Tanya Willis has been rescuing dogs since 2001. As director and co-founder of Agape Animal Rescue, Tanya is a foster parent along with her husband, Josh Willis, and is responsible for all day-to-day operations of the organization. McKenzie Willis is their daughter who is currently an Agape Volunteer in training and her sister Madelyn will be born in December of 2011.

Tanya's passion for rescue was sparked one day when she found a litter of puppies in a ditch. Tanya ended up keeping the runt of the litter, while finding homes for all the other brothers and sisters. And that is basically what started the proverbial ball rolling. She began working with a few local animal rescues, but in 2004 decided to start her own, and Agape was born.

Mack, the runt of the litter mentioned earlier, grew up to be her 102-pound yellow lab that she and Josh care for today. Mack is now a retired therapy dog who was certified through Therapy ARC and has helped many people over the years while his mom, Tanya, served on the Therapy ARC board of directors for quite some time.

Just like all rescues, Tanya's other personal rescued animals (aka furry children) have some interesting stories of their own. Wallace, the "awkward child" of the house was found outside of a laundry mat in Alabama. Once Josh and Tanya saw him online, they decided to meet him and ended up adopting him that very same day. Bert is a black lab mix who was severely abused and decided one day that he needed to be a permanent addition to the Willis family. Jelly Bean is a jet black feral cat who isn't quite so feral any longer. He enjoys sun bathing on the patio daily and has learned to love interaction with people and other animals.

Tanya is dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in need … one life at a time.

Pam Carroll, CPA, serves as a Director and Treasurer for Agape. She also is a foster mom and volunteer.

As far back as she can remember Pam was fond of dogs. She grew up with dogs, horses, and other various farm animals in a rural town in southern Indiana. But her love for them grew when a little malitpoo named Snowflake came into her life. After moving from apartment life to a subdivision, Pam and Snowflake met Penelope, also a malitpoo. Penelope was just a puppy when Pam noticed that neighbors were not caring for her as they should. Penelope was developing skin issues. After a short time, Pam could not just stand by and let Penelope suffer.

It was then that Penelope became Pam's and Snowflake's first "rescue." Always at her side, they offer her unconditional love and devotion. It was also at this time when Pam decided to help other dogs. Through a friend, Pam learned of Agape Animal Rescue and the great things they were doing to save dogs. Fortunately, she was not only able to help Agape as a foster mom and volunteer, she became their Treasurer. Today, Pam's life continues to be filled not only with the love of her own two dogs but with the love of all her foster dogs, each one teaching her a new important life lesson.

Pam has over 25 years of business experience. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a CPA in both states of Tennessee and Virginia

Kirsten Floyd has been working with animals since she was twelve years old with various animal rescue organizations in South Carolina. After coming to Nashville as a Vanderbilt University student, she became an intern with Agape Animal Rescue as a sophomore. Today, as the newest board member, and the Office Manager and Foster Program Coordinator, she is responsible for the daily maintenance activities of the organization and coordinating the dogs that come into the program, placing them with the best available foster home.

Kirsten was born to work in animal rescue. Her parents are both animal lovers (to say the least), and she grew up with dogs and cats (and even hamsters). Her first dog was a Heinz 57 terrier-mix, who was scheduled to be euthanized the day Kirsten saw her. Of course, Kirsten fell in love with Matilda, who is now eleven years old. Kirsten’s other two pets are Phoebe, a rescued Sheppard mix, and a black cat, Austin Bob, also a rescue, who was hit by a car and taken in by Kirsten’s family.

After spending the 2011 summer interning at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah – the largest animal sanctuary in the world – she learned training techniques and non-profit business strategies that she could apply to Agape Animal Rescue’s program. Kirsten majored in Elementary Education and Human & Organizational Development, with an emphasis in Community Leadership and Development at Vanderbilt University, both of which have helped her contribute to Agape’s events and programs for the past three years.

Kirsten, Matilda, Phoebe, and Austin Bob live with Kirsten’s husband, Jordan, in Antioch, TN. She dreams of a day where there are no more homeless pets.

Nancy Hopwood began volunteering with Agape almost from its inception by fostering one dog at a time. Initially she started fostering as a way to save a few dogs that might not otherwise have a chance to live. However, it soon became apparent to her that each dog came with a different personality, different problems and certainly a wide range of coping skills. Through her early months as a foster parent Nancy's passion for learning more about dog behavior grew as she witnessed that dogs who have been abandoned, neglected, or physically hurt needed much more than love and good food if they were going to make good family companions.

In 2005 a young Australian Shepherd mix that she named Topaz came into her life. Having spent most of her life on the streets and terrified of everything, Topaz seemed unreachable, no matter how hard Nancy and her husband tried. It was Topaz' deep emotional fears and Nancy's desire to do everything she could for her emotionally scarred foster dogs that got Nancy looking for answers anywhere she could find them. She started out reading everything she could get her hands on, going to workshops, and seminars and asking lots of questions. Nancy started learning about dog behavior and also learning how to think like a dog. In fact, the more she learned the more she wanted to know, and the more she wanted to share what she was learning with others.

So it was a natural fit that in May of 2008 Nancy began sharing the knowledge she had gained with others and started writing DogSpeak for the Agape newsletter, a column dedicated to helping people better understand their dogs and form a better relationship with them. In July of 2008 Nancy became an Agape board member and currently serves as its Secretary.

Nancy live with her husband Frank, her dogs Sandy, Molly and Topaz and Emmy the cat. They have two grandchildren, Gracie and Matty, who visit often and enjoy helping with the dogs.

Nancy dreams of the day when all dogs are wanted and none are thrown away.

Gayle Kerr's involvement with Agape happened quite accidentally one day. On an afternoon outing with her lab, Simon, to a local Petsmart, she met Tanya Willis … and her lab met a smallish female lab mix that Agape had up for adoption. Though the little lab was ultimately adopted by another lucky family, Gayle's journey with the rescue began after that simple chance meeting.

A graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a BA degree in Business Management, Gayle's career path has led her to job opportunities in communication, marketing and graphic design. A marketer at heart -- and a girl who loves her imac-- Gayle has a passion for the animals that stems back as far as she can remember. After rescuing a young yellow lab in Oklahoma in 1999, whose high energy and emotional issues made Gayle realize the challenges of developing a healthy, well-balanced relationship with your companion dog, she dedicated herself to being a better student of dog behavior. She recognized that sometimes loves just isn't enough: a dog needs more from its owner. It needs direction and leadership and it needs an owner that watches and listens to how a dog communicates.

With Agape, Gayle is heavily involved with marketing projects, including contributing articles for and editing the monthly newsletter as well as producing posters, flyers, brochures and handouts. Gayle also has an extensive background in dog training and developed the Foster Care Training Program for the Agape foster homes. This program helps foster families teach their foster dogs similar commands and skills so the foster dogs become better family pets and more adoptable companion animals.

Gayle is married to Steve Kerr and lives with her lab Simon and a Russian Blue cat, Gracie. She currently serves as a board member and foster mom for the rescue.