Tara, President, Board of Directors
Tara’s love of dogs began early, with her begging for her first dog at the age of 3. Always a fighter against injustice, Tara was drawn to LOVE-A-BULL by their mission to advocate for pit bull-type dogs and break down stereotypes facing the breed. After her own dog passed, Tara began volunteering with LOVE-A-BULL, and fell in love with the organization. Doing transports and meet and greets introduced Tara to some of the wonderful adopt-a-bulls and their amazing fosters! Tara was inspired to help as a short-term foster and loves getting to know the adopt-a-bulls and advocating for them. She has held leadership positions on several committees while in undergraduate and graduate school and enjoys being involved in her community. Tara has experience working with animals of all sizes, as a pet sitter and dog walker, as well as caring for and training horses. Tara has always loved helping rescue dogs, as a volunteer dog walker for Austin Animal Center and finding her passion in working with Love-A-Bull. Tara joined LOVE-A-BULL board in late 2022.
Kellie, Secretary, Board of Directors
Kellie started with LOVE-A-BULL as a volunteer after being inspired by the organization’s thorough adoption process and being matched with her brilliant partner in crime, Liam Fleason. She is passionate about finding rescues their forever homes and getting people involved to help advocate and educate on behalf of pit bull-type breeds to break the prejudices and stigmas around these affectionate pups.
Kellie stays actively involved with her community bringing over 25 years of experience volunteering and serving on different boards and committees to help accomplish amazing feats in efficient and organized ways. She frequently finds herself involved in everything LOVE-A-BULL, from participating in adoption events and fundraisers to transporting and joining in meets and greets. Kellie is honored to be a part of such an awe-inspiring team and is excited to contribute her skills of implementing new tools and procedures to help make a simple and enjoyable experience for all.
Macie, Vice President & Treasurer, Board of Directors
Macie adopted her first dog in 2014 from a kill shelter in San Antonio, Texas. He was at risk for euthanasia because of a simple eye injury, which sparked her desire to get involved with rescue.
Since this time, Macie has both worked at and volunteered with rescues throughout Texas and Louisiana. She served as accountant at Austin Pets Alive! for two years, as well as volunteers as a dog walker, CGC/TOP Dog trainer, and member of the Legislative and Policy Committee. She has also seen some success as a grant writer, securing five grants for three different rescues in 2019-2021 to assist in ongoing missions to increase the lifesaving of homeless animals. Her front door mat reads “There’s Like, a Lot of Dogs in Here,” and that is always true — whether she has a shelter dog on a sleepover, a foster dog or is holding a stray to reunite them.
Macie holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting with a non-profit endorsement, currently working in corporate accounting for a local Austin company. She joined the LOVE-A-BULL board in mid-2021 as Treasurer to combine her love of numbers and saving the at-risk house hippos.
Previous Leadership: Love-A-Bull Co-Founders
Lydia Zaidman and Meghan Wells
In 2005, Meghan Wells took over leadership of the American Pit Bull Terrier Meetup group in Austin, a small gathering of pit bull advocates who took monthly “fun walks” around downtown. Later, Meghan joined forces with Lydia Zaidman, another one of the active Meetup members, to transform the group into a vehicle to change minds and fight negative stereotypes surrounding pit bull-type dogs. Together, they founded LOVE-A-BULL.
In 2008, with a huge dream and a lot of hard work, Lydia and Meghan turned LOVE-A-BULL into a 501(c)3 not for profit organization. Meghan along with her pittie, May, and Lydia along with her pitties, Mocha and Lucy, worked tirelessly to help educate the public on the truths about pit bull-type dogs and to advocate for just how amazing these dogs can be. Since its inception, Meghan and Lydia helped to shape LOVE-A-BULL into what it has become today: a thriving education, advocacy, and rescue organization whose primary mission is to promote responsible guardianship and improve the image and lives of pit bull-type dogs.
While serving the organization, Lydia helped found the Pit Crew Therapy Dog Program of which she and Mocha served in until Mocha’s passing. While serving LOVE-A-BULL, Meghan spearheaded multiple education and outreach efforts, including conference workshops, community resource fairs, interviews, and research projects, and partnerships to spread awareness of our mission and goals. She led countless free spay/neuter clinics and helped co-found the low-cost training program still offered to the Austin community to this day. Both Lydia and Meghan served tirelessly on the Board of Directors before ending their tenure in 2014. They remain active as volunteers, relentless supporters, adopters and fosters for the organization.
LOVE-A-BULL would not be the amazing organization that it is without their dedication and hard work. A huge thank you goes out to these amazing women and all they have accomplished for pit bull-type dogs everywhere!