Stephanie’s Bio

Stephanie may have a touch of Dorothy’s wanderlust, always a little further down the Yellow Brick Road with one (or both) of her small dogs in tow—but make no mistake, she’s 100% Elphaba at heart. A fierce advocate for animals, she takes zero nonsense and isn’t afraid to take action when it’s needed.

Though a native Washingtonian, Stephanie is an avid traveler, rarely without a destination queued up on her flight app. Now based in Southern California, she serves as our boots-on-the-ground in San Diego, where she lives with her two rescue pups—Mika, a Brittany mix rescued from the streets of Greece, and Nola, a part-cat, part-psycho, part-hairless street dog from Yakima. She also shares her home with her husband, Matt, who serves on the Board of Directors for Elphie’s and is our number one supporter.

When she’s not vetting fosters and adopters, organizing fundraisers, or building relationships with partner rescues, she’s running her thriving photography business—where she does everything from commercial branding and weddings to specialized photography for families with children on the spectrum.

Stephanie is our resident small-to-medium dog expert, with a soft spot for scruffy, bearded pups. Her ultimate dream? To establish global spay and neuter programs for low-income pet owners, helping to stop the cycle of overbreeding and prevent the unnecessary euthanasia of adoptable pets. Because every dog deserves a chance, and she’s here to make sure they get it.