GCAS Board
Stephanie Schafer, President
Stephanie Schafer is a life long dog lover and currently the proud pet parent of Kara and Leopold. She has fostered 7 dogs since moving to SSI 4 years ago (Leopold being the latest foster failure!) - 4 were adopted into loving homes and 2 senior medical cases stayed with her until it was their time to go to heaven. Her heart dog Oreo will always be her best friend and though she made it to almost 16 years old, it wasn’t long enough.
She is retired from her government job and is excited to be able to devote more time to this group and the cause.
She started Grateful Cats/Canines Allies & Supporters to get more support for Glynn County Animal Services and recruit like minded animal lovers into the pursuit. She’s also on a mission to get the county tethering ordinance updated to be more humane and to increase the number of fosters for the shelter dogs.
Christine Schaffer, Vice President
Christine moved to Brunswick in 2024 with her husband, Ken, and
their three fur baby rescues — Mia (cat pictured), Nylund (pup pictured), and Honor (pup not pictured because he didn’t feel like posing). Christine was previously a foster/volunteer for an Australian Shepherd rescue, which is where she adopted Nylund. After moving to Brunswick, she was quickly drawn to GCAS’s mission of helping
better the lives of Glynn County's shelter animals and started volunteering. As a life-long runner, she saw an opportunity for fellow runners to come together and give much-needed physical activity and socialization to shelter pups — and in November 2024, GCAS’s
Running Buddies program was born.
When Christine isn’t working at her full-time job as a Training Program Manager for health coaches, you’ll likely find her outdoors...probably running with her dogs or enjoying a day on the boat!
Meg Behrend, Secretary
Meg Behrend is currently retired and has been living on SSI for the past 28 years. She began her involvement with the Glynn County Animal Shelter in February 2024. One of Meg’s favorite aspects of her time at the shelter is getting as many dogs out of their kennels as possible. When she isn’t helping at the shelter or supporting the GCAS board, Meg volunteers at the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store. In her free time, Meg enjoys exercising, traveling, and, most of all, spending
time with her family. She also takes great joy in dog-sitting her two adorable grand pups, Griffy and Gus.
Miranda Loehle, Treasurer
Miranda Loehle lives on St. Simons Island with her husband, Joe, and their two Glynn County Animal Services rescue dogs, Willie and Izzy. She has also shared her life with several other rescue dogs and a beloved pug—Brutus, Dixie, Moby, and Boney—
who remain forever in her heart.
Outside of her full-time career and volunteer work with the shelter, Miranda enjoys staying active, working in the yard, and participating in canine sports with her dogs, including Fast CAT, CAT, Barn Hunt, and more.
Joe Janus
Joe was raised on the GA coast - Jekyll Island when really young, and then Savannah through to highschool. He just relocated to Brunswick early in 2024. He has adopted many cats and dogs over the years but his current non-rent paying friends are Gumbo the retriever mix and Ghost the malti-poo (both rescues- one foster fail).
He has been involved in animal rescue directly and indirectly with several organizations since 2013 before joining the
Board for GCAS in January 2025.
Lacey Cross
Lacey Cross has lived in Glynn County for the past 35 years.
She began volunteering at Glynn County Animal Services in
September 2024 and quickly became passionate about helping promote adoptable animals and supporting GCAS.
Lacey is married to her husband, Mike, and together they have three wonderful boys — Caleb, Colt, and Charlie. Their home is also happily shared with three dogs, Maggie, Dutton, and Mr. Pibbles,
and two cats, Pumpkin and Wally.
As a mother with children active in sports and the Glynn County school system, Lacey saw a unique opportunity to connect students and families with shelter pets. This perspective helped inspire the Fur the Love of the Game program, which brings dogs into the community through school, sports, and youth engagement—
giving them the visibility and socialization they deserve.
Alix McHale
Alix McHale grew up on St. Simons Island and lives with her three rescue dogs—Sadie, Gracie, and Coco. She became involved with GCAS through the Running Buddies program. Alix has been a proud GCAS board member since December 2025 and is a longtime supporter of animal rescue efforts in Glynn County. She enjoys being hands-on with programs that connect people with shelter animals and strongly believes in the power of community involvement to save lives.
Alix is honored to help further GCAS’s mission and support the incredible work being done for local cats and dogs.
In her free time, Alix can often be found working in her yard, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity,
or searching for hidden gems at estate sales.