We are a foster-based rescue that depends on our volunteers.
Our rescued dogs come from all corners of Puerto Rico. They are rescued by a team of dedicated and loyal rescuers there. The rescuers get them off the streets and get them spayed/neutered and vaccinated so they can travel stateside to start their new lives. We partner with these amazing rescuers, pay for the medical and transport expenses and support them prior to the pup heading off to start a second chance at life in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area.
Since we are a foster-based rescue, we completely rely on our amazing stateside volunteers to provide care and support and often to foster our satos in their homes until they are ready to go to their forever homes.
Meet Our Team
Moira Hopkins | Founder, Chief Dog Wrangler
Moira is the founder of Toby’s Rescue and Toby’s main consultant. She works with Toby to make sure his friends find happy loving homes.
She worked as a video-journalist for 25 years before she realized it was time to put down her camera and focus on another passion- being a helping hand to dogs in need.
She was raised in Ireland on a small farm surrounded by animals including some geese, donkies, ponies and dogs. After adopting Toby in 2014, her love of animals reignited and she began working for the Human Rescue Alliance as a volunteer. She provided care for foster dogs and worked with HRA trainers to help anxious fearful dogs recover and find loving homes. She continues to work with HRA as a foster case manager while running Toby’s Rescue.
Karl Lamberg | Director of Sato Transports
Carl is Toby’s dad and Moira’s husband. When Toby told him he needed to assist in the transportation of the incoming satos, Carl quickly stepped up to the occasion. Having had a long career in the news industry and having covered presidential politics for more than 30 years, he is an expert at driving long distances at all hours of the day and night and getting there safely. A couple of times a month, Carl and Toby head out in a cargo van to go pick up the next lucky lot of satos coming here to try out their luck stateside.
In addition to being Toby’s chauffeur, he is also chief strategist and chief crate cleaner for our small organization. We truly all do it all.
Carl is delighted to be an integral part of Toby’s team working to get satos off the streets of Puerto Rico.
Angie Curry | Chief of Intake
Angie coordinates transports for Toby’s Rescue dogs by working closely with independent rescuers and getting their satos ready for travel. She is the loving mom of satos, Maxi and her very own Toby.
Angie is originally from Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico and has been living in the DC metro area since 1986. It was through the unconditional love that she and her family received from their first pet Napoleon that Angie quickly learned the wonders and the special bond that comes with having a dog in your life. When she learned about the plight of satos in Puerto Rico after her adoption of Pearly, it drove her to get involved with various local organizations including Toby’s Rescue.
Dulce Barberena | Toby’s Social Media Guru
Sahra Torres-Rivera | Sato Coordination and Logistics
Sahra, originally from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, reached out to foster with Toby’s Rescue. After fostering a couple of our longer term cases with the help of her daughter, Nati and pup, Osa, she and Nati decided to step deep into all things Toby’s Rescue! From planning fundraising events to chaperoning pups from the airport to foster homes, from working with rescuers in PR to working with trainers to help the pups put their best paws first, Sahra and Nati do it all.
Nati Torres-Rivera | Director of Junior Volunteers
Nati, daughter of Sahra, is sato-welcomer, party planner and all around cheerleader for our Toby Rescue team. Nati has extensive experience working with pups who can be fearful and shy. Her enthusiasm and passion for saving these satos is infectious and keeps the team motivated and going. She also assists with the intake of the satos when they arrive.
Brittany Jaisankar | Swag Design
Brittany joined the team in the summer of 2021. She has always loved dogs and is looking forward to the day that she can add one to her family. Until then, she loves to help socialize, walk and play with the pups as they come through Toby’s Rescue HQ. In her regular life, she is a nurse at Children’s Hospital and she passes on her care and compassion to our satos. She also creates our swag and products.
When you order a Toby’s Rescue hoodie, it’s been lovingly designed by Brittany.
Mary Khiew | Chief of Sato Health and Wellness
Mary heard about Toby’s Rescue from some of her friends who adopted pups from us. Soon, she and Alan got their very own TR sato, Ossie. Because of her medical expertise, she soon became our go-to for doublechecking that our pups are healthy and ready to travel and/or head to their forever homes. She also plays an expert role in telling the sato’s stories as part of the social media team.
Tjasa Rihar | Chief Detail Minder
Tjasa is keeping Toby’s Rescue’s pups coming and going in an organized fashion. She is the support behind the scenes making sure all facets of the organization run smoothly. By being the backstop on logistics, she ensures the pups will make it to where they are going all while minding the penny patrol, She makes sure all paws get enough pocket money for their journey home (including extra treats during those long waits at the airport).
Tjasa is visiting the US from Slovenia and is a Psychology grad student. She is surrounded by dogs every day as an HRA volunteer and as a foster parent for Toby's Rescue. The only thing missing in her life are her own furry companions... but she hopes to find them someday soon.
