j.t. hackett
J. T. joined CAA in June 2019 as our Programs Director and is currently serving as our Executive Director. Earlier in her career, J. T. and her husband, Michael, owned and operated a pet boarding and daycare facility for 13 years. JT also managed an animal health clinic for 2 years. As Executive Director, JT oversees and directs the development of all programs, activities and operations necessary to advance the mission, vision, and core values of CAA. Besides caring for her own children, Ford and Estelle, at home, her family also consists of two cats: Fiona and Pikachu, CAA alum, and two dogs: Benji and Dougie, CAA alum.
Tanner hernandez, DVM
Dr. Tanner Hernandez is CAA’s Medical Director. Dr. Tanner attended LSU SVM and graduated with his DVM in 2020. During his coursework, he also became certified in small and large animal acupuncture. After graduation, Dr. Tanner participated in a one year internship in shelter medicine at LSU SVM that allowed him to split time between LSU and CAA. After his internship was over, he spent a year working in a high-volume, low-cost practice. Dr. Tanner loves teaching and loves being able to help animals that have no one to advocate for them. To him, CAA is the perfect fit because he gets to help teach veterinary students, as well as, treat animals that are down on their luck. Dr. Tanner married his wife Cassie in 2021 and together they have one cat, Babs, a special needs CAA alum, and three dogs: Doug and Noodle, both CAA alum, and Bette.
Sonia Sanchez
Sonia joined our team in November 2020 as Operations Director. She has always had an extraordinary passion for animals of all kinds. In 2011 she found herself in the heart of animal welfare as a member of a special needs animal rescue organization, beginning her efforts to advocate for animals in need. While assisting with TNR efforts in her hometown and educating middle school children on humane care and the animal overpopulation crisis, Sonia also managed the parish animal control department. During her 5 year tenure, she was able to increase her shelter's live release rate as well as reduce intake rates significantly. Outside of the shelter, Sonia’s greatest accomplishments are her three children. She is a proud “Lolly” to a beautiful grandson, and pet mom to dogs, cats, and chickens.
Paula Shaw
Paula began her career in Animal Welfare in 2011. Since then she has held numerous positions with CAA. Currently, she is our Pets for Life (PFL) Director. As an official PFL mentorship partner of the Humane Society of the United States, CAA’s PFL program addresses inequity in pet resources and provides services to people and their pets through door-to-door outreach. She has always been in awe of the strength of the human-animal bond, but never more so than in the underserved parts of our communities. Paula has a Master's in Music degree from LSU. While not serving the people and pets of Baton Rouge, she is devoted to her son Thomas, and their pets.
elizabeth fudge
After serving as a volunteer starting in 2015, Elizabeth’s employment at CAA began as an Adoption Counselor for two years and later as the Foster and Rescue Coordinator for another year. She oversaw intake data and record keeping, as well as animal medical care at the West Baton Rouge Animal Shelter for just under a year before returning to CAA as the Intake Department Manager for more than two years before moving into her role as Client Care Manager for an additional two years. She now serves as our Shelter Senior Manager. Elizabeth believes the most important part of her job is making each animal feel as comfortable as possible as they are transitioning into the shelter environment.
Holly Danielson
Holly began her journey at CAA as an adoption counselor in 2020 just before the Covid-19 pandemic began. Since that time, CAA has evolved exponentially, as has she. After serving as one of our Client Care Supervisors for roughly 2 years, Holly was our Grants and Communications manager before moving into her current role as our Development & Grants Senior Manager. Her favorite part of this role is just how important it is to the success of CAA. She enjoys being an advocate for not only the animals but also our organization as a whole. Holly is the primary caretaker for our Shelter Animal Ambassador Ferret, Scooter (pictured)!
Jen Hollas
Jen joined our Client Care team in 2021 and is now CAA's Communications & Events Senior Manager. She moved to Baton Rouge from Southern California to attend LSU where she is majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with minors in Leadership, Sociology, and Communications. Jen is mom to 2 pets, Gibby and Juju (both CAA alums), and one CAA foster dog, Ollie. On her days off, Jen enjoys reading a good rom-com novel and shopping. One of the things Jen loves about working at CAA is being able to advocate and find homes for the harder-to-place animals in our care.
