Jennifer is a Bay Area native who has been a passionate animal lover since childhood. Her experience in rescue work first began at the age of sixteen, when she became old enough to volunteer at the Santa Clara Humane Society in 1993. Jennifer started off as a veterinary’s assistant, but this position became difficult when Jennifer realized that many of the animals would pass straight from their first exam to the euthanasia room. The most horrifying memory was the morning she saw an entire litter of six kittens brought in, all of whom were condemned to death, because they were born to a feral mother.  It was these early experiences with traditional shelters that solidified Jennifer’s commitment to the “no-kill philosophy” – the idea that no adoptable pet should ever be killed simply because a home has not been found for it.

While at Stanford University she founded the Stanford Animal Action Group (SAAG), a student group committed to raising money for local no-kill shelters, such as Pets In Need, and to raising student awareness of various animal issues on campus. During that time, Jennifer also interned for the Palo Alto Humane Society and assisted in its campaign to educate low income communities on the importance of spaying and neutering their pets.

In the summer of 2005, Jennifer began contacting Bay Area shelters to see if they would be willing to release dogs scheduled for euthanasia into her care.  Through that process, Max, Skunk, Negra, and Dulzar were rescued and all eventually placed into permanent homes. Despite the extremely rewarding experience of having saved four lives, Jennifer had to put her dream of rescuing animals on a much larger scale on hold for three years when she moved to the other side of the country to attend Harvard Law School in the fall of 2005. 

After graduating with a law degree in 2008 and returning to the Bay Area, Jennifer and her sister Samantha, began collaborating about how they could make the biggest impact in the lives of shelter animals on death row. The two decided to combine forces and co-founded a nonprofit corporation called Copper’s Dream Rescue – an organization dedicated to the mission of ending the euthanasia of adoptable animals in the United States. 

Samantha has felt the intense passion and love for animals that drew her to rescue work ever since she was born. Her earliest memories are filled with the many animal companions she grew up with, from Doodle the yellow tabby to Copper, the dog who inspired this rescue group. Samantha first got into rescue work in the summer of 2005, when she and her sister Jennifer rescued two puppies and two adult dogs.

Samantha has also enjoyed working at Garrod Farms, where she indulged in her love for horses. At Garrod, Samantha worked several 8-hour shifts each week and was rewarded with free horseback riding, which she preferred to getting a paycheck because she loved to ride so much. 

Samantha is also very committed to Furry Friends, a nonprofit organization that facilitates pet-assisted therapy. She visits hospitals and convalescent homes with her dog, Goldie, to bring some happiness to what might be an otherwise bleak place. Despite the many hours it takes to simply keep the rescue group going, Samantha loves all aspects of the work; every hour is repaid a thousand times over with each life that is saved and each successful placement into a permanent and loving family.

Lee grew up on a farm in Maryland with six dogs, seven cats, two horses, a goat and several pet mice -- all of whom were rescue animals. Having grown up with so many pets, it was hard for Lee to move to non-pet friendly dorms in college & law school, where pets were an impossibility. In 2002, she finished her program at Duke Law School and moved out to California to work as an attorney.  While taking on pro bono projects, she noticed that her interests gravitated towards the animal legal rights arena. She handled various matters for the Animal Legal Defense Fund during her time in practice. After moving into the legal recruiting industry, Lee found that she had more free time and decided to get involved in fostering dogs through Copper's Dream (she finally moved into a pet-friendly building!). Her involvement in the organization has grown, and she now focuses on foster coordination for the rescue.

Jill was born and raised on the coast just south of San Francisco and has been an animal lover for as long as she can remember. She has always been surrounded by numerous pets and wouldn’t have it any other way. Currently her house is pretty calm with only a cat and dog, but that wasn’t always the case. Past beloved pets have included numerous dogs, cats, rabbits, iguanas, fish, frogs and even a horse.

Her passion for helping stray animals started at the early age of about eight, when her neighborhood had a very high population of feral cats. She and her cousin would spend hours catching the young kittens and finding them new homes. This eventually led her to become a junior volunteer at SF SPCA as a dog walker. While attending school in Sacramento she was an active volunteer at the county shelter where she was involved in dog socialization, adoption counseling and fostering. After moving back to the Bay Area she was in search of a rescue that was a perfect fit. That’s when she stumbled upon Copper’s Dream and has been helping in a variety of ways ever since.

Hi, I'm Meghan. I manage/design this website, design print materials, run our Facebook page, and do anything else I can to help this rescue in its mission. Dogs hold a special place in my heart, but I love all animals. My animal volunteering started with wildlife rescue and feral cat care in high school. While at Cornell University I accompanied cats to an elder care community as part of an animal therapy program. After braving one Cornell winter I high-tailed it back to California where I graduated from Stanford University ('05) with a degree in Urban Studies. Professionally I have worked in environmental consulting and at a non-profit land trust, but currently I work for an internet company. My own "fur babies" include our rescued pup Fletcher and our cat Hope. Fletcher had only one day left to live at the Merced shelter and Hope was adopted from the Humane Society Silicon Valley. 

Abby was born and raised in Wisconsin and has had a passion for animals her whole life. She grew up with cats, dogs, ducks, rabbits, lizards, horses and just about everything else. There was never a shortage of animals in her home. Growing up she always brought home stray dogs and if the owners could not be located she found a new home for them (a few now live with her mom!). When she turned 16 she immediately got a job in a veterinary hospital where they had boarding, a vet, and a doggy playgroup. She moved to San Francisco to pursue school and was rescuing dogs off of Craigslist and finding new home for them when she came across Copper's Dream. She fostered her first puppy Gidget and has been working with them ever since! Her current "children" include a Copper's Dream alum Rosie along with 2 chihuahuas, 2 leopard geckos, a rat and a chinchilla who were all rescues.