Nicole Garritano, President & Founding Member
Everyone has that one pit bull that started it all for them and sent them on a journey to make the world a better place for these wonderful dogs. For Nicole, that pit bull was Nissa, and later Neville, Nash and Nala. For over a decade, Nicole has been very active in advocacy and rescue. She has used her skill set as an event planner and her knack for networking and development to fundraise for a local rescue and through that rescue gained an extensive knowledge of pit bulls and dog training, for which she is forever grateful. Nicole has been an obedience instructor for the past 11 years and currently teaches the Bully Breed class at a local shelter. Nicole has also had the honor and privilege to assist and volunteer with three dogfighting confiscations. Because of a never ending desire to help pit bulls, Nicole decided to bring together a group of like-minded, passionate individuals and start The Proper Pit Bull. Confident of her team and their passion and drive, Nicole is certain that TPPB can assist in making our own backyard, and the world, a better place for pit bulls by becoming a viable resource for pit bull owners and advocates everywhere. Nicole currently shares her home and love with two pit bulls, Noelle and Nino, and their three cats, Riley, Royce and Rogue. |
Toni Kunselman, Vice President
Toni is so thankful that she finally found a group that helps to address the core issues we see in the community regarding pit bull type dogs. She has joined a group of like minded people that support one another and do everything they can, together as a team to make a difference in the lives of these dogs. It is always about the dogs first and foremost. She is a firm believer that rescue and advocacy is not a race. It's not about outdoing some other group but instead working together to make this world a better place for these sweet dogs... for all animals. |
Vanessa Wheeler, Legislative Manager,
Secretary & Founding Member Vanessa attributes her love of animals to her father and her love of rescue to her first dog, Sasha. Sasha was a pit bull mix that Vanessa adopted from Animal Friends in January of 2010. By the end of the same year, Vanessa would find herself volunteering at that very shelter. She has been involved in rescue in various capacities since then, even joining several of her rescue friends out of state assisting in dog fighting confiscation efforts. While pursuing her Master of Public Health Vanessa had the opportunity to intern at the Humane Society of the United States in their state legislative affairs department. This led to her graduate thesis, "Breed Specific Legislation: Does policy equal prevention?" being presented at the Annual Public Health Association Conference in 2015. Vanessa also landed her dream job as a full-time professional dog handler to a specially trained Canine Advocate named Nelly for a local victim services organization. The lessons she learned in that position greatly influenced her approach to group training classes where she has been a lead instructor since 2019. She may have lost her pit bulls Henry (2020) and Sasha (2021), but she keeps their memory in her heart everyday through her volunteer work and fostering. Her current pit bull mix, Keisel, assists her in classes and keeps everyone laughing with his old man grumbling. |
Danielle Brunner, Marketing Manager
& Founding Member Danielle has been immersed in animal rescue since 2008 when she rescued her first dog – an American Pit Bull Terrier. Since then, she has played a volunteer role in dogfighting confiscations, training, kennel enrichment and advocacy. Danielle believes that it's important to help those who cannot help themselves, and to be a voice for those who cannot speak. She is proud to be that voice with The Proper Pit Bull. |
Jennifer Orris, Founding Member
Jennifer’s first rescue dog was a retired racing greyhound. It was through transitioning him from a dog that only knew the track, to a family pet, that she found her love for rescue and shelter dogs. Jennifer has been involved in rescue since 2010. She shares her home with a pit bull mix named Broomhilda and three cats named Batina, Monster, and Witch Hazel. Jennifer has been involved with the Enrich-A-Pit program and is proud to be the voice of The Proper Pit Bull while responding to Pit Bull Direct inquires. |
Sherrianne Gleason, Outreach Co-Manager,
& Founding Member Sherrianne is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, as well as an Adjunct Professor at Westmoreland County Community College. Throughout her career she has worked with both domestic and wild animals. As an undergraduate at IUP she did an internship at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas, a facility that focuses on rescuing abandoned, abused, and neglected big cats. Within her local community, she is a first responder with the Westmoreland County Animal Response Team, as part of their Small Animal, Large Animal, and Exotic Animal Teams. She became interested in dog training and behavior when she rescued her pit bull Gracie in 2011. This new found love of pit bulls led her to volunteer for a local pit bull rescue along with Gracie. She is currently an Assistant Trainer at a local shelter. |
Jenny Huff
Jenny committed herself to pit bull rescue and advocacy after adopting her first dog, Kova, in July of 2016. Jenny had been aware of the stigma against bully breeds and had herself been uncertain about the truth behind these amazing creatures, that is until the day she fell in love with her special girl. Jenny has long been an avid animal lover, growing up with several dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and everything in between since her childhood. Her mother taught her the importance of respecting animals and loving them as your own from an early age, and it has followed her throughout her life. She became involved in The Proper Pit Bull in 2017 as a way to give back after receiving a Scholar Pit scholarship for her girl, and found herself managing the program within a year. Jenny is an active volunteer, assisting with tabling, enrichment, training classes, and events & fundraising. She is proud to be an advocate for the breed and continues to dedicate her time to breaking the stigma for others. |
Michele Carso
Amy Crognale Ed Crognale Ruschelle Dillon Christine Flint Joyce Garritano Samantha Ginsburg Amber Grimm Donna Johnson |
Vanessa Wheeler
Tracy Leshen Jessica McNeely Alexis Meier Jen Orris Scott Orris Nick Parchinsky Tena Parker Jen Powers |
Lesley Price
Sarah Shively Mark Smith Sandra Smith Laura Soman Cara Richards Karen Westerman Dan Westerman |