Our Team
Jayden Toulouse (He/Him & They/Them)
Owner, Director of Animal Care, Animal Trainer
Jayden is the founder and owner of Visiting Animal Friends. Jay has a B.S. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from the University of California, Berkeley. Jay grew up on a small farm. He has 25 years of experience with animals. He has amassed a big amount of talent through being mentored by leadership at Greenpeace, Planting Justice, and Charlie’s Acres Farmed Animal Sanctuary, plus more. Jay received their certificate in Animal Behavior and Animal Welfare from the University of Edinburgh. He has his certificate updated yearly in First Aid and CPR for dogs and cats. Additionally, he is associated with the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care. Jay is dedicated to co-creating a better world through teaching people the wisdom of animals. Jay donates 15% of VAF’s proceeds to nonprofits working for food justice, education, environmental justice, civil rights, and animal welfare.
Ashley Bess (They/Them)
Animal Caretaker and Dog Trainer in Training
Ashley is in training to be the co-owner and second dog trainer at Visiting Animal Friends. Ashley grew up in Concord in a big family. They have 15 years’ experience in business development, sales, and production. Ashley has grown as a person and a professional through experience with Living Tree Community Foods, Sprouts Grocery, Goodwill, and ABC Veterinary. Ashley received their certificate updated yearly in First Aid and CPR for Dogs and Cats from The Red Cross. Ashley is in a multiple month dog training certificate course and in the new year will be a certified dog trainer. They are especially gifted with animals and children alike. VAF is incredibly fortunate to have Ashley on staff. They are committed to bettering the world through kindness, fairness, humor, and altruism, and teaching these core values to others.
Becca Cook (She/Her)
Animal Caretaker
Becca is an independent contractor who provides coverage for VAF. She has been working with us for more than a year. Becca is AWESOME with cats and dogs; she has been providing pet care for about 10 years and has been full time for 3.
K McQuesten (She/Her)
Administrator and Animal Caretaker
K has a background in communications, web, and software development and is retired staff from UC Berkeley. K lives in Berkeley and is a light in the life of many. She loves to spend her spare time when not creating effective systems for Visiting Animal Friends and taking care of fur babies, staying informed about world events and politics, and improving herself through personal finance focus groups. K is a trustworthy, reliable, and talented person with a great sense of humor and an eye for creative design, and problem solving. VAF is so lucky to have her on as our primary administrator and a part-time animal caretaker as well.
