Our Team
Angela Adams
Founder and Director of BAPBR and The MexiMutt Project
Angela Adams is passionate about the welfare of humans and dogs alike. She spent 2 years volunteering full-time with a local animal shelter before starting Born Again Pit Bull Rescue in 2007. Since then, Angela has worked tirelessly to develop a relationship-based organization and improve the lives of pit-bull-type dogs. Angela is currently volunteering in Mexico helping manage our street dog program in Guadalajara.
Mayra Siordia
Sterilization Director of The MexiMutt Project
Mayra Siordia is the Sterilization Director of The MexiMutt Project, hailing from Chapala, Mexico. Throughout her life, she has devoted herself to serving her community, particularly in matters of animal welfare. Mayra is a well-known and highly regarded figure in her town, tirelessly working on the streets every day to make a positive impact. Her efforts have resulted in organizing the sterilization of more than 3,000 animals in the community over the years. Mayra's familiarity of all the dogs in her town enables to make meaningful change one day at a time.
Lisa Burton
Oregon Director of The MexiMutt Project
Lisa Burton is the Oregon Director of The MexiMutt Project. Her love for dogs in Mexico began after she adopted her first MexiMutt in 2019. In 2022, she decided to volunteer with the organization in Mexico and subsequently started a flower farm in Oregon, called "Petals for Paws." A portion of the proceeds from the flower farm goes towards helping the MexiMutts. Lisa is also an avid foster parent and proud mother to three furkids. She is actively involved in coordinating flights for the dogs and handles many errands on behalf of the organization in Oregon. She is our master of all, helper of everything!
Hannah Blumenfeld, CDBC, CPDT-KA
Trainer & Behavior Consultant
Hannah's heart belongs to pit bulls. Lean little muscle machines with those huge heads, expressive faces, wiggly bodies, and all those darn emotions—she just can't get enough. Hannah spent 14 years with her feline soulmate before finally adopting an American Staffordshire Terrier named Lucy. Together, they launched into extensive training and canine sports. At Lucy's side, Hannah quickly found a true passion in dog training. She is obsessed with humane, force-free training as a means of communication and with integrating dog training into everyday life. When Hannah's not helping dogs and their humans, she's reading or writing about dogs and behavior. Top two books? Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon by Bronwen Dickey and The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell. Hannah runs her own training company, Pup Star Training, and also works as a trainer for Dog Adventures Northwest.
Toshia Stenger
Development Director
Toshia joined Born Again Pit Bull Rescue in 2012 as a medical foster, convalescing and rehabbing animals after surgeries & injuries. In her current role as Director of Development, she brings over 17 years of experience as a vet tech and in event development, fundraising, animal welfare advocacy and project management. Having grown up as an animal lover on a farm, Toshia was drawn to the bully breeds while living in the DC metro area and witnessing the fear-based discrimination in the public and media and breed specific legislation that led to discrimination against so many innocent animals. Toshia and her husband share their home with a Mastiff—Pit Bull mix named Maya.
Jessica Wicks
Full Bellies Pantry Director
Jessica started volunteering with BAPBR in 2021 helping to gather food, kennels and supplies for our organization in Mexico called “The MexiMutt Project”; as well as joining our yearly Strut Your Mutt fundraising team. She soon became our much needed muscle in 2022 when we transitioned our Full Bellies Fund into our Full Bellies Pantry—helping to provide food to the masses of animals in need at human and animal shelters, other area rescues and with our local food banks. A Maryland native, Jessica previously volunteered with rescues on the east coast, assisting in the coordination of adoption events with local retailers. After adopting her lab pit mix Lana, Jessica started to really understand the depth of discrimination faced by bully breeds. Jessica currently lives in Oregon with her husband Dustin, as well as with her two other dogs, Penelope, (a Beagle-Chihuahua mix) and Clementine (a Great Dane-Border Collie mix).
Dustin Wicks
Director of Corporate Relations
Dustin currently serves as the Sacramento Region Giving Chairperson for Carmax Cares, which led him to join BAPBR in 2021. His passion for rescue, especially Pit Bulls, comes from seeing the breed specific discrimination faced by his own rescue dog, “Lana” - a lab pit mix when living in Maryland. Dustin and his wife Jessica now reside in Oregon and have two other rescue dogs - “Penelope”, a beagle chihuahua mix and “Clementine”, a Great Dane border collie mix. He enjoys the PNW and all the great outdoors has to offer.
Jennifer Gallardo
Events Director
Jennifer joined Born Again Pit Bull Rescue in 2012 and, along with providing general support, works to plan, coordinate, and implement the organization's events within the Salem area. Jennifer has always been fond of animals and interested in supporting welfare causes. Her passion for pit bull advocacy grew when she and her husband became acutely aware of the misguided fear associated with these dogs while living with their own pit mix in South Carolina. This experience propelled Jennifer to get more involved in advocacy. In addition to her role with BAPBR, Jennifer volunteers for Marion County Dog Shelter and Fences for Fido. Though Jennifer is clearly a dog lover and shares her home with her pit/boxer Max and pit bull terrier Berry, she reserves a special place in her heart for pigs—she and her husband are looking forward to adding one (or a few) to their family one day.
Isabel Almer
Snip Your Pit Director
Isabel has been working with dogs through rescues and daycares for five years before joining the BAPBR team in April 2019. Isabel has always loved dogs, but grew a special place in her heart for pit bull type dogs after her family fostered a pit mix named Daisy in high school. Isabel lives with her 8 year old rescue dog, an Australian Shepherd mix named Lacey, and an orange tabby rescue named Edmond. Isabel is a huge advocate for low-cost spay and neuter programs and continues to educate those around her on animal overpopulation. When she’s not working with dogs, Isabel can be found watching a Trail Blazers game or feeding her coffee addiction at one of Portland’s many coffee shops.