Lisa Petri, President
Lisa worked in the horse world for 20 years before committing herself to dog and cat rescue. The last three years, as a volunteer for Colorado Humane Society and with CAWL, she has raised over 20 litters of puppies, transferred over 200 dogs from high kill areas and fostered over one hundred dogs. Lisa socializes feral kittens, raises bottle babies and helps place neutered feral cats in barn homes. Lisa also does adoptions at off site events and assists in spay/neuter programs.
Lisa raised Leila, her 3 year old lab/pointer mix, from two weeks old and last year they passed the Canine Good Citizen Test. Leila was transferred from Oklahoma City after her owners surrendered the litter of 7. The littermates are all placed in loving homes. Leila’s littermate, Holly, also passed her CGCT.
Lisa and her husband, have 5 dogs and 5 horses, four are rescued Thoroughbreds. She competed in Three Day Eventing, worked as an in flight groom with horses traveling internationally and trained with Olympic Gold Medalist Torrance Watkins. Lisa also is a Graduate A with the Wayne Dupage Hunt Pony Club. Since rescue, she feeds her horses and goes on walks around the arena.
A brunette all her life, Lisa’s focus is on black dogs and cats. Many amazing animals are overlooked simply because of their hair color. By educating people to this issue, she hopes to save as many black animals as possible.
Beth Lazar, Vice President
Beth Lazar became connected with CAWL after seeing an injured black Labrador Retriever available for adoption, cross-posted by a friend of her husband’s on Facebook. The Lazar’s had lost their 11 year old black lab a year or so prior to cancer and had been interested in finding another through rescue. As a relatively new organization at the time, CAWL was looking for a volunteer help to help build out their website. Beth jumped in with two feet and has been an IT guru, webmaster, social media expert, foster home, and adoption coordinator for CAWL ever since.
Beth is the founder of Recycled Dog, LLC, an organization dedicated to the advocacy and education about shelter and rescue adoption for dogs. A fierce supporter of dog adoption over buying from a breeder or pet store, Beth is dedicated to spreading the word about dog overpopulation, euthanization statistics, and the importance of spaying and neutering your pets. Her organization is also involved in advocacy efforts and supporting legislation to improve shelter and breeding conditions for dogs.
During her non-dog focused hours, Beth owns and operates Daisy Twist Company, an amusement rental company that services the Front Range of Colorado. She, along with her husband Mike, and son Brady, have 2 rescued Labs from CAWL, and miss very greatly an 11-year old Lab, a 13-year old Golden Retriever, a rescued cat, and a very special foster dog named Mango.
Kyle Gustafson, Secretary
Kyle Gustafson has always loved all animals, but since his wife (Lisa Petri) became more involved in the local rescue scene, he now shares her excitement and enthusiasm in the rescue of homeless dogs and cats. One of the first things Kyle and Lisa did as a couple living in Southern California was to rescue a Border Collie mix, Kaylie, from a high kill shelter. Since then they have had numerous dogs, cats, and horses as part of the family.
Kyle enjoys most all sports and outdoor activities, including owning his own horse, Tonto. Kyle and Tonto won their first ever blue ribbon at the 2010 Barnes Ranch Charity Cattle Drive to benefit the Saddle-Up Foundation. In his free time, Kyle also volunteers for the Saddle-Up Foundation, a local ranch facility that provides horseback therapy for mentally, emotionally, and physically challenged children.
Having been in the construction industry for over 20 years, Kyle is the handy man and go to guy for CAWL and Saddle-Up Foundation.
Megan Weber, Director
Megan Weber is a self-proclaimed weird dog lady with a particular soft spot for the misunderstood and maligned underdogs. Her clothes are perpetually covered in dog hair, her house and rescue wagon are always overflowing with death row mutts and she spends her days shamelessly pestering her friends to foster the next deserving pup. And she wouldn’t have it any other way! Megan truly believes that in rescuing an animal, it will rescue you right back. She is a lover of retrievers, black dogs, pit bulls and everything in between. Megan is a staunch opponent of Colorado municipal breed bans and firmly contends that there’s no such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners. Megan is also the founder of Paws Forward, www.pawsforward.org, an animal advocacy organization working towards a future where homeless and unwanted dogs and cats are no longer destroyed in Denver shelters and she is confident that if rescues, shelters and community members work together, a no-kill Denver is closely within reach.
Megan is an attorney with a background in energy, nonprofit development and public interest law. Megan has built her professional and rescue career on the idea that commitment, compassion and creativity can change the world. Megan graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English. She is a graduate of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and has completed coursework toward an MBA in values-based leadership at the University of Denver Daniels College of Business.
Megan’s rescue efforts are aided by her very awesome and hilarious golden retriever, Seamus the “Moose” Weber.
