilize any materials within this website for personal gain.

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