The Animal Educators

Our animal educators have a variety of backgrounds and experience.  They each bring something unique with their love of animals!

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Bethanie

Role: Director of Operations since 2023, Animal Caretaker & Animal Educator since 2016
Area(s) of Expertise: Bunnies, Chinchillas, & Animal Training Techniques
Native to: East Coast of the United States
Favorite Activities: Learning new things, teaching her pets tricks, playing video games
History: Bethanie moved to the east coast when she was 12 years old.  She has always had a passion for animals.  She has a background in positive reinforcement training and she strives to better the lives of animals around her.  

Dre

Role: Animal Educator since 2016
Area(s) of Expertise: Invertebrates, Amphibians, Reptiles, Rats, and Animal Training Techniques
Native to: East Coast of the United States
Favorite Activities: Snowboarding, concerts, and exploring nature. His favorite animals to work with are the reptiles!
History: Dre worked with animals for over 5 years in a pet store setting before coming to Ferrets and Friends. He plans to go to school for art and photography.  He spends most of his time making music, training his dogs, and working with his own collection of reptiles.  At Ferrets and Friends, Dre is the most frequently requested educator due to his charisma and engaging presentation style.

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Donte

Role: Animal Educator since 2019
Area(s) of Expertise: Invertebrates, Amphibians, Reptiles
Native to: North America
Favorite Activities: Watching movies
History: Donte is currently attending school to study biology.  His goal is to become a herpetologist.

Angel

Role: Animal Educator/Caretaker, Party Coordinator since 2023
Native to: Minnesota 
Favorite Activities: Learning new things about the creatures we share the planet with, sfx makeup, D&D, video games, and cosplay. 
History: Angelica taught pre-k for nearly 10 years and focused her efforts on social emotional development. She found that the insects and arachnids on the playground served as an excellent teaching tool for empathy, compassion, and respecting others. Helping children overcome their fears and aversions to creatures they didn’t understand through education became a huge part of who she is and it’s something she’s carried with her into her life today. 

Mars

Role: Animal Educator since 2023
Native to: Maryland
Favorite Activities: Acting and Cosplaying
History: Mars has been working professionally with dogs for the past 4 years in rescue, boarding and veterinary care. Mars has always had a love for exotics and is so excited to be a part of the team. 
Languages: English and American Sign Language 

Yae

​Role: Animal Educator/Caretaker since 2023
Native to: North America
Favorite Activities: Reading, learning, dog training, and hiking,
History: Yae, scientifically known as Kinyae, has a long history of dog training and pet parenting. 
Languages: English and learning Spanish

Rebecca

Role: Seasonal Animal Educator since 2018
Area(s) of Expertise: Equine Care & Training
Native to: East Coast of the United States
Favorite Activities: Riding horses and teaching lessons
History: Rebecca has been assisting with our summer camp programs since 2018. 

Upper Management

Peach

​Role: CEO (Cat Executive Officer)
Native to: The Ferrets and Friends Zoo
Favorite Activities: Cat-egorizing office supplies, consulting expert ferrets, advocating for shorter sleep cycles
History: Peach had some concerns when she started managing the human team, but she feels she has found a balance between keeping her humans challenged and motivated.

Dexter

​Role: CFO (Chief Feline Officer)
Native to: The Eastern Shore
Favorite Activities: Playing with the ferrets, watching the doves, and exploring.
History: Dexter is a blind siamese mix who left his previous home and joined Ferrets and Friends at seven years old.  He quickly learned the rope and is excited to bring his own management style.