Meet our team:
Ashley Thomas, Shelter Director
Ashley’s family includes an extremely supportive husband, and several rescued dogs, goats, & feral cats. Her personal experience includes cats, dogs, goats, pigs, ferrets, lizards, rabbits, and birds. After volunteering for about a year at various local shelters, Ashley started working at Young-Williams Animal Center in Knoxville in January of 2009 as a kennel cleaner. She quickly discovered that she was especially passionate about fostering animals that were not ready for adoption. During her first four years at YWAC, she worked in animal care, intake, and adoptions. In 2013, Ashley became the Placement Manager and immediately began building a foster care program which had approximately 350 families engaged in lifesaving efforts when she left YWAC. Ashley’s time running the foster program greatly expanded her medical capabilities and knowledge. As Placement Manager, she was also responsible for rescue group partnerships/placement, northern transport initiatives, helping to manage the shelter, and performing behavior assessments. Ashley grew up in Seymour and is overjoyed to continue helping the animals in her own community. In late 2018, Ashley took on the role of Shelter Director for Sevier Animal Care Center.
Ashley is passionate about promoting the need for self-care in the field of animal welfare to fight the effects of compassion fatigue. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, reading, anything with an engine, and obsessing over nerdy fandoms.
Ashley’s family includes an extremely supportive husband, and several rescued dogs, goats, & feral cats. Her personal experience includes cats, dogs, goats, pigs, ferrets, lizards, rabbits, and birds. After volunteering for about a year at various local shelters, Ashley started working at Young-Williams Animal Center in Knoxville in January of 2009 as a kennel cleaner. She quickly discovered that she was especially passionate about fostering animals that were not ready for adoption. During her first four years at YWAC, she worked in animal care, intake, and adoptions. In 2013, Ashley became the Placement Manager and immediately began building a foster care program which had approximately 350 families engaged in lifesaving efforts when she left YWAC. Ashley’s time running the foster program greatly expanded her medical capabilities and knowledge. As Placement Manager, she was also responsible for rescue group partnerships/placement, northern transport initiatives, helping to manage the shelter, and performing behavior assessments. Ashley grew up in Seymour and is overjoyed to continue helping the animals in her own community. In late 2018, Ashley took on the role of Shelter Director for Sevier Animal Care Center.
Ashley is passionate about promoting the need for self-care in the field of animal welfare to fight the effects of compassion fatigue. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, reading, anything with an engine, and obsessing over nerdy fandoms.
Luna Brewer, Shelter Manager/Volunteer Coordinator
Luna is a dog mom to a wonderful 6-year old Corgi mix, one neuro kitty and three crazed carpet snakes (ferrets). She first started her animal welfare journey in high school as a volunteer for her local humane society and started a school wide project to create blankets and feral cat boxes for pets in her community. Upon graduation from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2019, Luna continued her journey with employment at Young-Williams Animal Center as a Pet Resource Specialist. From there she has worked at The Humane Society of Tennessee Valley in Knoxville and acted as Shelter Manager at Companion Animal Rescue & Education in Jefferson City. Luna finds passion in conflict resolution, helping people retain ownership of their pets and socializing scared or undersocialized cats and dogs.
When she’s not staging cute photos of dogs or at work in the shelter, Luna finds peace of mind hiking and kayaking in the great outdoors (despite being a city girl from California), playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends, and curling up with her pets and partner to binge-watching “The Office.” Luna is ecstatic to use her skills and knowledge to help the pets and community of Sevier County as Shelter Manager and Volunteer Coordinator at SACC!
Luna Brewer, Shelter Manager/Volunteer Coordinator
Luna is a dog mom to a wonderful 6-year old Corgi mix, one neuro kitty and three crazed carpet snakes (ferrets). She first started her animal welfare journey in high school as a volunteer for her local humane society and started a school wide project to create blankets and feral cat boxes for pets in her community. Upon graduation from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2019, Luna continued her journey with employment at Young-Williams Animal Center as a Pet Resource Specialist. From there she has worked at The Humane Society of Tennessee Valley in Knoxville and acted as Shelter Manager at Companion Animal Rescue & Education in Jefferson City. Luna finds passion in conflict resolution, helping people retain ownership of their pets and socializing scared or undersocialized cats and dogs.
When she’s not staging cute photos of dogs or at work in the shelter, Luna finds peace of mind hiking and kayaking in the great outdoors (despite being a city girl from California), playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends, and curling up with her pets and partner to binge-watching “The Office.” Luna is ecstatic to use her skills and knowledge to help the pets and community of Sevier County as Shelter Manager and Volunteer Coordinator at SACC!
Mandy Rush, Placement Manager
Julianna Norris, Kennel Technician
Julianna is a Sevier county local who started her journey by volunteering for shelters throughout high school but has had a keen interest in animal welfare since she was young. As a child, she spent a lot of time rescuing strays with her mom from whom she inherited a great passion for caregiving.
As Julianna has gained experience in shelter work, we have learned that she is very passionate about owner pet retention programs and feral cat community education. Julianna is especially led to give extra love and enrichment to animals who come in from cruelty cases or animals who have behavioral issues and just need a little extra guidance or attention. She also has a huge soft spot for senior animals.
In her spare time, Julianna loves playing tennis (which she played competitively for 7+ years), rewatching the same 80s horror flicks over and over, listening to music, and hanging out with her coworkers. She has 3 senior cats and a senior rabbit who rule her house.
