Sam Simon was best known as co-creator of The Simpson. He also worked as a writer, producer and director of other series, such as Taxi, Cheers, Friends, The Tracey Ullman Show, and The Drew Carey Show. He was the winner of a dozen Emmys and a Peabody Award.

Sam also managed World Boxing Organization Heavyweight Champion Lamon Brewster, and was named 2004 World Boxing Manager of the Year.

In 2012, Sam was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer, and was given 3-6 months to live. Sam responded to this diagnosis with his usual stubbornness and determination, and spent the next 29 months making massive changes in the world to create better living conditions for animals everywhere.

Sam died on March 8, 2015. He accomplished more in his final two years than entire countries do over the course of an entire generation.

Hannah began volunteering at veterinary hospitals at age 13, and took additional weekend and after-school classes on animal care throughout her high school years. She continued volunteering with animal rights’ groups and working at veterinary hospitals while attending both U.C. Berkeley and U.C.L.A., and even after becoming a teacher. Her love of animals runs so deeply, that she quit her job as a teacher to take care of her beloved dog, Winnie, the day her hind legs became paralyzed in 2004.

Hannah has been with The Sam Simon Foundation since 2005. With Winnie now gone, she currently lives with her adorable rescue dogs Bailey and Damien, and continues to work hard to help both human and non-human animals every day.

Dr. Mori graduated from Colorado State University in 1985. He completed a rotating small animal medicine/surgery internship at West Los Angeles Animal Hospital in 1987, and did relief work at general practices and emergency clinics 1988-1991.

Dr. Mori owned and operated Bear Valley Pet Hospital 1991-2005, which he sold when he moved to Los Angeles. He has graced The Sam Simon Foundation with his kindness and wonderful veterinary skills since 2005.

A talented artist and devout animal-lover, Nef always knew she’d either wind up working in the graphic arts or with animals. But who know she’d do both!

Nef, an L.A. native, started her own pet-sitting business when she was just a teenager. She found that she enjoyed caring for other people’s pets so much that she decided to pursue a career in the veterinary field. So, at the young age of 20, she became an RVT, thus launching her career in veterinary medicine.

The whole time she was working with animals, she was also apprenticing as a tattoo artist. After being with The Sam Simon Foundation for several months, she completed her internship and left to tattoo full-time. However, we missed her terribly, and fortunately she missed us too, so she came back and is now with us for good. She continues to tattoo on the days she’s not at our clinic, and has even tattooed several of our staff members!

Nef has been with The Sam Simon Foundation since 2018. She enjoys drawing and hiking with her beloved rescue dog Thor.

An L.A. native, Bree grew up with five dogs and nine cats. She always enjoyed caring for her pets, and would frequently accompany her grandmother to feed local feral cat colonies.

Bree spent many years working in restaurant service. Her upbeat and friendly personality did not go unnoticed, as she was once featured in a McDonald’s commercial. They even posted a picture of her and her foster dog on their website, rendering the two of them “McFamous” for a fun period of time.

After leaving the restaurant industry, Bree briefly considered pursuing a career as a nurse. However, she ultimately decided that her talents would be better suited in the veterinary field, and so went to school to earn her RVT license. She has been working as an RVT since 2016, and we feel incredibly lucky that she eventually found her way to us.

Bree’s favorite pastime is doting on her little girl. (Who, unsurprisingly, is another animal-lover in the making!) She also enjoys volunteering at adoption events, going to Dodger games, and spending time with her friends and family.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Laura always knew she wanted to spend her life being of service to others. She worked hard in school, and was accepted into an accelerated program in which she earned her degree as an R.N. in a mere 11 months.

Although she worked as a nurse for several years, it didn’t take long for her to become disillusioned with what she perceived to be a widespread lack of compassion and focus on patient care. Uncomfortable with dedicating all her time to a field in which she felt the driving force was money, she felt compelled to seek out volunteer opportunities during her downtime. This volunteer work made her realize how much she enjoyed being around animals, and to our great fortune, eventually led her to us. We felt very lucky when Laura decided to set aside her nursing career in 2018 to come work for us full time.

Laura lives with her beloved rescue Lluvi, and enjoys traveling, hiking, and writing.

Ingrid has been with The Sam Simon Foundation since 2016. While working full-time with our Foundation, she has simultaneously been putting herself through school. She is currently on track to getting her Ph.D in biogeochemistry, with the goal of studying climate change and working to create a more sustainable planet.

Ingrid has always had a big heart, especially when it comes to animals. A vegetarian since the age of 12 and vegan since age 18, she is a passionate animal-rights advocate, and has volunteered at various vegan and animal rights events throughout the years. She works every day to make a positive difference in the lives of both human and non-human animals.

In her free time, Ingrid enjoys hiking with her dog Tulip, and playing with her cat Tofu.  She’s an avid reader, and enjoys traveling, gardening, cooking, and listening to science podcasts.

Giulia was born and raised in Del Mar, California and became passionate about animals at a young age. She received her B.S. in physiology and neuroscience from the University of California at San Diego, and worked as a veterinary assistant at a small animal hospital while simultaneously earning her degree. During this time, she also regularly volunteered with horses and children, as well as at a local VA hospital.

Giulia moved to Los Angeles in 2019 and pursued her passion of working with animals when she was hired by The Sam Simon Foundation. She worked as a veterinary assistant in our clinic until she to leave L.A. to continue her education.

She is currently studying veterinary medicine at the University of California at Davis, and continues to work for our program while in veterinary school. She will be graduating in 2024, after which she plans to work in the non-profit sector and practice shelter medicine.

Giulia is fluent in English, Spanish and Italian, and in her free time likes to hike, cook, bake, read, practice yoga, spend time with her dog, Trouble, and compete in triathlons.