Meet the PASS (Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender) Team! The PASS Team runs and oversees our PASS Program. This awesome team is made up of volunteers who not only work with foster parents, but also the pet parent. More Information on our PASS Program Here.
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Gillian Robles
PASS Director
I began volunteering with Dallas Pets Alive in 2022, when I launched a partnership to foster dogs through Camp Bow Wow Grand Prairie. In 2024, I officially joined the team as Director of the PASS Program. I’m passionate about our mission to keep families and their pets together and honored to be part of a program that makes that possible. When I’m not doing rescue work, you can find me paddleboarding or hiking with my DPA alum, Kodiak.
Ariana Grove
PASS Assistant Director
Ariana started virtually volunteering at DPA in December 2023. She started out in the marketing team helping with pet bios, blogs, and social media stories. In March 2025, she transitioned into her current role of Assistant PASS Director.
Ariana and her husband live in Orlando, Florida with their two dogters, Penny and Cinder. She runs an instagram page (@pawsitivelycinder) which advocates for dogs with behavioral and mental health issues.
Kandice Reddick
PASS Rehoming Specialist
Hey y’all! I’m Kandice—pet lover, foster supporter, and chaos coordinator by profession. Outside of work and volunteering , I’m either cuddling up with a good show or dreaming about adopting every senior dog I meet.
Sally Khoury
PASS Lost & Found Specialist
Hello! I am Sally and I have been volunteering as the PASS stray and lost animal specialist since March of 2025. I have had a love for animals, especially dogs for my entire life. I want to make a positive impact for all these adorable buddies who need loving homes and this role helps me do the best I can! When out and about, you’ll find me enjoying nature runs, shopping, and talking to everyone and anyone around me. Also, fun fact I had a pet white tree frog named Squash for 3 years!UT
Kimberly DeWeese
PASS Legal Team Coordinator
I have two cats, a dog, and two kids. There is usually a foster of some sort around, too. When I’m not volunteering, I work for a Big Four Financial Services Firm and do a lot of business travel, but I love it.
Myriam Hunter
PASS Events Representative
Hi! I’m proud to say I was the very first volunteer for PASS and have been with the program since day one. It’s been an incredible journey. We went from being unwelcome outside of DAS to having a friendly and collaborative partnership. I’ve had the chance to work with amazing teams like The Bridge and Cuddly. I was even part of our digital transformation going from paper forms to Doobert. I have a lot of great memories, including a once-in-a-lifetime situation. Having a truck show up at your home with a pallet of pet food and kitty litter can definitely be a memory for myself, family and neighbors. I’m so excited to see how far we’ve come and where we’re going next!
Luzy Villalon
PASS Medical Assistance
I'm Luzelena, Luzy for short. I began volunteering for DPA PASS Medical Assistance at the end of August 2025. I dream of going to grad school in the future to pursue veterinary medicine. When I'm not volunteering, I am reading books at the gym, running with friends, painting, indulging my time in too many hobbies or working my job in a Gynecologist office. If I could, I would nominate my son as the world's clingiest orange cat. I'd also like to add on to my two sassy turtles!
Liz Barbour
New Digs Director
I’m Liz, and I started virtually volunteering with DPA as a Foster Rep in 2016 and eventually joined the PASS team as well. In March 2021, I helped create DPA’s New Digs Responsible Rehoming program, and we’ve assisted almost 150 owners in rehoming their pets to new loving families. Even though I live in Boston, I’m passionate about helping the animals of North Texas.
I’ve fostered over 40 pets through rescues in Virginia and Utah in the past few years. Outside of DPA, I work at a clean energy company, and in my free time, I love hiking with my Terrier mix, Rhys, and traveling.
Janet Wafula
PASS Operations (Inbox)
Hello! I am Janet. I started volunteering with Dallas Pets Alive! in July 2025 as a PASS Operations (Inbox) volunteer. In this role, I respond to emails from pet owners seeking assistance and help connect them with resources to keep their pets safe and cared for.
Volunteering with DPA has been such a meaningful experience. Every message answered is a chance to make someone feel supported during a difficult time.
When I’m not volunteering, I work as a remote Customer Support Virtual Assistant and enjoy spending time with animals, organizing things (I love a tidy inbox ), and catching up on a good show or long walk.
Denise
PASS Training (behavior) Specialist
Denise is a PASS Training Specialist with Dallas Pets Alive and is based in Pennsylvania. She studied Political Science with a focus on International Relations at West Chester University and joined DPA after finding a virtual volunteer opportunity through Idealist.org. With a strong love for animals and community support, Denise enjoys helping people access resources and connecting families with tools that empower them to confidently support their pets at home and within their communities.
She shares her home with three dogs: Chibs, a 13-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback/Lab mix; Cookie, a 5-year-old Great Pyrenees/Hound mix; and Coover, a 1-year-old German Shepherd/Pittie mix. Outside of rescue work, Denise enjoys running, reading, playing sports with her daughter, and hiking with her family.
Lydia Russell
Temporary Placement Specialist
Lydia is a Temporary Placement Specialist with Dallas Pets Alive and is local to the DFW area. She first connected with DPA while fostering a dog who had been in the shelter for nearly a year. Seeing firsthand how foster care transformed that dog’s life, along with the strong support DPA provides to fosters, inspired her to stay involved and help wherever she could.
She is especially passionate about supporting families in domestic violence situations, ensuring pets are kept safe and never become a barrier to someone leaving an unsafe environment. At home, Lydia has three cats, Cojo (Cody Johnson, a tripawed foster fail), Tokyo (Little Bit), and Wyatt. Outside of rescue work, she enjoys caring for her aquariums, building terrariums and mossariums, cozy gaming, and spending quiet time with her cats and foster cats.
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