About LUFA
Linked Up For Animals - Our Story
Years ago, I moved to Long Beach, California and found my neighborhood full of cats. I would spend the next seven years doing TNR (trap neuter return) but no matter how many cats I would spay or neuter, I would find more kittens vulnerable to the harsh realities of animal homelessness. I had heard that the ASPCA in Los Angeles had a program that transported kittens to Oregon and Washington for adoption. I tracked down the right connections and soon was taking kittens to LAX to be transported. On January 18, 2017, I took four kittens to the airport, soon to be on their way to the state of Washington. There were other dogs and cats that day, all showing signs of anxiety as their carriers were handled like pieces of luggage. As I dropped off the kittens, I could see the fear in their beautiful eyes and my heart started to break. When I got back to my car, I cried and cried.
Later that week I would learn that all four kittens had been adopted.
So often, we humans forget these amazing animals have feelings, are intelligent, want to feel safe and need love from us. To this day, I can still see those eyes and feel the emotion well up inside of me. That was the day I decided I had to do more for animals. That was the day the seed for Linked Up For Animals (LUFA) was planted.
Linked Up For Animals (L-U-F-A), aka LUFA World, has evolved into what you see today. The LUFA Social Platform is the first and only social media space dedicated exclusively to bringing animal lovers, activists, advocates, and organizations together with the goal of making a meaningful impact on the well-being of animals everywhere. It’s an enormous undertaking, but we’re up for the challenge of creating this show of solidarity and leading this united front of animal lovers. We are here to serve and support animals and those who care for and about them, from cat lovers to shelter volunteers to those who work in animal welfare day in and day out – We are honored to partner with you on this noble cause.
I have always loved and respected animals and felt the deep-seated need to make the world a better place for all animals. Ending animal homelessness is at the top of my list.
Join us, we cannot do it without you.
United in our commitment,
Teri Gray
Linked Up For Animals
Visionary, Founder, CEO
- Our Vision -
Linked Up for Animals envisions a world where all animals are loved, respected, and protected.
- Our Mission -
To turn the many individual voices and actions of animal lovers, advocates, and organizations into a powerful unified voice to make real change in the world of animal well-being.
CORE VALUES
Generosity
– LUFA will be generous with our financial resources, time, and energy
Ethical Behavior
– Ethical thinking will guide each of LUFA’s decisions and actions
Hard Work
– The LUFA team will work passionately and positively everyday toward our mission
Patience
– LUFA will have patience with ourselves and those we serve as we work toward our goals
Wisdom and Compassion
– LUFA will put our best thinking and kindest hearts into our work to ensure the well-being of all animals
Humor
– LUFA will work toward the betterment of all animals with humor, laughter, and joy.
MEET THE LUFA TEAM
Teri Gray - Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Teri Gray is an animal lover and a visionary who imagines a world where humans carve out space for animals to live and thrive alongside people, where animals are protected by laws that are enforced, and where the safety and wellbeing of all animals is ensured. Teri believes animals have rights and are entitled to live without fear, neglect and abuse. Teri created the LUFA World website and LUFA Social platform for several reasons but elevating the conversation regarding animals to a national level is the priority.
Teri graduated from California State University, Fullerton with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and got her master’s degree in Health Science from California State University, Long Beach.
Teri is co-founder of Linked Up For Animals (LUFAWorld.com), The Linked Up For Animals Foundation (TLUFAF) and PeopleSolutions Healthcare Staffing. Teri brings over 12 years of business wisdom to the team and intends to apply this wisdom to helping animals.
Teri lives in Long Beach, California, is happily married, takes care of two cat colonies and has TNR’d over 100 cats in her neighborhood. If she isn’t feeding cats or posting on LUFA Social, she is walking her dogs or talking politics with one of her closest friends, her mom.
Jenn Ardinger - Director, Online Content
For the love of CAT, Jenn Ardinger will get a bit crazy when debating the superiority of cats to dogs. We know she really loves all animals, but we suspect Jenn has “Cats Rule, Dogs Drool” tattooed somewhere on her body.
With 25 years’ experience in web and graphic design, she is our in-house graphic designer and online content director. Jenn joined team LUFA in 2017, when all of this was just a dream shared between friends in Teri’s living room. Jenn is passionate and driven to change the world and help humans respect and care for animals.
Having grown up in Southern California, Jenn now lives in Huntington Beach, California with her husband, Charles, and their cat friend, Unit-E. While she is just another Jenny from the block, you will likely find her on LUFA social posting under the name Fish.
Stephanie Nader - LUFA Pages Manager
Stephanie Nader is passionate about the wellbeing of animals and believes caring for them is her higher purpose. On many occasions she has gone out of her way to rescue animals, often special needs cases who require ongoing care. Stephanie shares her home with three dogs, and two cats in Long Beach, California. When asked, she would rather be home spending time with her animals then being out on the town on any given night. Her newest cat, Yeti Freddy, was trapped one night by Teri and Stephanie, when a kind friend contacted the two about the cat that needed a loving home.
Stephanie has her certificate as a veterinary assistant, a field that aligns with her desire to care for animals. She has worked for several years as a medical biller and has recently decided to take a hiatus from that hectic line of work. Stephanie is now working with us part time bringing her solid work ethic and much needed help to the LUFA team.
