Our Staff
Nicole Perkins
Co-Executive Director of Development and Operations
Nicole joined PAW team in 2018 as our Volunteer Coordinator, and quickly became engaged in every aspect of PAW Team’s operations. Nicole firmly believes that every person and animal deserves care and compassion, and is honored to be a part of this organization. She began her non-profit career 10 years ago, and feels most at home when she can multitask in a variety of roles. She believes this position is perfect for her passion for helping animals and their people. Nicole is constantly inspired by the energy and heart of PAW Team’s community of volunteers and helpers, as well as our clients’ dedication to their pets that they love so much.
Briana Shrode
Co-Executive Director of Medical Services
Briana began her journey in veterinary medicine nearly 20 years ago with a small animal and exotics practice in Arizona. She became involved with PAW Team in 2007 and, after leaving private practice in 2018, was able to dedicate more time as a volunteer. After assisting in weekly clinics and utilizing her experience as a veterinary practice manager to develop and strengthen our rapidly growing medical program, Briana took on a permanent medical staff position in 2019. Her dedication to our mission, compassion for our clients and thoughtful approach to ensuring high-quality care led her to the role of Medical Programs Director. Briana is honored to be part of PAW Team, contributing her acquired skills in way that genuinely impacts our community, the lives of animals and the people who love them more than anything. Briana’s home is refuge to a menagerie of rescue and special needs animals and, if any free time can be found, she tries to garden as much as possible.
Camilla Pettle, Medical Services Coordinator
Camilla started volunteering with PAW Team in 2018. It wasn't hard to fall in love with the clients and their furry companions, but at Sunday drop-in clinics and off-site spay and neuter days, she was also energized by the commitment of PAW Team's staff and other volunteers. Camilla's role provides support by responding to questions and scheduling appointments with the clients plus some sought after interaction with the patients. She's had many different careers, but feels most at home when serving others. Camilla feels the assistance she provides is an important way to honor the human-animal bond, which is paramount to PAW Team's mission.
Sam Martinico, Clinic Manager
Sam started her path in animal welfare in 2010 volunteering for her local animal shelter. Sam is originally from Southern California, but just recent moved to the Pacific Northwest from Tucson, Arizona where she got her veterinary technician certification in 2015. Sam has worked in animal shelters, general practice, emergency and integrative clinics throughout her career. Since a young age, Sam has always been drawn to helping animals and knew that she could make a difference in the world one pet at a time. Knowing how important companion animals are to everyone, she knew PAW Team was the right fit to continue to help those in need of veterinary care. When she isn’t working she can be found exploring with her fiancé for new places to hike and eat with their trusty dog sidekick, Luna or found cuddled up at home with their two cats Libby and Bear. Sam is incredibly grateful to be part of the PAW Team family and can’t wait to bond with all of the pets and humans they belong to.
Keely Burkey, Supply Room & Volunteer Coordinator
Keely began volunteering at PAW Team in January, 2022 and jumped at the chance to work with the organization full time later that year. Besides the important work PAW Team does for the community, she also loves the collaborative and adaptive environment that makes it all happen. A lifelong learner, Keely received a BA in English Writing and Literature from Reed College in 2011, and a MA from Portland State University in Writing (2015); she’s currently working towards an Occupational Therapy Assistant degree through Linn-Benton Community College, with which she hopes to help community members experiencing houselessness and extreme poverty. When Keely isn’t helping pets and owners at PAW Team, she spends her time spoiling her own two dogs (Cooper and Pepper) and cat (Officer Wolfpack). You might also find her long-distance running, reading, or gardening.
Megan Burroughs, Program Coordinator
The love of animals has paved the path for Megan's professional life. After 16 years of owning and running a professional dog walking service in San Francisco, she discovered a passion for animal welfare. She spent 5 years working as the Community Engagement and Humane Education Manager at the humane society in Eugene. There, she explored the intricacies of the human and animal bond and became inspired to study veterinary social work. After moving to Portland she began volunteering at PAW Team. She quickly realized that PAW Team's mission is dear to her heart and exactly what drives her dedication to keeping humans and animals together. She joined the team in 2023.
Our Board
PAW Team is actively seeking individuals to join our leadership team by serving on our Board of Directors!
Learn more here.
Kate Hooper, DVM, President
Kate Hooper is a veterinarian who loves practicing here in the Pacific NW. She is an active veterinary volunteer with PAW Team and regularly participates in on-site clinics and off-site events. She feels that the mission and services of PAW Team fill a critical and unique need in our community and joined the board in 2023 to help further the goals of the organization. As a Portland native, Kate has been able to see how the city, community, and veterinary medicine have changed and evolved over the years. She believes there is no more important time than now for PAW Team to reach people and their animal companions and she is grateful to work alongside the amazing people that make this work possible. Outside of veterinary medicine, Kate enjoys running, cooking, spending time with her two dogs (Finn and Steady), and traveling with her partner who is also a veterinarian.
