People and Pets Belong Together
Pets bring boundless love, compassion, and cuddles into our lives. They make our homes brighter, improve our well-being, and strengthen community connections. To ensure everyone can enjoy the joy pets bring, we are committed to supporting pet parents by helping provide access to essentials like food, shelter, protection, fairness, opportunities, and of course, plenty of tummy rubs.
from the left: LA Mayor Karen Bass, Dr. Gary K Michelson, and Alya Michelson
Dr. Gary Michelson started Found Animals
in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. By establishing the first free microchip registry for pets, the goal was to allow every lost animal to find their way home. In the 15 years since, Found Animals has continued to identify important problems facing pets and people, and develop real-world, scalable solutions to help them thrive.
Our Programs
Span social enterprises, impact investments, and thought leadership initiatives that champion pets at every point they intersect with our society.
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Get to know us
Dr. Gary K Michelson
Founder & Co-Chair
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Alya Michelson
Founder & Co-Chair
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Jennifer Pimentel Naitaki
Vice President, Programs and Strategic Initiatives
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Ross Barker
Program Director, Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative
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Heather Thomas
Manager, Operations
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Helen Larimore
Marketing & Communications Manager
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Jana Brennan
Program Manager, Spay and Neuter Initiative
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Leslie Amaya-Yanez
Public Affairs and Advocacy Manager
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Paige Ellen
Senior Program Manager, Leap Venture Studio
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Becky Cyr
Senior Program Manager, Michelson Prize and Grants
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Victoria Piar
Senior Program Manager, Better Neighbor Project
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OUR EVENTS
Upcoming events
Dive into all the upcoming events MFA has to offer by exploring our complete event calendar here!
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