Collins fairley
Collins has always had a love for animals from big to small, furry to scaly, and everything in between. Collins graduated from LSU with a B.S. in Natural Resources Ecology and Management where she turned her passion for animals into her career. Collins has experience in many parts of the zoo field as an outreach educator and animal keeper. Collins joined CAA in November of 2020 as the Foster Program Manager. Her role is to connect our foster volunteers to the amazing animals that come through CAA in hopes to help them decompress outside of the kennel and receive some love until their new home is found. While not serving the dogs and cats of CAA, she is a pet owner to her cat Loki and her dog, CAA alum, Nicky.
Haylie Loyd
Haylie joined our Programs team in February of 2024 as our Volunteer Manager. She is majoring in Marine Biology at LSU and has experience with animal husbandry from her time with the 4H club. Haylie has really enjoyed her time spent at CAA and excited for what’s to come!
Kathleen Hixon
In 2021, Kathleen joined CAA as an adoption counselor and is currently serving as our Rescue and Transport Manager. Originally from New Orleans, Kathleen moved to Baton Rouge to study at LSU, majoring in Sociology and minoring in Mass Communication. She believes the skills she has learned in school help her effectively communicate with potential adopters and rescues. Kathleen’s favorite part of the job is being able to advocate for animals in less-than-ideal circumstances and being able to give them as much love as she can while they are in our care. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and watching movies. Kathleen is also a proud dog mom to Kiba, CAA alum.
Johnae Anthony
Johnae joined CAA’s team in January 2022 as an adoption counselor and is now a member of our Pets for Life team as the Gardere Program Coordinator. As part of the initiative to increase access to veterinary care to underserved communities, CAA was awarded an Incubator Grant by Petsmart Charities in collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States. With this grant, Johnae will be working diligently to introduce our Pets for Life Program to members of the Gardere Community. Johnae is from New Orleans and is majoring in architecture Louisiana State University. Her passion for revitalizing human shelters expanded to include providing resources like food, transportation, and education. Working at CAA has shown her the interconnectedness of people, animals, and the environment, shifting her focus towards addressing these interlinked challenges. Besides her studies, she also works as a hairstylist, enjoys art, creates content, and spends time with her cat, Katt, and dog, Nalinah, both CAA alum.
Kayla Sachse
In May of 2023, Kayla joined CAA as an adoption counselor and is currently serving as a Client Care Co-Supervisor. Originally from North Carolina, Kayla moved to Baton Rouge to study at LSU. In May of 2024, she graduated from LSU with a Bachelors degree in Biochemistry. Kayla hopes to pursue a career in Veterinary Medicine for small animals and exotic reptiles, with a concentration in pathology. Kayla’s favorite part of the job finding is animals’ homes, whether that be with a new adopter or reuniting them with their families. In her free time, she enjoys fishing, traveling, and playing video games. Kayla is a proud dog mom to Leia, CAA alum.
Hannah Pourciau
Hannah joined CAA in May of 2024 as the Cat Care Supervisor. Hannah has always had a big heart for animals and has even adopted 3 CAA Alums, Abigail, Nolan, and Orbit! She has a passion for helping others and developing and leading her team; Hannah is excited to bring her leadership experience and a keen eye for detail into an environment that encourages growth! While away from the shelter she loves spending time with her fur family, diving into new music, and using her creative skills to further her ever-growing list of hobbies.
Jess Allman
In March of 2023, Jess joined CAA as a volunteer and later became a foster parent to some CAA’s best. Jess now serves as our Dog Care Supervisor. Jess graduated from Nicholls State University with a degree in education. After teaching for 3 years Jess decided to pursue a career in 4 legged friends. In her free time Jess can be found cuddled with her dog, Tae (CAA alum), reading a good book.
