Meet Our Team
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President & Founder
Director of Health & MedicalI’m one of the founders and the Health Director at Bull Terrier Rescue Mission, but above all, I’m a lifelong dog lover. My journey with bull terriers started after losing my first rescue dog—I thought I wasn’t ready for another, but then Nugget, a tricolor bull terrier, popped up at a local rescue and stole my heart.
Since then, bull terriers have been a huge part of my life, from fostering and adopting to leading two of my own—Bean, my mischievous “foster fail,” and Tug, my ethically bred boy, always ready for the next adventure.
With a background as a human nurse and plenty of firsthand experience navigating my own dogs’ health challenges, I found my place helping our rescue pups get the best care possible, even on a rescue budget. I love making veterinary care less overwhelming for our fosters and adopters and designing systems so every dog gets what they need. Creating BTRM’s medical intake protocols and chairing our medical committee has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Rescue work isn’t always easy, but it’s worth every late night—like the time I drove across state lines through the night to make sure a sick dog got her second chance. When I’m not helping BTRM, you’ll find me out doing dog sports with Tug or training in bjj. Bull terriers never fail to make me laugh, and I feel deeply privileged to champion these wonderful, willful dogs with the rest of my BTRM family.
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Behavior Czar & Founder
Director of Care & BehaviorMorgan has been a Bull Terrier fanatic since a teenager. She has one Bull Terrier, Lego, who she runs in agility and occasionally shows but mostly he is a beloved pet. Her deep love of all things dog led her to follow in her aunt’s footsteps focusing on training and behavior. She has spent almost 20 years learning about different training methods, dog behavior, and consulting with other professionals to expand her toolbox.
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VP & Founder
Managing DirectorSeven years after getting his first Bull Terrier—a little red devil named Tonka—Arné Balassanian became deeply engaged in following the lives of other Bull Terriers online. Living with a self-serving, affectionate little tyrant drew him to a community of Bull Terrier enthusiasts who helped him realize there was a code to pet ownership: a way to acquire and care for animals without causing harm. He came to understand that who you get a pet from matters just as much as how you raise them.
Since 2016, the NYC native has been an active volunteer in rescue—evaluating dogs for intake in shelters and private homes, conducting home visits, and fundraising. In 2018, he expanded into the administrative side as a coordinator, focusing on marketing adoptable dogs and vetting applicants for suitability as fosters or adopters. He is also a member of the Bull Terrier Club of America and has assisted with numerous intakes and placements. In 2020 he founded the Bull Terrier Rescue Mission.
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Member of the Board
Director of PlacementWe were first introduced to Emily several years ago when she sought to adopt Oliver, a bull terrier we had initially intended to place elsewhere. However, fate had other plans, and he was on his way to be part of her family. He is often draped across her lap while she handles administrative tasks. Since adopting Oliver, Emily has fostered multiple dogs, assisted with assessments, and adopted (foster failed) Coraline, another bull terrier. Her tireless efforts over time made her an ideal candidate to join our administrative team as our Placement Director. She loves getting to know new applicants and work with the team to place the best match possible. In her earlier years Emily fostered other bully breeds, as well as rats. Emily lives in New England with her two children and partner, all of whom actively participate in rescue efforts. Emily works in elementary special education and frequently handles placement tasks on the sidelines of soccer practices.
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Medical Coordinator
Veteran Rescue OperatorI wasn’t always a dog person. I grew up with cats. I liked their independence and the fact that you had to win their love.
I was 27 when I got my first dog. I had no idea what I was doing. Winston was a Staffordshire Terrier straight out of the shelter with a big heart and no manners. I cried. A lot. I thought I would have to give him up. But I decided to give training a shot. I had no idea what I was doing, but we ended up getting into a groove after a while.
Winston was there for me through several life crisis. A lot of people that I considered dear to me disappeared when I was at my lowest, but Winston was there. Winston passed away in 2022 from liver failure. In that time, he helped not only me, but 50+ fosters grow, learn to become dogs, and move on to their forever homes. Winston’s love was such a great gift. I wanted other families to have that of their own.
I got into Bull Terriers the way so many others have. “I want a well-bred pitbull”. I learned pretty quickly that a Bull Terrier was nothing like a pitbull, but I was addicted!
Bull Terriers have so much in common with the cats of my childhood. Life is going to be lived on their terms. I have a special place in my heart for all animals, but Bull Terriers will always make me smile just a little brighter.
I live in a small home in Michigan with 4 permanent dogs, a rotating roster of fosters, 2 bunnies, several pet rats, and a hamster. I work as a vet tech for a low-cost veterinary clinic inside my local humane society.
Animal welfare is my life.
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Secretary of the Board & Founder
Director of OperationsAnja got involved with rescue when she adopted her first bull terrier Fridolin aka Grandpa from a German shelter back in 2009. From that moment on she was hooked on the breed and adopted 4 other bullies and fostered countless more. She also wanted to help the ones that she couldn’t take in and contacted BTRM to help where she was needed.
Anja’s strengths are in her organizational skills so she helps keep the administrative side of the rescue in line, has constant contact with fosters, adopters and shelters to help make perfect matches between humans and bull terriers and being a point of contact for guidance and support. One bully at a time she wants to change the world for the ones that find themselves without a home.
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Illinois Charter Holder, Member of the Board
Director of Administrative ProceduresPamela first learned about bull terriers in elementary school, when her turn came up to check out the coveted “dog book” from its library. Having never met a bull terrier in real life, she was nonetheless drawn to the page with the quirky headed goofball. Fast forward 20 years and a long stint with Greyhound rescue, she finally brought her first rescue, Healey, home… She is now on her 5th Bull Terrier.
When she’s not fighting the good fight for teachers, kids, and their families at her university day job, Pamela moonlights as Jamming4Bullies, a front to justify her crafty and culinary hobbies. As a BTRM board member based out of the greater Chicagoland area, she works on “operational whatnot” and does all things related to transports, evaluations, intakes and whatever-may-come in the Great Lakes region.
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Creative Director
Katie has been professionally working with rescue dogs since 2009 when she took the position as an animal care associate and adoption counselor at the local animal shelter in Troy, NY. During her time there she began fostering special needs dogs. During her years there she rescued an elderly bull terrier from a bad situation, and since has been dedicated to helping the breed. After her time at the shelter she was a veterinary assistant/technician at a few different veterinary hospitals, as well as fostering and placing several bull terriers. Her full time career is a graphic designer so she decided to put the two together and help with the graphics for the Bull Terrier Rescue Mission.
Start Your Path to a
Furever Friendship
Ready to open your heart and home to a deserving bull terrier? Filling out an adoption application with Bull Terrier Rescue Mission is the first step in helping us match you with a dog who fits your lifestyle, experience, and family.
Our application gives us the information we need to ensure each dog is placed in a safe, loving, and supportive environment where they can truly thrive. It’s quick, straightforward, and brings you one step closer to welcoming a loyal, goofy, unforgettable companion into your life. Let’s begin this journey together!
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Make an impact today
Every dollar makes a difference at Bull Terrier Rescue Mission. Your donation helps us rescue dogs in need, provide medical care, and prepare them for their furever homes. From vaccinations to training, food to foster support, your contribution ensures that every bull terrier has the chance to heal, thrive, and find a loving family.
By donating today, you become a vital part of their journey—helping turn lives around, one paw at a time. Every gift matters, and every gift changes a life.
