Who We Are
Atlanta Boxer Rescue is a non-profit organization comprised of experienced and dedicated animal rescue volunteers, many of whom are Boxer owners themselves. They work with local animal shelters to identify Boxer dogs that need to be rescued, move those Boxers to foster homes for care and rehabilitation, spay/neuter and vaccinate the Boxers as needed, and seek qualified adopters to give those Boxers new, loving homes.
Board of Directors
President: Lisa Merlino
Lisa has been an avid Boxer owner/lover for over ten years and is also a member of the Atlanta Boxer Meetup Group. She has spent a lot of time volunteering at local animal shelters. With her passion for and knowledge of the breed, as well as her knowledge of animal shelter operations, she is a valuable member to the team supervising the rescue of boxers from surrounding animal shelters.
Lisa is owned by an eleven-year old boxer named Davidson and a five-year old ABR rescue named Brutus.
Vice President: Dianne DaLee
Dianne has organized monthly events for the Atlanta Boxer Meetup group since November 2006. She has been involved in various fundraising and volunteer events for local organizations over the past 27 years. In addition, Dianne has over 26 years of graphic design/website design experience. Dianne has an MBA and a BFA in Graphic Design and has owned a design firm since 1992.
Dianne also serves as chair of the Fundraising committee, and chair of the Marketing and Technology committee, maintains the ABR website and organizes all ABR events.
Dianne is owned by a seven-year old boxer named Simba and a two-year old ABR rescue named Pixie.
Secretary: Claudia "CJ" Janka
CJ has been a Boxer owner/lover for over six years and is also a member of the Atlanta Boxer Meetup Group. CJ has a love and passion for the breed and it has shown by her dedicated volunteering for the organization since July 2008. She has gained knowledge through her volunteering and she will be a great asset to the organization.
CJ has a BS degree in Criminal Justice and was in law enforcement for over 17 years. She is currently employed as an insurance fraud investigator.
CJ is owned by a four-year old Boxer named Carrie, and a five-year old Boxer and ABR rescue named Elvis.
Treasurer: Angel Babb
Angel received a BBA in Accounting from Georgia State University and became a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Georgia in 2000. Angel has over 15 years of public and private accounting experience. She is an active member of the Atlanta Boxer Meetup Group.
Angel is owned by two boxers: Molly, a five-year old, and Lucy, a six-year old rescue.
Adoption Coordinator: Terry Erickson
After volunteering as a foster for ABR for almost a year, Terry took on the task of adoption coordinator. Using her skills gleaned from 7 years in sales and management, she interviews applicants and matches dogs and adopters. Her bachelor's degree in Polymer Engineering and master's in Biomedical Engineering are almost superfluous, but do help in the medical areas of dog care. While she has only had one rescue boxer for 3 1/2 years, she has had four Rhodesian Ridgebacks over the last 20 years and approximately 15 foster boxers since she started volunteering with ABR. Her two children and husband provide invaluable assistance and support with her ABR endeavors.