Meet the Team
Ben
Ben Levy is a man of many talents. Not only is he one of the co-managers of Amherst Dog Wash, on his days off from the shop he is also an artisan bread baker at the Whole Foods bakery. He is a graduate of the Bancroft Small Animal Massage program and has extensive animal experience. He has volunteered at a number of animal shelters including Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society. Ben has also volunteered at veterinary hospitals in the Putney, VT and Great Barrington areas and is excited to use his animal experience in his new venture. He has a rescued lab/poodle mix named Mya and 2 miniature donkeys named Oliver and Mocha. His hobbies include kayaking, hiking, hanging out with friends, and walking dogs.
Lee Ann
Lee Ann Faria comes to us after working for over 4 years in the veterinary field in the Boston area. She moved to the Amherst area to attend graduate school at UMass and is thrilled to be working with animals again. Lee Ann has previously worked as the Blood Bank Technician helping dogs and cats get a second chance at life at MSPCA Angell’s volunteer Blood Donor Program. She also worked as a veterinary technician at a small family-owned veterinary clinic in the Boston suburbs doing everything from taking x-rays to filling prescriptions to giving injections. She has two mixed-breed rescue dogs and loves ducks! Her hobbies include hiking with her husband and their dogs, canoeing, singing, and playing guitar.
Rae
Rae Griffiths has over 25 years of experience working with a wide variety of both domestic and exotic animals. She began her work with animals as a veterinary assistant, and has since worked caring for animals at the Franklin Park Zoo, Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary and through her own business Teaching Creatures (www.teachingcreatures.com). She also has extensive experience educating about animals at various museums, aquariums and nature organizations throughout Massachusetts. She lives in Belchertown with her family, which includes over 25 small mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects, but no dogs . . . yet!