Staff

Director of Communications & Publications

Janis Bradley, M.A.

Director of Communications & Publications

Janis holds a B.A. in Philosophy and a Masters in English. She first pursued a career as a college teacher, counselor, and administrator. Leaving academia, she then took up professionally her passion for the human-canine relationship. From 2000 through 2009, Janis trained more than 400 professional pet dog trainers.

Janis is the co-author of the articles: "No better than flipping a coin: Reconsidering canine behavior evaluations in animal shelters" , "Who is minding the bibliography? Daisy chaining, dropped leads, and other bad behavior using examples from the dog bite literature," and "Defaming Rover: Error-Based Latent Rhetoric in the Medical Literature on Dog Bites". She is also the author of Dogs Bite, But Balloons and Slippers are More Dangerous (James and Kenneth), the complete guide to research on dog bites; Dog Bites: Problems and Solutions (Animals and Society Institute); and The Relevance of Breed in Selecting a Companion Dog (National Canine Research Council Vision Series). All of this comes from an abiding interest in finding the very best information about the remarkable relationship between dogs and people. She lives in California with her rescued Greyhounds.

Manager of Research and Public Policy Services

Elizabeth Arps, M.S.

Manager of Research & Public Policy Services

Ms. Arps attained a B.A. in Biology in 2010, during which she worked at the college’s field station caring for endangered waterfowl. During college, she also interned at animal shelters and sanctuaries, and traveled abroad extensively, all of which broadened her interest in studying a wide variety of animal welfare issues. Ms. Arps was able to explore those interests as she pursued a M.S. in Animals and Public Policy from Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in 2011, where her thesis focused on the effects of a local dog breed-specific ordinance. She also spent time volunteering at feral cat clinics and with orphaned wildlife through the school’s wildlife rehabilitation clinic. Ms. Arps was delighted to join the National Canine Research Council in 2012, where she applies her background in science and policy to the benefit of both humans and dogs. 

Karen Delise

Director of Dog Bite-Related Fatality Research & Analysis

More than twenty years of research and investigation have led to Ms. Delise being considered the nation's leading expert on dog bite-related fatalities. During this time, she has been instrumental in shifting public attitudes toward canine aggression by focusing on reduction of risk through humane care, custody and control of companion dogs, as well as keeping the comparative risk of living with dogs in proper perspective. Ms. Delise has authored two books: Fatal Dog Attacks: The Stories Behind the Statistics and The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression. She also co-authored "Co-occurrence of potentially preventable factors in 256 dog bite-related fatalities in the United States (2000-2009)," a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. It is the most comprehensive analysis of such incidents published to date. Additionally, Ms. Delise co-authored the Department of Justice manual for police officersThe Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and Enounters.

Ms. Delise retired from the Suffolk County, NY Sheriff's Office after twenty-nine years of service. She earned a degree in Veterinary Science Technology and is a licensed veterinary technician. Ms. Delise has worked for the East End Small Animal Emergency Hospital, the Long Island Game Farm, and the New York State Marine Mammal Rescue Program. She also volunteered, for seven years, in the Bide-A-Wee Pet Therapy Program. 

Research Analyst

 

Kelsea Brown, M.A.

Research Analyst