Meet the Staff

Volunteers

The Animal Behavior Center is run by volunteers and students seeking experience in animal behavior and the use of applied behavior analysis. Once in a while we have a volunteer position available. If you are interested in volunteering and are over the age of 18, please contact us, and we will get back to you in touch with you.

Internships

Our internship inquiries are coming in at a high rate and we are working with a few different colleges nationwide to provide this service. Please contact us with questions.

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Staff

Karen Pratt

Manager

Karen has worked in the marketing and communications field for 23 years as an Accounting Supervisor and then as a Director of Administration and Accounting. She then went on to a whole new endeavor as an Accounting Manager for 8 years at an Orthodontic Office and then a Practice Manager for another Orthodontics office for 1 year until a major medical incident cut her professional career short in 2011. She has been with The Animal Behavior Center for over six years since the center opened. Karen lives in Sylvania very close to The Animal Behavior Center with her youngest daughter Sandy. Sandy also volunteers at The Animal Behavior Center and works at a doggy day care. Karen’s oldest daughter, Michelle is a Veteran Marine and married to a fellow veteran Marine, Wes. Michelle is an editor at a large academic publishing company based in San Diego, CA. and Wes is currently in Seminary school studying to be a pastor.

Karen loves any kind of animal! She has 4 dogs, 5 cats, an African Grey, English budgies, and a very large aquarium and a few smaller ones as well. Karen also fosters kittens for the Toledo Area Humane Society during “kitten season”. Since being at The Animal Behavior Center, she has learned so much from Lara. Using applied behavior analysis and positive reinforcement training has opened her eyes to a whole new level of compatibility and has strengthened her relationship with her animals at home.

Sandy Pratt

Sandy currently works a Doggie Daycare and previously worked at a local pet boarding and care facility for three years. Sandy has grown up with dogs, cats, and fish but now at 25 years old, she has not only dogs, cats and fish but also a short tailed oppossum, rats, mice, hamsters, spiney mice, african pygmy mice and reptiles and snakes. Sandy volunteers on a regular basis helping out with feeding, cleaning and training. Also, volunteers at the events wherever she is needed. Sandy has a passion for rescuing animals in need and will go out of her way to help the owner or get the animal in good hands, whether it be a veterinarian, shelter, etc. Sandy’s dream is to open a rescue facility someday.

Angie Knannlein-Rahman

Angie is a mother of 2 (Alexxis-22 & Mason-17) beautiful children; as well as an umbrella cockatoo (Roscoe), a black lab (Pearl), a chorkie (Churro), a boa (Rosie), & a ball python (Kaa).She has been a registered nurse in critical care for going on 20 years. In her spare time she coaches high school track (@ Central Catholic) & and she volunteer as a transporter & fosters for Nature’s Nursery. She is a tattoo collector & very much enjoy the multitude of colors in our beautiful world, whether it be on canvas of paper, wood, skin, flora or fauna.

Lindsay Douglas

Lindsay is an undergraduate student who is currently pursuing a degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. With that degree, she plans to study animal behavior with hopes of opening her own wildlife rehab and rescue center. Lindsay has always had a passion for animals and hopes to instill that same passion in others after learning all she can about the animal behavior field.

Maddy Splitt

Maddy is an undergraduate student at Siena Heights University pursing a degree in Psychology. After graduation she plans to attend graduate school to receive her masters in Applied Behavior Analysis. While volunteering/interning at The Animal Behavior Center, she hopes to learn training techniques used at the center to better prepare herself for her future. Her interest for animals started at a young age and has grown into a passion in hopes that one day she will work at an animal rehabilitation and rescue center.

Kendall Jukalla

Volunteer

Kendall is a graduate of Northern Michigan University where she received her Bachelor’s degree in both Communications Disorders and Nursing. Kendall is involved with the enrichment team in making toys for all the animals at The Animal Behavior Center. She is now actively training along side Lara and making great progress with moving into this advanced part of volunteering. Kendall is married and has a Great Dane and an African Grey Parrot at home and is a member our Level 1 membership program.

Edie Edmonds

Edie has been at the center since January. She lives 10 min from the center. Edie says she’s learning a lot and plans on staying a long time. Edie currently works at a distillary and rides a Harley Davidson Softail. She has an adult daughter, April, who is a flight attendant.

Edie loves animals and has a 10 yr old African Grey Congo (Greyson), an African Green Singer Finch (Buddy), a 12 yr old Doll face Persian cat (Missy) and a new pretty red Betta fish.

Brittany Johnson

Brittany grew up in the downriver Michigan area and has two cats, Anais and Lilith. She went to Western Michigan University for her bachelors in Behavioral Sciences and is currently working on her masters in Applied Behavior Analysis with an emphasis in Autism Spectrum Disorder at Ball State University. Brittany is a full time Registered Behavior Technician at Autism Home Support Services where she provides in-home services to children with ASD. Volunteering at the center has broadened Brittany’s thinking of ABA, without prior knowledge of the principles used across species!

Erica Blagrave

Erica is a USAF veteran who met her USAF veteran husband, Sean, while stationed in Korea. Erica is from Altoona, PA and Sean is from Indianapolis, IN. They have been married for 21 years and have 2 kids, a shorkie dog-Ozzy, a guinea pig-Butter, 2 cockatiels-Timmi and Wanda, and 2 parakeets-Peppi and Sunni. They have an 18 year old son, Eric, who also plans to join the USAF this year and a 15 year old daughter, Laney, who is a sophomore at Northview High school. After the Airforce, Erica worked as a Sales Representative then Sales manager for AT&T advertising and marketing for almost 15 years while her husband primarily stayed home with their young children. Four years ago, Erica left Corporate America to spend more time with her family. Erica had birds growing up and has always had a passion for exotic birds. Helping at the center is an amazing learning opportunity and has only deepened her passion and appreciation for animals and longing to learn and help more.

Cole Frisch

Cole is currently a student at Owens Community college studying Exercise Science. Cole has always had a connection with animals for as long as he can remember and grew up with multiple pets. Currently, Cole and his family have five dogs and two cats. They have a husky (Manushka), a pharaoh hound (Rower), a pit-lab mix (Domino), a beagle (Suha), and a mutt (Wrangler) who is blind and deaf. Cole’s family is made up of 18 kids and 2 parents. Out of those 18 kids, 15 were adopted. Cole is the youngest of the 3 biological children and third youngest of the whole family.

Contact Us

Our Location

419.360.1234
4917 Alexis Road,
Sylvania, Ohio