Jordan Nuccio, DVM, CVA
Ten years ago, Jordan attended her first PAW Team drop-in clinic at a warehouse in NW Portland at the urging of a dear friend from vet school. She was blown away by the incredible demonstrations of the power and significance of the human-animal bond that she witnessed at that first clinic. She was hooked. Her involvement at PAW Team over the subsequent years ultimately motivated her to leave private practice to return to school with the plan to explore the potential of supporting and harnessing the power of that bond to help to reduce barriers and provide access to health care for both humans and their pets. She is currently completing her Master in Public Health degree at the School of Public Health at OHSU/PSU. She plans to continue to work with PAW Team as both a board member and as a volunteer veterinarian to support program development with an emphasis on ‘One Health’, recognizing that the health of people and their pets are interdependent. She also works to support this human-animal bond as the consulting veterinarian with Kaiser Hospice for the Pet Peace of Mind Program designed to provide care and support to the relationship between hospice patients and their pets.
When not at school or at a clinic she is likely to be found with her husband and two young kids, their three dogs, one cat, five chickens, two fish, two horses and whomever else might have joined the menagerie.
Kristina Hogg, DVM
Kristina moved to Portland from Boston in 2015. In Massachusetts, Kristina had started working in animal shelters while running her own business, where she found the balance of working with the very fortunate in private practice and the less fortunate in non-profits to be very rewarding. She started volunteering with PAW Team while building her own house-call animal acupuncture business, as has been a regular at our clinics throughout the years. She joined our Board of Directors in 2021 to help the organization continue to grow and serve the animals and humans in need in Portland.
In her spare time Kristina can be found hiking and camping with her husband and pack of dogs. They recently converted a Sprinter van to a camper to make it easier to camp with the dogs in all seasons of the year. She also has a small flock of beloved chickens and two African tortoises that live in her backyard and entertain the neighbors.
Ina Zucker
Growing up in a family that prioritized animal welfare and environmental conservation, Ina began working to protect animals in fifth grade by collecting funds to adopt a whale. Since then, some part of her professional or volunteer work has included advocacy for the future of the planet, its animals and people. She has worked as a junior lobbyist in Washington, DC in support of ending hunting and trapping on national wildlife refuges, a cook in a vegetarian restaurant, and a public interest environmental lawyer.
Working at Oregon Metro, where the voters of the region recently have approved two measures for Metro to tackle affordable housing and homeless services in the Portland area, Ina saw the connections between the PAW Team mission and the work Metro and others are doing to support folks experiencing homelessness. She joined the board in 2022.
When not working, Ina and her husband can be found gardening on a small scale at home, and helping old friends build larger scale, vineyard-adjacent gardens and fruit orchards on beautiful land in Yamhill County.
Anna Wilson
Anna currently works as a supervisor for Home Forward. In her previous roles at Home Forward and other non-profits she has worked closely with the PAW Team. PAW Team brings such a needed service to those that are low income and/or experiencing houselessness. Anna works directly with the folks that access PAW team and has seen first hand the compassion and care they bring. Anna has two spoiled pups, Melvin and Cody. Both are rescues (Humane Society and Pacific Pug Rescue) and love to go on hiking adventures. In her free time, she travels the world with her partner, dogs and friends.
Lillie Reder
Lillie strongly supports animal welfare organizations, especially those dedicated to maintaining and advocating for human-animal companionship like PAW Team. In 2020 she moved from Alaska, where she was a member of the Board of Directors for Bethel Friends of Canines, to Portland to pursue her graduate studies. Thus far, Lillie has enjoyed volunteering at one PAW Wellness Clinic and in the supply room and looks forward to many more volunteer opportunities in fundraising, events, and operations.
Lillie works for Central City Concern as a Quality Consultant, a PAW partnering non-profit in the Portland Metro area providing housing, healthcare and employment services to folx experiencing homelessness. In her free time she enjoys being outside with her two Alaskan pups or exploring beautiful Portland.
Barb Kessel
Barb derives joy volunteering for PAW Team, and is honored to be part of the team providing vital services to people and pets experiencing poverty and/or houselessness. She believes our community is strengthened by increases in compassion and kindness. These qualities continually bounce between staff, volunteers, clients, and pets at PAW Team.
Barb graduated from the PCC Veterinary Technician program in 2010 and started to live her dream of caring for animals and the people that love them. She returned to live in Portland a few years ago, but still works remotely for The Grand Lake Veterinary Hospital in the California Bay Area. She also has a degree in library science and worked as a librarian for many years before entering the veterinary field, including in Washington County.