Empowering Lives, One Paw at a Time

Debbie is a founder of Paws That Serve. She has extensive experience training service dogs and providing animal-assisted therapy for our country's warriors. As a Certified National Crisis Response Team member, she supports trauma agencies across Alaska.

With a background in nursing and dental hygiene, Debbie combines her education with a passion for healing through animals. Her volunteer work has revealed the profound impact dogs can have on those facing trauma, motivating her to support military families who have sacrificed so much.

Lisa is a founder of Paws That Serve. She has years of experience training service dogs through Paws with a Cause and other service animal organizations. She is an accredited evaluator for the American Kennel Club, is a distinguished graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy, and enhanced her service dog training skills by completing courses at Bergin University.

Her volunteer work includes the USO Pet Therapy Program, Veterans Affairs, and the American Red Cross. Lisa specializes in training for ambulatory needs and PTSD response and is committed to the transformative power of service dogs.

Yvonne serves on the Board of Directors for Paws That Serve, bringing a love of dogs with purpose, and fierce passion for the protection of the vulnerable, and the institutions that serve them.  

She has decades of experience working with medical providers and state and federal agencies to provide research, guidance and options for revenue development. She excels at creating documentation to assist in patient data security and ensuring compliance with ever-changing laws.

Yvonne is excited to join Paws That Serve in their mission.

Kent serves on the board of directors for Paws That Serve. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public School Administration and has extensive experience in education as the former Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Denville, New Jersey School System. He has served on the Board of Trustees for the Denville Public Library and was president of the Morris County Curriculum Network. 

With a lifelong background in animal husbandry and dog ownership, he formalized his skills by earning accreditation from the Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training and Behavior. He also holds an evaluation certificate from the American Kennel Club and is the Director of Chapter 329 of Therapy Dogs International, serving as a regional evaluator.

Margaret Griffo, our third board member, brings a wealth of experience as the K9 Chaplain. She has a deep passion for the well-being of both people and animals, using her unique role to offer support and comfort to those in need. Margaret’s work includes running the National Crisis Response Training and Exercise in Washington, where she provides critical assistance. Her love and care for animals, especially K9s, are at the heart of her work, and we are thrilled to have her on our team.

Olivia is our social media coordinator and website editor, playing a key role in the development of our newly established platform. Despite being a full-time student pursuing her bachelor’s degree in English with a focus on editing, Olivia advises us on content strategy, helping us navigate the challenges of building a brand from the ground up. Along with managing our digital presence, she supports promotional efforts by designing T-shirts, business cards, and other branded materials. Olivia’s dedication, creativity, and ability to balance her studies with her advisory role make her an indispensable asset as we grow this young organization.