About The Sam I Can Foundation

ara is the owner of The Animal Behavior Center, an international educational center that teaches people how to understand behavior through training animals using the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. She is a professional animal behavior consultant and trainer with a focus on undomesticated and exotic animals. Lara travels internationally, giving workshops, lectures, and providing online, live-streaming learning programs on behavior, training, and enrichment. She sits on the advisory board for All Species Consulting, The Indonesian Parrot Project, and past board member of Nature’s Nursery, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Ohio. She is the president of the non-profit Sam, I Can Foundation, raising awareness for animals and animal organizations in need. She is a professional member of IAATE and ZAA. She has been asked to co-author and is currently working on an international manual of animal behavior and training. She is a guest lecturer in the Zoo Biology; Behavior & Diagnostics taught by Dr. Jason Crean at St. Xavier University; Chicago. Lara has presented for a wide variety of organizations including The Philadelphia Zoo, The Ohio State University Behavior Club and Exotic Veterinary Club, Michigan State University’s animal behavior club, The University of Wisconsin’s division of exotics and wildlife medicine, The Association of Avian Veterinarians, Best Friends Animal Society, The Pet Professional Guild, The International Wildlife Rehabilitator’s Conference, The Autism Model School, and The Wheaton College division of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Lara created the Sam, I Can Foundation in 2019 after the passing of Sam, the blind, blue fronted amazon. Sam was brought to The Animal Behavior Center with the intention of giving him a loving place to live the rest of his life. Lara cared for Sam for six months where he spent his time outside of his cage, learning to forage, being very responsive to positive reinforcement training, and building relationships with the staff. After six months, Sam was diagnosed with a fatal illness and humanely euthanized.

Lara created the Sam, I Can Foundation to support all animals, with a focus on the undomesticated. The Foundation was created to help eliminate animals spending their lives without flourishing due to a lack of education on what animals can do to live full, thriving lives.

Visit The Animal Behavior Center to learn more about Lara.

Therese Kopiwoda is a seasoned web designer who works with service-based business, primarily in the pet industry. Before launching her current business, Social Media Hound, Therese owned and operated her own pet sitting business for over ten years. She also served as a founding board member for the Indy K9 Cancer Walk and volunteers with Friends for Paws, her local pet rescue.

Therese has been with The Animal Behavior Center since 2018. She shares her home and heart with her standard poodle, Isaac.

Karen has worked in the marketing and communications field for 23 years as an Accounting Supervisor and then as a Director of Administration and Accounting. She then went on to a whole new endeavor as an Accounting Manager for 8 years at an Orthodontic Office and then a Practice Manager for another Orthodontics office for 2 years until a major medical incident cut her professional career short in 2011. She majored in legal and financial accounting.

She has been with The Animal Behavior Center for over thirteen years since the center opened. Karen lives in Sylvania, Ohio, with her youngest daughter Sandy. Sandy also volunteers at The Animal Behavior Center and works at a doggy day care. Karen’s oldest daughter, Michelle is a Veteran Marine and married to a fellow veteran Marine, Wes.
Michelle is an editor at a large academic publishing company based in San Diego, CA. and Wes is a youth pastor.

Karen loves any kind of animal! She has 3 dogs, 11 cats, an African Grey and a cockatiel. Karen also helps her daughter Sandy with their Oriental cats/kittens showing pedigreed TICA/CFA registered cats.

Since being at The Animal Behavior Center, she has learned so much from Lara. Using applied behavior analysis and positive reinforcement training has opened her eyes to a whole new level of compatibility and has strengthened her relationship with her animals at home.

Lindsay Douglas is the Development Coordinator at Humane Ohio, where she helps connect people to the mission of making spay/neuter services accessible and affordable for everyone. She’s been part of The Animal Behavior Center team for more than nine years, where she’s gained meaningful experience in animal welfare, enrichment, and behavior. After volunteering with the Sam I Can Foundation for six years, Lindsay recently joined the board of directors to further support its work helping animals in need. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a focus in Applied Behavior Analysis and is passionate about improving the lives of both animals and the people who care for them.