Julianna is a Sevier county local who started her journey by volunteering for shelters throughout high school but has had a keen interest in animal welfare since she was young. As a child, she spent a lot of time rescuing strays with her mom from whom she inherited a great passion for caregiving.
As Julianna has gained experience in shelter work, we have learned that she is very passionate about owner pet retention programs and feral cat community education. Julianna is especially led to give extra love and enrichment to animals who come in from cruelty cases or animals who have behavioral issues and just need a little extra guidance or attention. She also has a huge soft spot for senior animals.
In her spare time, Julianna loves playing tennis (which she played competitively for 7+ years), rewatching the same 80s horror flicks over and over, listening to music, and hanging out with her coworkers. She has 3 senior cats and a senior rabbit who rule her house.
Reilly Schneider, Kennel Technician
While this may be Reilly‘s first official job working with animals, she has always had a strong passion for them. She hit the ground running and has already learned so much about our intake and adoption departments. Getting to know all the animals and their personalities is one of her favorite things. Reilly also went through Emergency Medical Technician school (EMT) training. She truly enjoys helping people and animals in difficult times, but animals have always had a special place in her heart. Reilly is the proud owner of 3 animals. Her two dogs, Finn and Darcy, and the newest edition, Lilah the cat, are very lucky to have such a dedicated momma.
While this may be Reilly‘s first official job working with animals, she has always had a strong passion for them. She hit the ground running and has already learned so much about our intake and adoption departments. Getting to know all the animals and their personalities is one of her favorite things. Reilly also went through Emergency Medical Technician school (EMT) training. She truly enjoys helping people and animals in difficult times, but animals have always had a special place in her heart. Reilly is the proud owner of 3 animals. Her two dogs, Finn and Darcy, and the newest edition, Lilah the cat, are very lucky to have such a dedicated momma.
Heather Saylor, Kennel Technician
Heather was raised in Kentucky and moved here 2019. Heather loves animals so deeply and her favorite part of animal welfare is being an advocate to give the animals a voice. She also loves that moment when the furbabies get adopted and head out the door with their forever families.
Heather is a caretaker to her core, and the proud mother of a teenage daughter, who loves animals as much as she does. She has an associates degree in the Arts and is also a Peer Recovery Support Specialist. Heather’s huge heart and amazing work ethic is such a benefit to our animals here in Sevier County!
Heather was raised in Kentucky and moved here 2019. Heather loves animals so deeply and her favorite part of animal welfare is being an advocate to give the animals a voice. She also loves that moment when the furbabies get adopted and head out the door with their forever families.
Heather is a caretaker to her core, and the proud mother of a teenage daughter, who loves animals as much as she does. She has an associates degree in the Arts and is also a Peer Recovery Support Specialist. Heather’s huge heart and amazing work ethic is such a benefit to our animals here in Sevier County!
Jozy Brooks, Kennel Technician
Jozy was born with a huge heart and drive to help her community. She has been a volunteer firefighter for Sevier County since she was 14 years old. Jozy is also very passionate about helping homeless animals that tend to get overlooked or have special needs. All of her pets were adopted from our shelter or the Jefferson County animal shelter, C.A.R.E. This includes Rocco the cat, Binx the cat and Sugar-a three-legged husky & corgi mix.
Jozy‘s favorite things are hiking, hanging out with friends, and giving shelter dogs belly rubs. She comes from incredibly caring family who supports her 100%.
Jozy was born with a huge heart and drive to help her community. She has been a volunteer firefighter for Sevier County since she was 14 years old. Jozy is also very passionate about helping homeless animals that tend to get overlooked or have special needs. All of her pets were adopted from our shelter or the Jefferson County animal shelter, C.A.R.E. This includes Rocco the cat, Binx the cat and Sugar-a three-legged husky & corgi mix.
Jozy‘s favorite things are hiking, hanging out with friends, and giving shelter dogs belly rubs. She comes from incredibly caring family who supports her 100%.
Kerri Medlin, Community Engagement Specialist
Jordan Crum, Kennel Technician
Jordan was born and raised in Newport, Tennessee. Their favorite thing about animal welfare is helping dogs to learn to trust again and that not all humans are bad. Their personal mission also includes helping humans that cross their path needing assistance or education. Every day Jordan makes an impact for animals in our area as they have run a 501(c)(3) rescue called Hearts of Steel Rescue since 2018.
Jordan and their wife are the proud owners of multiple rescued dogs and cats. In their free time, Jordan loves to read and is a huge history nerd. Sevier Animal Care Center is lucky to have someone with such a wealth of experience in animal rescue.
Jordan was born and raised in Newport, Tennessee. Their favorite thing about animal welfare is helping dogs to learn to trust again and that not all humans are bad. Their personal mission also includes helping humans that cross their path needing assistance or education. Every day Jordan makes an impact for animals in our area as they have run a 501(c)(3) rescue called Hearts of Steel Rescue since 2018.
Jordan and their wife are the proud owners of multiple rescued dogs and cats. In their free time, Jordan loves to read and is a huge history nerd. Sevier Animal Care Center is lucky to have someone with such a wealth of experience in animal rescue.
Gia Gonzalez, Kennel Technician
Tori Law, Kennel Technician