our people

Eva
Founder & CEO
Eva’s passion for animal rescue sparked when she began volunteering at a local animal shelter while studying to become a veterinary nurse back in 2011. Once Eva attained her Cert IV Veterinary Nursing qualification she felt she could do more for vulnerable and often misunderstood animals and so she launched Project Underdog Rescue.
Since launching PUR in 2015 and leaving her job as Practice Manager of a small animal veterinary clinic in 2020, Eva has completed multiple courses including; the Fear Free Elite Veterinary Professional Certification, Karen Pryor’s Better Veterinary Visits Certification, Dr Sophia Yin’s Low Stress Handling Certification and the ISFM Cat Friendly Professional Certification.
“I consider myself blessed to have such a dedicated team around me who share in my passion for animal welfare and force-free philosophies. The PUR community are some of the most loyal, generous and supportive people on the planet.”

Tom
Vice President & Behaviour Trainer
Tom first began volunteering for PUR after adopting Penny, his second PUR alumni, in 2018. Initially he worked as a Case Manager but has since stepped up to become our Vice President and Animal Rescue Program Leader.
Tom also heads up Happy Dog Project, PUR’s number one choice for animal training and behaviour advice. He has a Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services with the Delta Institute and is a Certified Fear Free Animal Trainer and Separation Anxiety Pro Trainer.
Tom is also a member of the Pet Professional Guild of Australia, the leading body representing Force-Free Pet Professionals.
Tom’s fur family includes two PUR Alumni animals: Rosie, the 10-year-old staffy x rottweiler who makes a habit of staring at guests until they move from her spot on the couch; and Penny, a 5-year-old staffy x that brings joyful chaos to the house from the moment she wakes Tom up by gently biting him on the thigh.

Linda
Treasurer
Linda is an original founding member of PUR, working with Eva to get our organisation up and running way back in 2015.
Linda is the guardian of Ripper, a 12-year-old English staffy, and Pepper, a 9-year-old English staffy. She also gave a loving home to our beloved PUR alumni Harley, a great dane x rottweiler who crossed the rainbow bridge in 2020 at age 10.
Linda’s favourite thing about working in rescue is seeing animals transform from being sad and distant, to finding their confidence and happy personalities as they start to know love and consistency.
“The satisfaction you get from seeing the transformation and witnessing a soul change and glow is incomparable!”

Jessie
Secretary
After adopting PUR alumni Rosie and Penny, Jessie put up her hand to help out with social media and step-by-step took on a few more things and eventually became our Company Secretary in 2019.
Jessie is a certified spreadsheet legend (if there isn’t a real certification for that already, someone should make one), admin guru, and the biggest cheerleader of our animal rescue team – always on hand to bring the good vibes, emotional support, and comedic relief when it all gets a bit too much.
Jessie’s favourite thing about rescue is seeing the impact it makes on the lives of animals in need.
“We save our animals from some pretty horrific situations, and we give them a loving family and a community that truly cares about their wellbeing – mental as well as physical.”

Bridie
Case Manager - Cats
Bridie joined our team in 2020. She has several years of experience working in animal rescue including specialist experience raising neonatal kittens.
Funnily enough, despite being our cat case manager, Bridie is yet to welcome a cat into her forever family! She is currently the guardian of Buzz, a 10-year-old cavoodle that has been with her for two and a half years.
Having volunteered with many other rescue groups, Bridie’s favourite thing about PUR is our focus on quality over quantity – we are dedicated to this value and never want to grow to a point where we cannot give personalised care to every animal in our foster program.
“I love being part of a team that is focused solely on the best interests of the animals. The fact that I am always learning new things is just a plus!”

Hannah
Case Manager - Dogs
Hannah is a veterinary nurse and first became a part of the PUR family when she joined our foster carer network.
We officially welcomed her to our core team as an animal rescue case manager in 2021.
Hannah is the guardian of Margie, a 4-year-old staffy x frenchie, with three legs, the cutest little face, and a penchant for carrying shoes around the house when she is happy.
Hannah is Fear Free certified is very passionate about a force free approach; this is one of the things she loves most about working with PUR. She believes in treating every animal with kindness, patience and understanding, which is exactly why we love having her on our team!
“PUR’s fear free approach helps animals from tough backgrounds regain their confidence and become their best selves.”

Kate
Veterinary Nurse & Office Manager
Kate officially joined PUR in 2020, although she had previously helped with the medical care of some PUR alumni animals in her role as a vet nurse.
Kate is a Fear Free Certified Veterinary Nurse and is passionate about providing gentle and compassionate care to all animals.
Kate’s fur family includes Millie, a 13-year-old cocker spaniel cross, and Boss and Olive, her pair of PUR alumni mischievous cats.
Kate’s favourite thing about working in rescue is seeing the positive change in rescue animals when they are given proper vet care and the TLC that many of them haven’t had in their lives before.
“I just love working with and meeting so many amazing people who devote so much time and effort into giving animals a second chance at life.”

Brigida
Veterinarian
Dr Brigida first joined PUR in 2019 and is now the head veterinarian at Project Underdog Veterinary Care, Melbourne’s first 100% Fear Free Certified mobile vet clinic and the perfect choice for anxious companion animals.
Dr Brigida is passionate about providing the highest standard of care to each and every patient she sees and will always take the time to explain her observations, treatment plans and recommendations.
Her favourite thing about working in animal rescue is seeing the transformation animals undergo from when they first enter PUR’s rescue program to when they find their perfect forever homes and beyond.
“All animals have a beautiful soul regardless of breed. It is up to us to pay attention to and then address the many behavioural signs they show, which could indicate pain, fear or anxiety.”

Caitlin
Graphic Designer
Caitlin has been making PUR’s calendars, marketing collateral and merchandise look schmick since the start of 2020.
Apart from being a qualified design guru, Caitlin is a stellar guardian to her fur family which includes Bonnie, a 2-year-old multipoo, and Cody, a bichoodle who sadly crossed over the rainbow bridge in 2021.
Caitlin’s favourite thing about working in rescue is getting to see the impact our work has on the lives of rescued animals and the joy experienced by the people that are part of their journeys.
“Companion animals are more than just ‘pets’. Their personalities, character and affection become a piece of your heart and family.”