About

Our Story

Animal House opened in August of 2010, with the arrival of dozens of cats and kittens from the city’s overcrowded animal control facility that was in the process of closing. Had Animal House not opened its doors, those cats and kittens would have had nowhere to go.

For Us, It’s A Lifetime Commitment

Animal House is not just an adoption center but also a rescue center. We are committed to being a refuge for cats that have lived through difficult circumstances, with nowhere else to go. Next, we help these cats prepare for adoption by families. And we take adoption seriously. We make a lifetime commitment to every cat that comes through our doors. We want to have real impact on cats’ lives.

 

Janet Zaidenberg – Schrum, President

Janet retired from her career in finance as an accountant in 2013. Janet started her career in accounting at Archer Daniels Midland as an internal auditor, and then worked more than 21 years in various financial functions for public utility companies in Illinois and Arizona. In addition to her board position, Janet works several days a week as a volunteer at Animal House cleaning, socializing, and assisting as an adoption counselor. Janet has lived with cats all her life and has four cats at home, all of whom were rescued, and three were adopted from Animal House!

Teresa Levine, Vice President

Teresa is currently a Research Coordinator for women’s health and has had a considerable career including 14 years in emergency room nursing and another 14 years in home health care. She has two daughters, Mia and Christina as well a granddaughter, Grace. In addition to her board position, Teresa is a dedicated volunteer at Animal House, spending several days a week helping clean, organize and provide cat enrichment at the center. Teresa has 4 rescued cats.

Jim Timmerberg, Secretary 

Jim is a long-time animal advocate and a dedicated Animal House board member – he’s the head of our Development Committee. Jim is also currently the Major Gifts Officer at Doorways, an interfaith AIDS residency program, and a member of the Compton Heights Neighborhood Association. Additionally, Jim is a former Food Outreach, Inc. delivery volunteer and Water Tower and Park Preservation Society board member.

Shawna Culp Cunningham, Treasurer 

Shawna first realized her true drive to help stray and feral animals, and therefore the rescues that aid them, around 2011. It was then that she discovered Animal House. What drew her to volunteer with AH specifically is its conscious effort to take in cats and kittens with special cases that would not have a chance to live out their lives fully at any other shelter in St. Louis. It was through her volunteer experience that she adopted two AH cats of her own, Gemmy and Quimby. Shawna loves to volunteer whenever she can and also plays an active role at Race Horse Rescue and in fundraising for Children’s Miracle Network.

Claudia Seifert, Member at large

Claudia retired from AG Edwards/Wells Fargo Advisers in 2013. In addition to her long career, Claudia has served her community as a volunteer for many years at Ascension Luther Church, and Tower Grove Heights Neighborhood Association. Claudia is a member of the Marlin Perkins Society at the St. Louis Zoo, the Beaux Arts council at the St. Louis Art Museum, and a member of the Tennessee Williams Society at the St. Louis Public Library.

In addition to her board duties at Animal House, Claudia is also directly involved in the daily operations coordinating adoptions, medical appointments, and record keeping.

Brandyn Jones, Chair & Executive Director

Brandyn, Co-founder of Animal House has served as Executive Director since the organization’s inception. Brandyn is devoted to animal welfare and to supporting the bond between people and their pets. Her pets are her two beloved rescued cats, Sugar and Chervil.

For many years Brandyn’s career focused on community building, including positions as Director of the Central West End Neighborhood Association and Aide to President of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen at that time, James Shrewsbury. It was during her time at the BOA that her civic focus turned in earnest to the plight of stray animals in the St. Louis region, leading her to co-found Animal House.

Brandyn was raised in St. Louis’ Central West End neighborhood, attended John Burroughs School, and received her BA in Art History from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.

 

Animal House is a proud member of the St. Louis Petlover Coalition. Formed in the spring of 2009 by Nestlé Purina PetCare, the St. Louis Petlover Coalition is made up of animal rescue groups, shelters, veterinary organizations, and city and county health departments. Patterned after similar programs in Denver, Austin and New York, the coalition aims to improve animal welfare through shared goals and plans. Corporations, foundations, civic leaders, educational institutions, students, health care and social welfare groups are helping to provide support.

Setting a benchmark

The St. Louis Petlover Coalition is setting a benchmark as it develops a comprehensive plan for addressing animal welfare in the greater St. Louis area.

Among the goals are:

• Increasing pet adoptions into nurturing, loving homes
• Developing educational programs to promote responsible pet ownership
• Increasing funding and availability for spay and neuter programs
• Increasing adoptions of senior pets
• Identifying volunteer opportunities
• Developing community outreach programs
• Increasing awareness of issues and opportunities in the St. Louis region that will help to improve animal welfare
• Saving pets – putting more companion animals into loving homes – benefits everyone. With a shared focus on increasing the save rate of companion animals in the St. Louis community, the St. Louis Petlover Coalition is leading the way for amazing things to happen. In St. Louis, we love our pets, and it shows.

To learn more about the coalition, click here to visit their Facebook page.