Leadership Team
CAROLE CASNER, PLACEMENT PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Since retiring from Colorado Springs Utilities, Carole’s life has been dedicated to animal welfare, non-profits, and helping people. Carole loves the unique mission of Safe Place where she can serve all of those passions.
Carole has a Certified Veterinary Assistant Certification from Pima Medical Institute, spent a year at Bel-Rae Institute for Veterinary Technology, and holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of Northern Colorado.
Carole spent 6 years at the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region in the surgery center/clinic, 1 ½ years at the Teller County Regional Animal Shelter as an animal care tech and volunteer trainer, 2 ½ years as the Cat Care/Medical Manager for Happy Cats Haven. She joined Safe Place in 2019 as the Cat Care Coordinator, served on the Board of Directors, and was promoted to Placement Program Director in 2021.
Carole’s roommates include a 17 year old Shepherd/Collie named Wolf, Ginger a sassy 18 year old Tortie, and Fettuccini a 19 year old diabetic orange tabby. She also has fostered over 200 special needs cats and kittens.
KAYLEE KOSERSKI, CAT CARE COORDINATOR
Kaylee was born and raised on a farm in Nashville, Tennessee and has been around animals her whole life. Before moving to Colorado in early 2022, she worked at a county shelter in Tennessee as a Kennel Tech, where she decided Animal Welfare was the perfect fit for her. In her free time, she enjoys training her German Shepherds, adventuring with her husband, and snuggling with her cats.
TAVIE WATSON, SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Tavie was born and raised in Colorado. She grew up in a household full of dogs, cats, sometimes rabbits, and more. She’s been an animal lover all of her life!
She graduated in 2020 with a degree in Sports & Social Media Marketing and is passionate about the way that social media can bring people together. She is excited to support Safe Place for Pets through social media, newsletters, and community outreach.
In her free time when she isn’t focused on marketing, she spends time with her 4 year old Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix named Finn!
HANNAH STYRES, FOSTER COORDINATOR
Hannah is from Georgia and moved to Colorado in 2021. She has worked with animals for 5+ years and has 3 dogs of her own. She currently works a full time Marketing job, so this Foster Coordinator position is perfect for her to still able to help animals. In her free time, she loves to explore Colorado with her daughter and husband!
ERIC DUGRE, FELINE PLACEMENT COORDINATOR
Eric moved to Colorado from New Hampshire in 2020 and joined the Safe Place for Pets team early 2021. He brought his brave cat Calamity along for the 2,000 mile drive and she did great!
With some experience volunteering for the elderly and a great love of cats, Safe Place seemed like the perfect fit for him. He currently works as a Feline Coordinator after his day job as a Software Engineer, and enjoys gaming and reading on his time off.
KAT HELLER, FELINE PLACEMENT COORDINATOR
Kat has been a Feline Coordinator for Safe Place for nearly five years. She found our organization after trying to find a home for her mom’s cat, ater her mom couldn’t keep her in the Assisted Living Facility she was in, and Calico would have been miserable with Kat’s rambunctious cats! Kat’s mom had dementia, which at the time was not considered terminal, so Safe Place couldn’t bring Calico in. However, they found a place for calico, so that story ended happily; but, between the love of her cats and her increased sensitivity to the terminally ill, she knew that this was an organization that she needed to be a part of.
ANNELISE PARKER, WELCOME CENTER/VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Annelise has volunteered off and on for Safe Place for Pets for over 15 years. She recently returned to the team and is helping to coordinate the welcome center volunteers and recruit volunteers for the organization. She lives in Colorado Springs with her daughter and a variety of animals.
BRIAN GATELEY, CANINE COORDINATOR
Brian is a native son of Colorado Springs. Animals have always been a big part of his life; riding horses in a 4-H horse club and taking English riding/jumping lessons as a boy and having many cats and dogs throughout the years.
He has fostered dogs from the Humane Society of Pikes Peak and from Safe Place for Pets. SPFP found a new home for his mother’s dog when she passed away and after seeking a volunteer opportunity for some time, he saw the need for a Canine Coordinator there and thought that would be a perfect fit. Brian works from home full-time in I.T. and enjoys reading, hiking, and messing around with his laser engraver and 3D printer in his spare time.