Cory Keller | President and CEO | ckeller@metrodetroitanimals.org
Cory Keller, President and CEO of Friends for Animals joined the organization in March of 2023. He has been in the animal welfare field for nearly twenty years working at humane societies, rescues, and previously running the division of Animal Control for the City of Cleveland. His experience working in non-profit organizations and municipalities in animal welfare has given him a unique view and the knowledge on how animal welfare organizations could be effectively run while making a larger impact and saving more lives. Keller believes in building and expanding programs and services that keep people and pets together while strengthening the human-animal bond. He believes in working with the communities he serves and finding proactive approaches to solving everyday problems. Most importantly, he loves to see the staff and volunteers succeed. The staff and volunteers are the backbone of any organization, and without them, the organization can not succeed. They are the heart and soul. His vision for Friends for Animals is to expand programs and services not only in the Dearborn Community but the Metro Detroit area. From programs and services to keep people and their pets together, to partnering and collaborating with other animal welfare organizations to save more lives, and finally focusing on learning and education for the public.
“Humane education is so important to any vibrant and healthy community. The more we know, the better informed we are, the less likely an animal will need to come into a shelter that doesn’t need to.”
Trish O’Donnell | Director of Operations | todonnell@metrodetroitanimals.org
Trish O’Donnell joined the Friends for Animals team as a Kennel Assistant in 2012. She quickly advanced to other key positions such as Office Assistant, Kennel Supervisor, Admission Facility’s Manager and then to Manager of Animals Support Programs before becoming Director of Operations. Her main focus is ensuring Friends for Animals runs efficiently in saving 100% of adoptable and treatable animals. Under her direction, the volunteer foster program has grown substantially and Friends for Animals has grown our outreach program. She has also expanded the number of transfer partners Friends for Animals collaborates with. Trish especially enjoys reuniting lost animals with their families, and placing TNR and barn cats. As a professional member of the International Association of Canine Professionals, her passion is sharing her knowledge of selecting and training service dogs with staff and volunteers. The dogs who don’t become certified service dogs are highly adoptable. Trish excels at matching adopters and fosters with appropriate animals to increase placement and success. She is also passionate about helping the public learn about feral cats and wildlife and how to safely coexist with them, including whether they need human intervention and how to reunite them with their families. Her hobbies include gardening and crocheting, and she lives in Dearborn with her husband, 2 children, 2 dogs, 2 cats and a senior chinchilla.
Kelsey Wynn | Assistant Director of Operations | kwynn@metrodetroitanimals.org
Kelsey Wynn, Assistant Director of Operations, joined Friends for Animals in 2014 as a Kennel Assistant. After rescuing her dog Mongo with her husband in 2009, she knew helping to heal animals was her calling. Over the years with the organization, she has dawned many titles including Office Assistant, Animal Placement Counselor, Development Assistant, Evaluator Assistant, Animal Medical Technician, Animal Medical Team Leader, and Manager of Shelter Medicine. It was in 2017 when she first began her journey in the medical realm of Friends for Animals and it changed her entire career path in the best way possible. In addition to overseeing the medical team, her current role also includes overseeing intake, animal care, and directing operations at Friends for Animals’ Admission Center. Kelsey has been able to expand the medical internship program and has received a Mentor of the Year award through University of Michigan Dearborn due to these efforts. She has also been integral to implementing and operating free vaccine, microchip, and licensing clinics for Dearborn and Detroit residents, and has developed partnerships with local animal welfare groups to expand clinic programs. Kelsey has created partnerships with local veterinarians who have teamed up with the Friends to provide optimal care for the animals within the organization. She has also written and implemented all medical protocols with the guidance of Friends for Animals’ Board. Over the years, she has earned many certifications including the History of Humane Education as well as Cat Behavior and Retention through the Humane Society of the United States, Feline Infectious Diseases through Veterinary Information Network, Fear Free for Shelters though Fear Free LLC, Euthanasia by Injection through Michigan Humane Society, and Pet First Aid and CPR through Dr. Booth DVM. She regularly attends seminars for continuing education such as Great Lakes Animal Welfare Conference, VMX, and K9 Turbo Training. Kelsey is currently working on her science degree in Penn Foster’s Veterinary Technology program. In her spare time, she has created Love Mugs for FAMD, where she creates custom mugs to raise funds for the Friends.
16121 Reckinger Road, Dearborn, MI 48126
friends@metrodetroitanimals.org
Phone: 313-943-2697 x 6001
Fax: Fax@MetroDetroitAnimals.org
Monday & Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday – Sunday: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Lost and Found, Trap Rentals, Donation Drop-Off
16121 Reckinger Road, Dearborn, MI 48126
friends@metrodetroitanimals.org
Phone: 313-943-2697 x 6002
Fax: Fax@MetroDetroitAnimals.org
Monday – Saturday: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
