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Our team is made up of some of the most knowledgeable and caring lovers of sighthounds we could hope to assemble. Contact us if you’re interested in joining!
Volunteer Signup
Founder & Advisor
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.
Legal Counsel
A graduate of Mt. Holyoke College and Suffolk University, attorney Shoffner has been providing legal services to businesses and non-profit organizations for over 20 years.
President/Executive Director
Mandy has worked as a Registered Veterinary Technician since 2004. She has extensive knowledge of greyhound and sighthound medicine. In June, 2016 Mandy joined The Greyhound Health Initiative to help start a canine blood bank. She currently co-manages the blood bank with Courtney Kindler. She attends conferences and pet events in order to educate and promote the blood bank and The Greyhound Health Initiative. Mandy is dedicated to educating veterinarians and technicians on transfusion medicine and blood banking, along with the differences in sighthound medicine. Mandy has been married to her husband since 1999 and has 2 children. You will often see Mandy’s entire family volunteering at GHI events. Her animal household includes a greyhound who she adopted from Team Greyhound, a bulldog rescue, a cat, chickens and a horse.
Secretary
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.
Treasurer/Research Coordinator/Board of Directors
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.
Great Britain Representative/Board of Directors
Jo joined GHI in 2021. Having lived, volunteered and/or worked with greyhounds virtually all of her adult life, Jo comes from a background in dog welfare charities working in operations, volunteer management, supporter relations and marketing. With a keen interest in canine rehabilitation therapies of all kinds, Jo spends much of her spare time practicing holistic therapies and currently lives with Sergio, a retired racing greyhound.
Board of Directors
Lisabeth (Tibbi) Ramsdell has been a GreytMom since adopting her first retired racing greyhound in 1999. A self-proclaimed Chipper (you know you can't have just one) Tibbi and husband Gary have been owned by NGA retired racers, NGA never-racers, Greyhound seniors, pups and special needs hounds. Tib and Gary have also been owned by Galgos, IGGIEs and a Sloughi. Unfortunately, they are well versed with the cancers that have affected their sighthounds - Osteosarcomas , Mast Cell Cancers, oral cancers , Lymphosarcoma and Hemangiosarcoma. Tibbi's sighthounds have been donors for the GHI Blood Bank since its inception, and prior to that, The OSU Bloodbank. Tibbi is now retired from the 9-5, 40 hour a week world and is finding that it is much more gratifying to work for free for the nont for profit organizations she believes in. Life is too short to make others money when you can work to make a difference.
Our blood bank techs have over 50 years of cumulative experience as veterinary technicians and they put that knowledge to good use running the daily operations of our blood bank; from collecting donations to shipping orders and from negotiating with vendors to making sure our donor dogs are spoiled rotten every minute they’re in our care. They are the heart and soul of The Greyhound Health Initiative’s Blood Bank.
