Staff
Scroll over the photos to read our bios! Photos courtesy of Janelle Rose Photography and our Marketing Manager, Paige Russell
EMILEE INTLEKOFER, Executive Director
Emilee (she/her) is a fourth generation Cheyenne-ite and loves living in the city with her husband and dogs. When weather permits she takes advantage of what Wyoming has to offer and enjoys camping, fishing and hiking.
Emilee has been with BDAR since 2011. First as a board member, then as a heavily involved volunteer and foster parent, and finally as the Executive Director when she was offered the position in 2021. She could not pass up the opportunity to take a job leading the organization she loves and so strongly believes in.
Emilee has seen BDAR grow from a tiny dream to the largest private animal rescue in the state. She is proud of all the organization has accomplished in a relatively short period of time, and is excited to help it continue to grow and help more people and their pets in her community.
Maddi Haak, Director of Programs
Maddi (she/her) is a people person who enjoys communicating and connecting with people. In her role as Director of Programs, she oversees all programs that essential to BDAR’s operations. Maddi also teachers our group dog training classes and is working toward her certfication as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer.
She was born and raised in Cheyenne and considers Wyoming her home. Growing up, Maddi always wanted to be a vet but did not know if she could handle the pain and suffering of the animals. Now being a part of BDAR, Maddi feels she can still give back to the animals that have taught and shown her so much love.
Maddi attended the University of Wyoming for a Bachelors and Masters in Communication. She participated in athletics videography and volunteered for BDAR in the summers before joining as a full-time employee. In her free time, Maddi enjoys hanging out with family, and spending time with her family’s dog, Joey, and her dog, Roo, both BDAR alums.
Paige russell, Marketing & Development Manager
Paige Russell (she/her) is a Cheyenne native, born and bred. You’ve probably seen her around volunteering at the local theater or teaching public speaking at the community college. She has taught for the last 8 years in Texas, Illinois, Colorado, and Wyoming. In 2023 she went full career change, washed that teaching right out of her hair, and started working at BDAR. She is super pumped to spend her days taking pictures of cats and dogs, learning more about animal welfare, and helping animals in need. You should get used to seeing her face as she is the one to send out emails, post on social media, and market upcoming events. Paige is a beloved mom to a rowdy mini aussie named Persephone and an awesome nap buddy to a baby golden retriever named Artemis.
Amira Zohbe, Volunteer Manager and Vaccine Clinic Coordinator
Amira came to Cheyenne from Atlanta, Georgia! She's always taken the opportunity to work with animals, from cats and dogs, to a fish hatchery! She can often be found telling anyone who will listen about her time with the fishes, so she's a bit of a weirdo but she brings a southern charm to our office. As our Volunteer/Foster Manager & Vaccine Clinic Coordinator, Amira manages and assists all of our volunteers as well as organizes and oversees all aspects of our quarterly low-cost vaccination clinics. When she isn't at BDAR she loves to do yoga and crochet. Her favorite animal is an elephant and you can always ask her for a fun fact about them. Amira says that elephants are pregnant for TWO YEARS, and that they will mourn the passing of a loved one so strongly that they remember the site where they died along the migration paths. You learn something new everyday with Amira!
Michele Cesa, Animal Care Assistant
Michele Cese moved to Cheyenne from Virginia with her husband. While she is originally from Colorado, the Navy sends her husband all over, and Cheyenne is the most recent place. In her free time Michele enjoys reading and watching true crime documentaries. She loves to spend time outside with her dog, Arthur and cat, Meatball.
Sam adkins, animal care assistant
Sam (she/her) is an illustrator and comic artist originally from Cheyenne. After 5 years in the navy and 4 years getting her bachelors at the Savannah College of Art and Design, she's back in her hometown as she completes the difficult task of finding a job in her career field. When she isn't parsing through that conundrum, she's working here at BDAR.
Sam has always loved animals, and hopped on the opportunity to work here full time after volunteering. She loves learning about animal behavior and care, though she's still getting used to administering vaccines.
When she's clocked out, Sam enjoys watching weird movies, playing video games, and working out. She also has a pile of projects; from illustrating books to making comics of her own, that keep her occupied almost constantly.
