Our Team

Dr. Couto, internal medicine and oncology board-certified veterinarian recently retired from the Oncology/Hematology Service at the Veterinary Medical Center at The Ohio State University (OSU), has worked with Greyhounds and other sighthounds for over two decades, since adopting Clyde, his first hound, from the Wheeling racetrack. In 2004, Dr. Couto launched the OSU Greyhound Health and Wellness Program (OSUGHWP), creating an outreach and teaching effort that incorporated basic elements of shelter medicine. Since then, Dr. Couto has been actively involved and dedicated to improving the health of sighthounds through education, and clinical research.

To date, he has published more than 35 peer-reviewed articles on sighthound health. After his retirement from OSU, Dr. Couto helped establish the GHI to carry on the support and services provided by the OSUGHWP and to continue to improve sighthound health and education.

Courtney has been a registered veterinary technician since 2006. Courtney helped start The Greyhound Health Initiative Blood Bank in 2016. Courtney has co-managed this blood bank and helped make it what it is today. In addition to the blood bank, Courtney works at an emergency veterinary clinic near Columbus. Over the years Courtney has volunteered her time with Team Greyhound Adoption of Ohio and has found many homes for greyhounds.

Courtney resides with her family including 6 dogs (a mix of greyhounds & king charles cavaliers) and many chickens.

Trina has owned greyhounds since 2005 and currently owns four retired racing greyhounds (Cody, Lizzie, Bruce and BoBo) and one hound mix (Roxi). She has volunteered with James River Greyhounds for more than 15 years and currently serves as the Adoption Coordinator/Vice President. Trina has volunteered with The Greyhound Health Initiative since 2018. She resides in Richmond, Virginia and works as a Biomedical Research Administrator with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Richard initially qualified as a veterinarian at the University of Bristol and began working in a practice with a large number of greyhounds as patients. Due to the number of greyhound he was seeing with corns, and due to the frustration of treating them, he began researching into the causes and treatment of corns. A passion and curiosity for one medicine and comparative pathology, as well a wish to learn more about the the one species (humans) not extensively covered at veterinary school, led him to go back to university to study human medicine.

After qualifying as a medical doctor, he specialised in diagnostic pathology and currently works as a consultant pathologist at Akershus University Hospital in Norway. During this period he has maintained his research interest in corns and has collaborated extensively with Mike Guilliard, and well as working on a ongoing project looking into the genetic aspects of corns with Professor Frode Lingaas at the Veterinary School at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in As.

Jessica has a background in cancer research and has a PhD in Cell Biology. She is passionate about animal welfare and is the proud owner of a retired racing greyhound named Faith.

Audra began her journey volunteering with a local animal shelter since 2018, where she is now the Media Director. She has ample experience in animal welfare, nonprofit organizations, and marketing. Her passion for helping animals led to her dog Rose becoming a blood donor in 2024. Shortly thereafter, she began helping with the blood bank’s social media. Audra can be found spending her free time with her husband, teenage son, 4 dogs, 4 cats and bearded dragon.