Almost 18 years ago after adopting her first dogs ever, beagle puppies Spot & Samantha, Lucy knew she needed to shift her volunteer focus to helping dogs. Volunteering at a shelter, a rescue, weekend foster, and hiking with shelter dogs were just some of the ways she helped. Then meeting and adopting her very neglected pitbull/boxer puppy Chance, followed by a move to North Carolina.

Her journey in N.C. began as a volunteer in rescues and shelters, but seeing so many tethered dogs, Lucy was determined to help them. In 2019, Lucy was one of the founding members of the NC chapter of Dogs Deserve Better Piedmont. In the almost 5 years as a chapter, hundreds of dogs and families, and even cats were helped in so many ways that aligned with the mission. Now in mid-2024, Dogs Deserve Better Piedmont is fully independent with a new EIN and 501(c)3 approval and we are very excited for the future. We will continue doing everything possible to improve the lives of the outdoor and neglected dogs, with a goal of helping even more dogs and truly making a difference in our community.

On a professional level, Lucy spent her career in the pharmaceutical industry leading teams and running programs both as a Clinical Trial Leader, and Program Leader. She brings this knowledge and expertise to ensure the success of Dogs Deserve Better Piedmont.

Joe and his wife Shari began their journey with Dog Deserve Better Piedmont shortly after their move to Wake Forest. It was a great match as Joe has a large heart and treats his pets as part of the family. Joe has kept busy involved in church committees, homeless shelters, food banks, SPCAs, rescue centers and animal welfare charities. Joe and his family have enjoyed two rescue dogs as part of their family.

Joe has a bachelor’s degree in engineering and extensive experience in management, finances, budgets and investing. Joe enjoyed 38 years of employment serving in engineering, marketing, sales management, and director roles. Much of this involved managing others as well as working with very large budgets.

Joe looks forward to serving on the board as treasurer and making a difference with the community, families and animals in need.

Kelly began her work with Dogs Deserve Better Piedmont in 2019 after moving to Wake Forest from Raleigh. With her love for dogs and 25 years of having these amazing animals in her life, working in her local community to help untether dogs has been a very rewarding experience. Over the past 5 years, Kelly has been one of the key volunteers going into the community and building kennels as well as working events to fundraise. Kelly is excited to take on more responsibility from a leadership perspective through assisting with operations for Dogs Deserve Better.

Kelly has worked for Ferguson Enterprises for almost 20 years in Supply Chain as a purchasing agent for distribution as well as regional branch purchasing. She lives with her husband Jay and their two dogs, Harley and Piper.