Jennifer LaPlume earned her VMD in 1994 at the University of Pennsylvania. She worked at Middleburg Equine Clinic before starting her own practice, Ragged Mountain Equine Services in central Virginia.

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After working with animal control on various large scale equine seizures, she co-founded the VVEWR (Virginia Veterinary Equine Welfare Resource) group and became certified in equine forensics. She consults on cases for animal control and commonwealth attorneys around the Commonwealth of Virginia. She provides ongoing education for equine veterinarians and law enforcement and has been a featured speaker for various conferences, webinars, and Animal Control Training courses.

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She received the Veterinary Service Award from the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association in 2020.

Erin's career as an Animal Control Officer and in Law Enforcement spans over 18 years. She was a board member of VACA and investigator for the VA Animal Fighting Task Force (Office of the Attorney General).

 

Erin received the Dr. Kent Roberts ACO of the Year award in 2019. She's an instructor at the Commonwealth’s Basic Animal Control Program, and has specialized equine animal control training with Code 3 Equine Cruelty Investigations Courses.

 

Erin established protocols with local rescues and Law Enforcement to help understand the importance in equine welfare cases.

 

In addition, she's an avid horsewoman and has lived in the valley for much of her life. She enjoys working with young horses to establish a partnership between equine and human. Erin will continue in education for Law Enforcement to help improve the welfare of equids in Virginia.

Sue Fanelli is a lifetime horse person with over 12 years of experience in equine welfare. Sue has built a reputation as a passionate advocate for horses, dedicating her career to ensuring they receive the care, respect, and protection they deserve.

Sue played an integral part in developing specialized training programs for animal control officers in VA, helping them

effectively address cases of equine abuse

and neglect. 

She has held several key leadership positions, including as President of the VA Horse Industry Board and director on the VAHorse Council and the National Walking Horse Association boards. These roles have enabled her to make a significant impact on the equine community, leveraging her expertise to promote the health and well-being of horses.

Kathleen is a lifelong horse person who has enjoyed many different careers with horses including eventing within the USEA, professional training, performing with the "World Famous Lipizzaners," mental health work, and most recently within the equine welfare community.

 

She has worked alongside several of the VA rescue groups in multiple capacities and is inspired daily by their dedication to equines in need.

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In 2024, she founded the VA Partnership for Horses as a facilitated platform for equine welfare work being done in Virginia.

Dr. Abby Sage, earned her veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She is board certified in large animal internal medicine.

 

Dr. Sage was on faculty in the Section of Sports Medicine at New Bolton Center and then at the University of Minnesota where she served as the head of the Large Animal Internal Medicine Section.

 

Dr. Sage spent ten years in private practice as an internal medicine specialist at Blue Ridge Equine Clinic before she joined the VA State Veterinary Office where she ran the equine programs.

 

In 2023, she joined Zoetis as an Equine Technical Services Veterinarian. She has been an author of numerous scientific papers on equine internal medicine, ultrasound, and cardiology.