Carol Whaley has dedicated over two decades of her life to making a meaningful impact on the lives of both animals and the communities they inhabit. She has harnessed her compassion and extensive experience to create lasting change through innovative programs and collaborations. With a deep-seated commitment to removing barriers that hinder access to essential resources, Carol’s journey in the animal welfare and protection sector has been marked by her role as a member of the leadership team at a nonprofit veterinary clinic and rescue. Her extensive knowledge and unwavering passion have driven her to create and implement programs that bring about tangible improvements in the well-being of animals and communities alike. Her vision, coupled with her expertise in policy development and program creation has led to remarkable achievements in the realm of animal protection. Her dedication to collaboration is evident in her efforts to bring together diverse stakeholders, from animal caretakers and welfare leaders to municipal officials, all with the common goal of safeguarding the interests of humans, animals, and the environment. Carol’s ability to forge partnerships with key decision-makers resulted in the successful establishment of the City of Pittsburgh’s free spay/neuter program, an initiative that continues to benefit the community today. She was also pivotal in the passage of a prohibition on the declaw of cats in the City of Pittsburgh. Recognizing the importance of education and outreach, Carol oversaw the creation of the Animal Wellness Center on Animal Friends’ campus in 2017. Her innovative approach led to the development of community wellness programs that complemented the organization’s existing spay/neuter efforts, solidifying its position as a comprehensive resource for animal care. As the Director of a humane legislation program, she orchestrated the development and implementation of a robust strategic plan aimed at enacting pivotal legislation in the Pittsburgh area. This initiative brought together a diverse array of experts, from legal professionals and animal control supervisors to community advocates and volunteers, all united in their dedication to shaping a more humane society. As an HSUS Humane Policy Volunteer Leader, she actively contributed to significant policy changes. Collaborating with colleagues and local authorities, Carol played a crucial role in passing a comprehensive animal welfare package in the Borough of Etna, near Pittsburgh, which included measures such as a prohibition on declawing, enhanced protections for animals in extreme weather, and a ban on first-generation fur sales. Her life’s work stands as a testament to her unyielding dedication, visionary leadership, and ability to effect positive change for the benefit of both animals and the communities they inhabit.

Mr. Hohenstein is Of Counsel to Landau, Hess, Simon & Choi in Philadelphia. He has been a practicing immigration attorney for over 20 years and is renowned for his specialization of complex litigation in federal and immigration courts, especially relating to criminal issues and asylum/withholding cases. Mr. Hohenstein has won numerous precedential cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, including: Zheng v. Gonzales, 422 F.3d 98 (3rd Cir. 2005) (arriving aliens eligible for adjustment of status; regulation at 8 C.F.R. 1245.1 found to be ultra vires); Sukwanputra v. Atty. General, 434 F.3d 627 (3rd Cir. 2006)(granting asylum and withholding for Chinese Christian from Indonesia); Purveegiin v. Gonzales, 448 F.3d 684 (3rd Cir. 2006) (Convention Against Torture claim relating to prison conditions in Mongolia and finding that Board must follow regulation, 8 C.F.R. 1003.1(e)(5), to provide full panel review); and Liu v. Ashcroft, 372 F.3d 529 (3rd Cir. 2004) (holding that regulation at 8 C.F.R. 287.6 is not an exclusive mechanism for authentication of documents in a Chinese family planning asylum claim). He is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), serving on the National Amicus Committee since 2008 and as a National Conference Speaker every year since 2005. In addition, Mr. Hohenstein has lent his expertise as a Trainer for the American Immigration Law Foundation (now known as American Immigration Council) Litigation Skills Program and has participated as a speaker for AILA’s Annual Federal Court Immigration CLE. He is consistently listed as one of the best immigration attorneys in Pennsylvania and was recognized by his peers for his outstanding mentorship with the Matthew Baxter Mentorship Award, awarded by the AILA Philadelphia Chapter in 2015. Mr. Hohenstein earned his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School and his bachelor’s degree from Earlham College. In addition to complex litigation cases, he has worked on behalf of immigrant victims of domestic abuse, assisting many women to obtain permanent residence and protection from their abusers, and has experience in cases dealing with the controversial use of secret evidence in immigration proceedings. After the January 28, 2017 Executive Order that sought to impose a travel ban on people from certain majority Muslim countries, Mr. Hohenstein was part of a team of pro bono attorneys and the ACLU and HIAS, and filed lawsuits in federal court in Philadelphia that resulted in the return of individuals who had been unlawfully turned away at the airport.

