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.

Katie was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee and is a life-long lover of wolves, a passion ignited the moment she first saw a photo of a grey wolf. In college, she studied business marketing and began her career doing strategic marketing in healthcare. However, corporate work could never satisfy her insatiable need to work with canids.

Her work with wolfdogs began in 2013 when she volunteered at her first sanctuary and increased substantially in January 2019 when she rescued a special needs low content wolfdog, Nymeria. Caring for a chronically naughty animal with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) and severe bilateral hip dysplasia forced Katie to learn on her feet very quickly. She sought out mentors who would aid in her education on wolfdogs, a core mission she aims to pass on to others interested in these animals.

A little known fact about Katie is that she was found, as an infant, in a dumpster, explaining why she has an affinity for sour milk and over-ripe bananas.

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.

All my life I’ve had an affinity towards wolves. My background is that I have a bachelor’s degree in General Biology from Georgia Gwinnett College. After receiving my bachelors I continued working at a small animal hospital but decided to leave my peachy home (Georgia) to join the pack for an internship.  I’m glad to have the opportunity to finally fulfill my dream of working with these puppers!

P.s I have 2 dogs and 5 cats!

I am from Mars… No, really! I’m from Mars, Pennsylvania! I graduated with a Wildlife and Conservation Biology degree from Ohio University, in 2022. I’ve always loved animals, with a soft spot for large carnivores and reptiles, and am excited to pursue a lifetime working with them. Thank you to Wild Spirit for kick-starting my post-grad life with an awesome opportunity!

Now, take me to your leader…

We met Dennis through a local friend of the wolf sanctuary and hired him for his skills in carpentry. He moved out here to homestead and has been a huge addition to our maintenance team. He has the energy of two suns and an amazing can-do attitude. What he lacks in height he makes up for in positive attitude.

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.

Stephanie joined Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in 2019 working in the gift shop. She moved from the Philippines and is now living in the area. Stephanie helps with inventory, customer service, and keeping our gift shop nice and tidy. Stephanie says working at Wild Spirit where everyone welcomed her and made her feel like family has been life-changing for her.

As opposed to many of my fellow animal-lovers, my passion for canines did not start from childhood. In fact, I was scared off of dogs for the first fourteen or so years of my life, after being knocked around by one as a toddler. It wasn’t until after high-school that I felt a draw toward animals, and in a total life-changing decision, I left my major in graphic design and started working at a small town shelter called All Breed Rescue. This ended up being the best decision of my life. I spent the next three years at the shelter, learning everything I could about the domestic dog from medication distribution, to body language and behavioral training. I fell in love with animals and can’t imagine myself doing anything else.

Being a born and raised small town Vermonter, opportunities in the animal care world did not come easily. My time at the shelter had reached a point where I couldn’t learn anything more from them, and I was itching to broaden my experience. My desire to work in animal conservation was only growing, and after hearing about Wild Spirit, I applied as soon as I could. I’ve never been off the East Coast in my life, so it’s a huge but welcomed change. My experiences so far in training here have been amazing. In this short time I’ve learned much about wolves and their differences from domestic dogs, and the team I’m working with is a very close and incredible batch of people. I can’t wait to learn more about the canid family and get the most out of my experience here.

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!