Our Human Pack

Brittany first fell in love with wolves when she was just 8 years old and has been actively pursuing her dream of working with them ever since! Though she is Minnesota born and raised, her passion for wildlife has led her all over the United States where she has gained experience caring for wolves, big cats, primates, reptiles, and so many more.
As a long-time supporter of Wild Spirit, Brittany has always admired the sanctuary’s dedication toward making our rescues’ health and happiness our number one priority, and with her knowledge of concepts like animal health and behavior, enrichment, and operant conditioning, she’s excited for the opportunity to further contribute to that philosophy!

It goes without saying that the role of Executive Director is one that encompasses many responsibilities, but as she prepares to follow in the footsteps of those that came before her, Brittany is confident about her abilities to lead the team toward continued growth that will forever aim to honor each of the “wild spirits” that call the sanctuary home.

Paul is a returning member of the Wild Spirit team, having first volunteered back in 2015 and 2016 while he obtained his Bachelors in Wildlife and Fisheries Management. Paul has since graduated, and transitioned into a career in Conservation Biology, participating in Recovery Action Plans for endangered species around the globe. This includes species such as Tasmanian devils, dingos, spotted-tailed quolls, howler monkeys and scarlet macaws.

Over the duration of Covid, Paul also spent his time working and apprenticing as an animal trainer. Having completed his apprenticeship, Paul intends to fill a niche role in the industry as a Conservation Trainer, using positive reinforcement techniques and environmental enrichment to increase the reintroduction success of captive breeding programs.

Wild Spirit has always been on his mind, and after 7 long years, he has finally returned to call it home once again.

As a rather small carnivore, Maya came to Wild Spirit hoping to learn the secrets to success from one of the most iconic carnivores, the wolf. Even though wolves have fascinated her since she was a toddler, this is her first big step towards a lifelong dream of working with them. In her free time, Maya can be found exploring nature, making art, conversing with the spirit realm, experiencing psychic visions, and other typical woodland fairy activities. Since her magical abilities appear to be strengthening around the wolves, she plans to continue working alongside canines and contributing to the conservation of other misunderstood predators. Maya dreams of future where humans can peacefully coexist alongside the natural world and its inhabitants in all their wild beauty!

I grew up in South Dakota and although I have always had a strong love of animals, I didn’t realize I could make a career out of it, until after college. I attended the University of Montana, where I earned degrees in Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology. I worked in various research labs handling animals like mice and degus. Since graduating, I have worked with rodents, chimpanzees, and cats (small to big). I am looking forward to adding wolves and other canids to that list!

Jacob, or “Fish” as he’s commonly referred to as, came to us from Detroit on the recommendation of a friend. He’s been a great asset to our team, with the exception of the insane amount of time he spends in the bathroom. Fish spends his evenings blowing glass, and hanging out with his cat, “Special Agent Dale Cooper”.

Marshall made the move here with his wife, Katie, our Social Media Coordinator, and jumped right in to help with our one-person maintenance team. He’s been instrumental in getting many long overdue projects done, and is one of the members of the best Building & Maintenance team we’ve ever known. He loves vinyl records, his wife, their two dogs, and the way a smile from Dennis makes him feel warm inside.

A fascination with wolves gradually grew in August after reading the works of Jack London as a kid. Many years later, after getting his undergraduate degree and working in the labor movement in his hometown of Kansas City, he decided it was finally time to pursue his passion for canids, which until then had remained dormant.

In 2016 August sold most of his worldly possessions and moved to rural southern Colorado, where he became the Education Coordinator at Mission: Wolf, a sanctuary for rescued wolves, wolfdogs and horses. Here August learned extensively about ecology and canid body language and sociality (and that Jack London didn’t know much about actual wolves!). He also discovered an unexpected love of chainsaws and silviculture.

His time at Mission: Wolf also caused August to question how and why wolves inspire such intense emotions in humans–from love and admiration to fear and hatred. This led him to a bittersweet departure from Colorado in 2019 to pursue his doctorate in sociocultural anthropology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His dissertation examines the history and politics of wolf and wolfdog breeding, how canids are commodified in the exotic pet trade, practices of interspecies care and communication, and how canids challenge generally accepted ideas of wildness and domestication.

August is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of a storied sanctuary like Wild Spirit, and to help care for the amazing animals here while also conducting his research.

I’m from Maryland and have always loved canines, wolves being my favorite. I majored in Wildlife Ecology and Management at the University of Maryland, am pursuing a Veterinarian Technician degree, and working towards my wildlife rehabilitation license. I currently work in wildlife rehabilitation for smaller animals such as squirrels that I love so much. I hope to only continue to learn how to better care for all types of wildlife! 

Decades of working have given her a huge heart for non-profits and their respective visions. Though Merry is an avid animal lover and owner of a dappled mini para-weenie, she’s never worked with animals with the exception of a feral, bare-footed childhood with her beast of a sibling. While her sibling was eventually tamed, Merry remained a red-headed messy-haired hippie.

She hopes to crunch Wild Spirit’s numbers into submission and form meaningful connections with staff and rescues alike.