Ms. Tullo is the Pennsylvania State Director with the Humane Society of the United States. She graduated with a master’s degree in Community Psychology at Pennsylvania State University focusing her attention on animal welfare initiatives. She actively led the campaign to secure passage of House Bill 1238, incorporating Libre’s Law, and was instrumental in the formation of Pennsylvania’s bipartisan and bicameral Animal Protection Caucus.  

Ms. Katz is a Partner in the Philadelphia Law Firm of Meranze, Katz & Gaudioso, P.C. She received her BA in Political Science from the George Washington University and JD from Temple University School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey and is a member of the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bar Associations. She is admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, and the U.S Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Ms. Katz is the President of Humane PA PAC, Pennsylvania’s Political Voice for Animals, a non-partisan committee working to end cruelty to animals in Pennsylvania through public policy. She previously served on the Board of Directors of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary and The Humane League. Ms. Katz is chair of the Animal Law Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She is also a Humane Policy Volunteer Leader with the Humane Society of the United States.   She shares her home with four cats, all of whom are former ferals.

Senior Analyst for Cat Protection and Policy

Danielle Bays is a frequent speaker, award-winning author and wiz at cat trivia. As the Senior Analyst for Cat Protection and Policy at the Humane Society of the United States, Danielle works with animal shelters, cat advocates, policymakers, and other stakeholders to broaden support for community cat programs nationwide and to improve the welfare of all cats. Danielle holds a B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University and a M.S. in Animals and Public Policy from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

With more than 20 years of experience advocating for various animals, Danielle’s path to professional cat lady only began after finding her then-new backyard inhabited by a family of felines, which led to her building a comprehensive, city-wide community cat program. Her backyard now boasts a catio for her five indoor cats and a vintage Charlie Brown seesaw.

Laura Hagen serves as the director of captive wildlife at the Humane Society of the United States, where she leads federal, state, and local initiatives across the US to fight industries that exploit wild animals for entertainment. For decades, Laura has dedicated her career to animal protection, previously serving as Massachusetts state director for the Humane Society of the United States, captive animal law enforcement counsel for the PETA Foundation, and as deputy director of advocacy for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. In these roles, she provided legal advice and assistance on captive wildlife issues including investigations, regulatory efforts, policy, and litigation and managed and led legislative and regulatory advocacy campaigns impacting captive and domestic wild animals. Laura’s portfolio also included successful policy initiatives to end intensive farm animal confinement practices, address puppy and animal mills, prohibit retail fur sales, and to criminalize the drowning of wildlife. Laura graduated with honors from Lewis & Clark Law School with certificates in Animal Law and Environmental Law, received her undergraduate degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and lives in Salem, Massachusetts.

Katie has been with the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh’s Wildlife Center for over 8 years, working her way up from a volunteer position to her current role as Director of Wildlife Rehabilitation.  After earning her B.Sc from the University of Pittsburgh she jumped into working with exotics before uncovering her passion for our local ecosystem.  Throughout her journey, she has spoken at various conferences on animal welfare and a variety of patient case studies.  Not only does she have a passion for native PA wildlife, but also served for 7 years as the Social Media Director for the Pan-Ikarian Brotherhood of America at the national level.

Ms. Schaefer is a Human Resources Business Partner at Fullsight, LLC. She currently serves as a Councilwoman for the Borough of Etna, on the Board of Directors for the Pittsburgh Chapter of Women for Economic and Leadership Development, and as the Walk Chair for the Pittsburgh Walk to Defeat ALS. She earned her B.S. in Science, with the Life Science Option at the Pennsylvania State University. Additionally, she has over a decade of experience in animal advocacy.

Jonathan Lovvorn is the Chief Counsel for Animal Protection Law at the Humane Society of the United States, where he founded and manages the nation’s largest animal protection litigation program.  He has litigated extensively on behalf of animals and the environment, written hundreds of state and federal animal protection laws, and served as the primary legal strategist for major animal protection ballot measures. He also serves as the Faculty Co-Director of the Law, Ethics & Animals Program at Yale Law School, and has also taught at Harvard, Georgetown, and NYU law schools. He holds an LL.M. in Environmental Law from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College, and a J.D. from University of California Hastings College of the Law.