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Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue Team
Executive Director, Founder
Emma Shin
Emma Shin created RMPR due to her experiences as a child. Her family loved all animals, and would help any in need animal they met. Her Grandfather in particular had a soft heart for the “ pound dogs “ he would meet. “When I was young he was always taking in a stray and trying to rehome them" Her family’s love of animals coupled by her less than ideal experience at another Colorado rescue inspired Emma to " Do More". Knowing that others felt the same and that more could be done for the homeless animals she met RMPR was created August 2010. In October 2012 the Spay it Forward, subsidized owned animal Spay Neuter program was born. Ms Shin's has over twelve years of successful National Sales Experience in advertising, marketing, sales and product services sales. It is this experience coupled with her passionate love of all things living that fuels the work she does. Emma feels blessed to be a part of a great team of hardworking animal rescuers. She is honored to have a helping hand in saving the animals of RMPR and helping them to reach their forever homes.
Founder, Photographer
Tom
There are several favorite things about being involved with RMPR for Tom... first, coming home from a hectic, stressful day running his custom homebuilding company, laying on the floor and being swarmed by a litter of puppies... "Nothing else matters when you are covered in puppies." Second, watching Emma and the other huge-hearted volunteers come together, doing whatever it takes to save these lives. Tom also gets to enjoy one of his passions... photography... shooting the glamour shots of all the dogs that come in, hoping a nice picture might lead to a visit for that particular dog that helps find a forever home. And finally, seeing the happy families, completed by the addition of the dog or puppy that without the hard work of these volunteers, had no chance at a happy life. Tom is proud to be part of an amazing group of people that works day after day, and comes together week after week to do something bigger than themselves... and has fun doing it.
Foster Coordinator
Media Specialist
Al Ramirez
Bio coming
Operations
Carly Bernardini
I entered the rescue world in August of 2020 and found RMPR in September of 2021. I have always loved animals but hadn't found where to put my energy. I began as a foster and RMPR graciously opened their arms to teach me just about everything there is to learn about rescue. I help with the operations of the rescue from running our calendar fundraiser, helping with social media, running events, fostering, and the general day to day. Outside of the rescue I have a career in Civil Rights Enforcement work and I am so grateful for the career I have as it allows me to also pursue my passions! My favorite thing about rescue is seeing all of the lives we are able to save in our work!
Foster Team Coordinator
Volunteer Team Coordinator
Jessica Reyka
Jessica is part of RMPR's Foster Team and plays a role in helping the foster coordinator behind the scenes, communicating with fosters and potential adopters at the adoption events, and creating some social media content! Jessica became involved with RMPR in 2023, by first becoming a volunteer and then quickly leaning into being a foster for young puppies. Since being with the rescue, she has been able to travel to New Mexico and attend the spay and neuter clinics put on by RMPR, visit the shelters where our dogs come from, and truly learn what it means to be involved in the rescue mission. Jessica has a rescued pack of her own at home, 3 resident pups (an RMPR alumni!) and a cat, and is a strong advocate for animal justice and inclusivity for all types of behavioral struggles that dogs may present with.
Operations
Cat Guru
Sean Damon
Sean, is a dedicated RMPR team member and middle school math teacher. For the past 8 years, Sean and his partner Rich have been volunteering with Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue, where Sean became a staff member in July 2023. Their home is filled with love from two dogs, Ziggy and Stella, and four cats, Sunny, Ozzy, Winter, and Phoebe. Sean’s teaching career spans 13 years, inspiring countless students to find joy in math. With a bachelor's and master's degree in math education, he is now pursuing an Education Specialist degree in Educational Leadership, showcasing his commitment to growth and leadership. At the rescue, Sean processes dog adoptions and coordinates cat placements and adoptions, knowing that each effort saves lives. The hardships animals endure in shelters deeply motivate him to continue making a difference. Sean finds joy in witnessing the happiness of new adopters. His work transforms the lives of animals and brings joy to families, making him an important part of the team.
Event
Field Operations
Cheryl Cheney
Whether in my day job as a Contract Administrator for a Heavy Highway Contractor or in my passion as a volunteer for Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue, I see my responsibility as working through problems to achieve solutions. In my work here with the rescue this generally means organizing and implementing infrastructure, so events run as smoothly as possible.
Event
Field Operations
Bonnie Birge
Hello I'm Bonnie. In my career I am a Mechanical Engineer and one of the part time staff at RMPR. I help with a little bit of everything at the rescue. At the adoption events, I help fosters find and get the pups into the kennels, VIP visits, process adoptions and help fosters and volunteers at the events. At the transfers, I help get the new pups off the truck and get them into the travel crates, fit the older pups with a harness and help the fosters get the pups into their cars.
I enjoy fostering pups and kitties because I know that if I can bring in at least one or two pups into my house, I just open that space in the shelter for another animal. Being able to help these animals out of the shelter and into a loving home is very rewarding. These pups and kitties still have a lot of love to give to a family and I get to enjoy their love and help bring out that love until they find their forever family.
VIP Applications
Event Check in
Sooze Gilbert
I conduct the phone call interviews for the VIP applications. I also can usually be found at the front table checking people in because I'm too old to crawl around in the pens retrieving dogs any more! My husband and I are also fosters and have had almost 70 puppies come through our house! Fostering puppies is a lot of work but without work there is seldom great reward. People always comment on how hard it must be to give them up and, frankly, sometimes it is. I can think of 4 puppies that we could easily have kept but we travel extensively and that isn't fair to a dog. However, we keep fostering because of the look in their eyes - that look of unconditional love they give you and the knowledge that we saved a life.
Transport Driver
Rig Maintenance
Aaron Wandersee
My name is Aaron and I mostly work behind the scenes as the transport driver for RMPR. I have always loved animals and first started working with them at a shelter here in Colorado in 2009. I have worked with several rescues driving transports, working spay & neuter clinics, distributing food, socialization, etc. I have always enjoyed boots on the ground rescue the most...going to remote areas and finding abandoned dogs, feeding them and leaving water if they can't be caught or trapped and bringing them back to a better life/forever home. If I can't personally rescue an animal of the streets, it feels good to be a part of a team that works to pull them out of remote, overpopulated, high kill shelters (with little hope of adoption) and bringing them to RMPR fosters...giving them a second chance at a better life! When I am not doing rescue, I enjoy spending time with my pack of dogs at our mountain home or seeing live music. Rescue is a part of my soul and something that truly brings me happiness and I am grateful to have a place that allows me to scratch that itch.
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