2025 Presenter Bios for
​Midwest BunFest Education Sessions

For more information on the sessions and schedule,
please visit the Education Sessions and Special Interest Session pages.

Susan Borders, DVM

Dr. Susan Borders is an associate veterinarian at the Animal Hospital of Pataskala. Dr. Borders grew up in Medina, Ohio, and graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998. Prior to graduation from vet school, Dr. Borders spent four years working with exotic animals at the Columbus Zoo as an educational presenter. Her special areas of interest include surgery and exotic companion animal medicine. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association, the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians, and the House Rabbit Society. Dr. Borders has been involved with Ohio House Rabbit Rescue and Midwest BunFest for over a decade.

Dan Brenner

Dan Brenner is a farmer in Western New York State. Dan and his family work together to operate Farmer Dave Pet Supply, growing and producing all-natural hay, chews, treats, and toys for small animals. Farming is a lifelong apprenticeship, and Dan has been studying how to grow and harvest the highest-quality farm products since his childhood. Dan took a short break from the family farm to pursue a career in education. He has served as a teacher, university instructor, assistant principal, athletic director, and high school principal before returning to help run the farm with his parents, David and Theresa, his wife Diane, and his two children—three-year-old Hailey and one-year-old Beau. Dan is an active member of his local farm bureau and strives to promote sustainable farming practice. Dan's passions are education and agriculture. He is thrilled about the opportunity to educate bunny owners about hay!

Kim Banks

Kim rescued her first bunch of bunnies from a park in Cleveland in 2000. Falling in love with them from that moment onward, she couldn’t help but spend the next 24 years volunteering to help care for rescued rabbits. She has been involved with OHRR since its inception in 2011, doing direct care, adoption facilitation, and bonding. 

Lisa Edwards

Lisa has cared for special needs animals all her life. Her experience started as a child helping her father, who actively cared for a variety of exotics & wild animals rescued from roadside petting zoos, carnivals, and circuses. Lisa developed a special love for and dedication to the care of special needs rabbits, whether physical or emotional. She is the proud Bun-Mom for 6 very special buns who give her unbounded love and joy. She enjoys spreading the word that "Disabled does not mean unable".

Emily Fagundo, DVM

Dr. Emily Fagundo is an Emergency Medicine Veterinarian at MedVet Hilliard, where she has been part of the MedVet team since 2001. Dr. Fagundo joined MedVet Columbus as a veterinary technician while earning her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Following her graduation from veterinary school, Dr. Fagundo worked as an associate in a busy small animal practice. She also worked as a relief emergency veterinarian before joining the MedVet Hilliard team. She enjoys being able to help treat animals with critical illnesses or injuries at all hours when family veterinarians are closed. In her free time, Dr. Fagundo visits local schools to educate children about becoming a veterinarian and to encourage rescue and adoption. She is also an active advocate and volunteer for the Ohio House Rabbit Rescue.

Nicholas Jew, DVM

Dr. Nicholas Jew (pronounced “Joe”) is a 2013 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He is a veterinarian in the Avian & Exotics service at MedVet in Hilliard. Dr. Jew’s practice focuses on exotic companion mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. He feels strongly that vets need to advocate for exotics to receive the same level of veterinary care that is given to dogs and cats. Dr. Jew is the founder of Exotics Veterinary Consulting, an exotic animal herd health consulting firm working with breeders of exotic mammals and reptiles to promote better husbandry and assist with herd-level medical challenges, and he serves on the executive board of the Ohio Wildlife Center. Dr. Jew serves on the Public Relations & Membership committee for the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians, and he is an active member of many professional groups (AVMA, AEMV, ARAV, AAV, AAFV). Outside of his animal interests, Dr. Jew is an avid fencer and reader.

Lauren Keller, LSW

Lauren Keller is a licensed Master's Social Worker and has a certification in Veterinary Social Work through The University of Tennessee. Lauren is the Founding Director of the nonprofit, Snickerdoodles' Rabbit Rescue & Pet Loss Support, facilitates pet loss grief groups, and helps families and individuals connect to resources to maintain the human-animal bond, such as Pet Friendly Domestic Violence Shelters, financial aid for vet expenses, pet food pantries & many others. Lauren understands the trauma and grief that can be caused by loss and is determined to normalize and educate the community on grief & bereavement from the loss of a pet, or in most cases, a “family member".

Shanleigh Knittel

Shanleigh Knittel is a licensed House Rabbit Society Educator and the Founder of Operation Obi, a 501c3 rabbit rescue located in Pittsburgh, PA. She is passionate about education and tries to make information about proper rabbit care accessible to everyone via her bunnies' Instagram account, @obibunfuriends. Shanleigh has 6 bunnies and a chinchilla of her own that she cares for in addition to the rabbits under Operation Obi.

McKenzie Livengood, DVM

Dr. McKenzie Livengood is an Exotic Companion Mammal Resident with the Avian and Exotics Service at MedVet Hilliard. She joined the team in 2024 after graduating from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians. As a lifelong animal lover and house rabbit owner for over 10 years, she has a special place in her heart for rabbits and is passionate about providing them with the highest quality care.

Karen Winstead  &  Ryan Terebesi

Karen Winstead is a House Rabbit Society Educator. She and Ryan Terebesi have been volunteering with rabbits for many years at Columbus Humane and have done numerous bondings for the humane society’s "bunny dating service." They also serve as Ohio House Rabbit Rescue Adoption Coordinators, specializing in bonding. Ryan and Karen have both had pairs and trios; Karen has also had a quartet and a quintet.