Ellen Sue Ballon has spent more than two decades on the front lines of animal welfare as the CEO and Co-Founder of Deity Animal Rescue and Foundation, which she built alongside her partner, Lindsay Bird Gassel. In that time, she has witnessed firsthand the devastating challenges facing animals, people, and communities - and has responded by creating innovative outreach programs such as Deity’s Pet Pantries and high-volume Spay & Neuter Clinics to directly address the urgent issues of pet overpopulation, resource scarcity, and lack of access to care.

Recognized as a compassionate leader and crusade builder, Ellen was brought in at the inception of the Caravita Foundation. She fully believes this is the solution - and is devoting her life to transforming Caravita’s spay and neuter mission into a nationwide movement.

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Max and Lauren are partners both in life and in founding the Caravita Foundation. With experience at some of the world’s leading tech companies, they’ve honed a passion for solving problems with efficiency and impact. Lauren has been deeply involved in animal welfare since 2015, and through her, Max developed a strong connection to the cause. Together, they bring a unique blend of business acumen, tech expertise, and compassion to tackling the crisis of pet overpopulation . Inspired by their beloved dog, Cabby, they launched Caravita in 2024 to save as many animals as possible and apply their skills where they’re needed most.

Lindsay is the Co-Founder and COO of Deity Animal Rescue- a Los Angeles based rescue organization in Los Angeles. She and her partner Ellen Sue Ballon have rescued countless lives from LA’s City and County shelters, up and down California, and across the globe. In addition to her boots on the ground rescue work since 2017, Lindsay has assisted in the development of several large scale programs to help people better care for their pets- including Deity’s Pet Pantries, Spay/Neuter Clinics, and donation drives. After being face to face with the pet overpopulation crisis in Los Angeles for years, Lindsay is deeply committed to the exponential impact of spay and neuter. We cannot rescue our way out of this.

Shannon Montoya has been devoted to animal welfare since 2003, when she began volunteering at a wildlife refuge in the Angeles National Forest caring for bears and other exotic animals. After taking time to raise her daughter, she joined a Los Angeles based dog rescue and became an advocate for bully breeds as well as became involved in everything from adoptions to fundraising. In 2018, she shifted her focus to prevention, leading spay and neuter programs across Los Angeles, Riverside, and the Antelope Valley to keep pets with their families, off the streets and out of overcrowded shelters. In 2024, Shannon was thrilled to join the Caravita Foundation, whose mission to prioritize spay and neuter perfectly matched her passion and community work—because, as she loves to say, “every day is a great day to neuter and spay!”

Shira Scott Astrof has been a dedicated animal rescuer and advocate for more than 20 years. After volunteering with numerous shelters and rescue groups, she founded The Animal Rescue Mission (ARM), a nonprofit that saves dogs and cats locally in Los Angeles and internationally. She is recognized as a strong voice for animal welfare, advocating for stricter animal cruelty laws and spay/neuter enforcement. Shira joined CaraVita Foundation to advance the most effective solution to shelter overcrowding: expanding access to affordable spay/neuter services and public education. She continues to devote her life to reducing animal suffering and creating lasting, systemic change in animal welfare.

Zach Skow began working in animal welfare in 2002 but dedicated his life fully to animals in 2008, after they helped him overcome alcohol and drug addiction and recover from end-stage liver disease. That same year, he founded Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue, followed by the launch of the Pawsitive Change prison program in 2015, both of which have become powerful forces for second chances—for people and pets alike. Over the years, Zach has gained extensive experience coordinating mobile spay and neuter events as well as larger-scale animal welfare initiatives. He is extremely excited to be collaborating with the Caravita Foundation and firmly believes in their shared ability to create radical, lasting change within the animal sheltering community.