Meet our team:
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
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 under socialized cats and dogs.
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 under socialized cats and dogs.
Mandy Rush, Placement Manager
Mandy was born and raised in Fredericksburg, VA. Ever since she was a small child she had a passion and love for animals. At the young age of 9 years old, Mandy started dog sitting for her neighborhood pets! Mandy moved to Tennessee when at 20 years old and bought her very first home only a year later.
Mandy has 5 years of experience as a vet tech, and 11 years as a kennel technician. She has a deep passion for animal welfare from basic needs to critical care. Mandy has always been the one people call when they find strays or hurt animals that need immediate attention. She has 8 personal dogs, all of which needed her at some point to save their life! After realizing the great need in our area and that she could not keep all of unwanted pets that she came across, Mandy had the idea to run a non profit dog rescue! For the last 4 years, Mandy has been running Krazy For K9’s Rescue, Inc. It became apparent very quickly that Mandy was really great at finding animals good, loving homes!
All of these experiences lead her to Sevier Animal Care Center, where she is making a huge impact as our Placement Manager over foster care, rescue relationships, and adoptions. With her background, we are extremely lucky to have her here. Saving lives is what Mandy was born to do!
Mandy has 5 years of experience as a vet tech, and 11 years as a kennel technician. She has a deep passion for animal welfare from basic needs to critical care. Mandy has always been the one people call when they find strays or hurt animals that need immediate attention. She has 8 personal dogs, all of which needed her at some point to save their life! After realizing the great need in our area and that she could not keep all of unwanted pets that she came across, Mandy had the idea to run a non profit dog rescue! For the last 4 years, Mandy has been running Krazy For K9’s Rescue, Inc. It became apparent very quickly that Mandy was really great at finding animals good, loving homes!
All of these experiences lead her to Sevier Animal Care Center, where she is making a huge impact as our Placement Manager over foster care, rescue relationships, and adoptions. With her background, we are extremely lucky to have her here. Saving lives is what Mandy was born to do!
Reilly Scheider, Adoption Team Lead
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.
Reilly 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.
Reilly 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 associate’s 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 associate’s 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
Kerri grew up on a tobacco farm right here in Sevierville. After 15 years in a corp job Kerri was more than ready to move back home to this wonderful and loving community that she grew up in. Kerri made the decision to cash out her 401k and move back to Sevierville to renovate her grandparents farmhouse.
She now happily lives in the family farmhouse with her 5 cats, 2 goats, and a jungle of house plants. Fortunately, for us, not too long after moving back to Sevierville, Kerri started a new career here at Sevier Animal Care Center and found her true life passion- animal welfare! Kerri not only has a passion for animals & helping the humans connected with them, but also an incredible work ethic. Kerri has also shown that she has many already built in skills that have elevated our work to another level. We quickly promoted her from a kennel tech position to Community Engagement Specialist.
In her free time,Kerri enjoys camping, kayaking, and making things.
She now happily lives in the family farmhouse with her 5 cats, 2 goats, and a jungle of house plants. Fortunately, for us, not too long after moving back to Sevierville, Kerri started a new career here at Sevier Animal Care Center and found her true life passion- animal welfare! Kerri not only has a passion for animals & helping the humans connected with them, but also an incredible work ethic. Kerri has also shown that she has many already built in skills that have elevated our work to another level. We quickly promoted her from a kennel tech position to Community Engagement Specialist.
In her free time,Kerri enjoys camping, kayaking, and making things.
Jordan Crum, Intake Team Lead
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 is the proud owner 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 is the proud owner 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.