ABOUT US
OUR MISSION:
Fur The brand is a women-owned and led foundation on a mission to bring awareness to canine cancer while providing financial assistance to pets who face a cancer diagnosis requiring extensive veterinary care in which their owners are unable to afford.
We are on a mission to change the narrative on canine cancer and believe that no owner should have to make the difficult decision to put a pet down or neglect medical needs because of the costs involved.
MEET OUR TEAM
SAMANTHA MCAFEE
FOUNDER/CEO
Team! My name is Samantha McAfee, Founder and President of Fur The Brand. Animals have been a passion of mine since I was a child. I participated in 4-H in grade school, showing my dogs in obedience, agility and showmanship. Summers growing up I would spend time with my grandpa on his farm, where you would always find me with the animals. During high school, I worked at a local pet store where bringing home random pets became an ongoing issue, which has carried on into my adulthood. :) I learned a lot about little critters during my time there which sparked my interest in veterinarian science. However, after a few years into college I decided it just wasn’t what I wanted to do.
I moved back to Indianapolis, worked downtown in the bar industry. I went to grooming school, became dog/cat CPR certified and got my grooming license. I have volunteered at local animal shelters throughout the years and have always been an advocate to help animals in need. I am now married to my best friend, Patrick. We have 2 dogs, Valerie Ann and Chuck, 4 cats, Theodore, Nova, Sebastian and Scootsie and 2 frogs, Dolly and Fred.
In this past year Valerie, our pit bull-shar pei mix, was diagnosed with cancer. She underwent two surgeries and had other complications after surgery. I quickly learned how much cancer treatments can cost plus the emotional stress of your fur baby being sick. This gave me an idea, to build a foundation that helps relieve the financial burdens of dog cancer treatments while assisting in helping the health of the dog. A win-win: we are able to help the fur baby and the person. Pets are much more than just that friendly, waggy tail. They’re our best friends, our children, our moral compasses and life savers. I truly thank you for following along and supporting our brand and mission to improve the lives of sick pets while lifting the burden of finances from their parent(s).
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NOELLE NORWOOD
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT
Noelle is our Director of Marketing and Development. She brings a sales and marketing background along with a serious passion for rescue. Fur The Brand, Noelle manages our website, Ambassador Program, and Corporate Sponsorships.
In her past life, Noelle worked with IT leaders across Indianapolis to leverage their technology talent and investments to achieve business goals. The opportunity to walk away from "corporate" America and join Fur The Brand and the nonprofit world is one that Noelle doesn't take lightly. She believes in our mission, helping as many animals and their humans as we can, and lives by Gary Vaynerchuk's words: "Truly wanting to help is always the best business strategy."
Noelle is a pit bull advocate and lover of all things family, wellness, and travel. If she's not working, you can find her walking Cuddy, her American Staffordshire Terrier and best friend, in a yoga/pilates class, or FaceTiming her family in NY. Noelle married her human best friend, Greg, in 2019 and they're thinking about adding another set of 4 legs to their family in 2021! Until then, they're just waiting on live music to return..
MYSTICA O'CONNOR
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Mystica is our Operations Director. Mystica came to Fur The Brand with a background in operations and nonprofit management. She was an Art History student at Herron School of Art before serving in Ameri-corps in 2012. It was through her Ameri-Corps term that she found her love for service work and the growth of our city. Since then, Mystica has dedicated her time to the success and sustainability of non-profits around Indianapolis. Mystica has served at different organizations like the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art. Playworks, where she helped develop social and emotional learning for elementary students through play during recess. Then, decided to take a path into food insecurity in our community Meals on Wheels of Central Indianapolis as the Production and Distribution Director.
Mystica and her fiance’ Morgan have two little girls Marley and Hendrix and believe in teaching them the importance of independence, creativity, and integrity while leaving the world a little better than we found it. Mystica believes in Fur The Brand’s mission because no one should have to struggle financially when a fur baby needs care. She’s excited to be a part of the Fur The Brand team and providing relief for as many pet families as possible. In her free time, Mystica enjoys doing art projects with her two (human) children, Hendrix and Marley.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bridget Davis
Bridget is Owner/Lead Planner at Bridget Davis Events, Destinations by Design, and Mirth & Myrrh. She planned and executed our FURST Dinner Fur The Dogs flawlessly and we are so excited for the next. Bridget will be involved in all things Fur The Brand events.
Brandy Allen Harveth
Brandy is Owner of Patron Saint Indy, The Saint Shack, and Keepin it Deep. She brings an amazing network and years of experience as a successful business owner downtown Indianapolis. Brandy is a loyal supporter of Fur The Brand and we are so excited to have her passion and drive on board!
Rachel Hickey
Rachel is Owner and Dr. of Digital Marketing at Pulp Functions. As a (mostly) digital nonprofit, we couldn't be more excited about that! Rachel also brings great knowledge and experience as she is the President of another Indianapolis 501c3.