Meet The Team

Katie E. Block with Seaweed

Found & Director

Alison Staknis
with Ralphie

A New Jersey native, Alison is the proud owner of five dogs, including three rescues from Puerto Rico. She has been an active member of Island Dog since 2008, contributing through transportation coordination, fostering, fundraising, and community outreach.

Alison serves as Vice President of Regulatory Operations at Hard Rock Digital. In her free time, she and her husband, Tony, enjoy renovating their cabin alongside their dogs.

Tricia James
with Romeo

A Baltimore native and mom of two teenage daughters (and three pups), Tricia has been with us since the very beginning. She supports Island Dog through administration, logistics, and collaboration, helping keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes. Tricia serves as an Assessment Manager for Harford County, Maryland. In her limited spare time, she enjoys a good beach day—and a well-earned nap.

It takes a village to help the many dogs and cats in need in Puerto Rico. Since 2006, we have been working as a team, to create an animal friendly world.

Dr Jorge Delgado DVM

Owner of Clinica Veternaria del Este in Fajardo

Dr. Delgado began working with Katie before the idea of Island Dog was ever created. Friends and co-workers for over 30 years, Dr. Delgado has been helping reduce animal populations on the East Coast through our spay and neuter programs. He provides education, advice, clarity, and heart to our organization. When not caring for the animals in the community, Dr. Delgado can be found enjoying time with family and caring for his garden and fruit trees.

Ed Edgar
Founder of Hillside Cat Farm
www.hillsidecatfarm.org

A native of Connecticut, Ed moved to the island looking for a slower pace of life. Instead he found hundreds of homeless cats he could not ignore. Today, Ed cares for colonies of cats throughout Luquillo, sterilizing and feeding the hundreds of cats that live in this small beach town. The co-founder of The Hillside Cat Farm, you can support his work directly at www.hillsidecatfarm.org

Michelle D. Biasucci
with Febe

Michelle served as Vice President until her sudden passing in November 2017. She fostered and rescued hundreds of dogs, touching lives throughout Puerto Rico and the United States. Michelle had a generous heart and spirit, lighting up the darkest of spaces. She had a special way with animals—especially those who had been hurt the most. Her patience, open-heart, and generosity ensured that the most vulnerable of animals found the loving homes they deserved.

Michelle also brought humor to our organization. Even on the most heartbreaking days, she found a way to bring laughter, lightness, and a sense of togetherness.

She made all of us better people.

We miss her every day.

Dominic Biasucci
with Nike

Dominic became our youngest volunteer at just five years old. Although he didn’t have much of a choice at the time, he naturally stepped into the role and thrived as a caretaker for our rescues—especially those who had suffered abuse. As part of his mom’s work, Dominic lived in Puerto Rico and helped with all aspects of our programs. Even after moving back to the States, he continued to support Island Dog in various ways, always bringing comfort to the animals in our care.

More than twenty years later, Dominic now has a family of his own and remains a part of Island Dog—still showing up for the animals who need him and honoring his mother’s legacy through this work.