Meet the Drivers

Claire Balchumas
Claire Balchumas has been with North Shore Animal League America for 11 years and is the Off-Site Manager. In this role, Claire travels to many different locations within the country rescuing pets from various situations. Also part of the emergency rescue team, Claire deals with rescue situations that range from minor to urgent. Claire has been the Tour for Life mobile unit driver for the past seven years and Tour for Life 2010 will bring her into her eighth proud year.

Though Claire falls in love every day with the animals she rescues, she also fell in love with her fellow Tour for Life driver, Warren Dauenhauer Jr., and got married on the road during Tour for Life 2004, in Reno, NV.

Claire loves animals and loves her job at North Shore Animal League America and can always be found wearing an inspiring smile. She is the happy owner of seven rescued pets including two dogs, 2-year-old Penny and 11-year-old Mugsy, three cats, 3-year-old George, 5-year-old Oreo and 6-year-old Patty Girl, and two parakeets, Dino and Sammy, whom she lovingly refers to as her "babies."

Warren Dauenhauer Jr.
Warren Dauenhauer Jr. has been a professional musician for 40 years. At just 14 years old, he had a hit record with Randy and the Rainbows called "Denise." Warren has been with his current band, The Boston Burglars for the past 35 years, but his latest passion is the four-legged friends he's made the past eight years on the Animal League's Tour for Life. Every year, Warren puts aside his music and puts on his Animal League volunteer shirt as he travels long distances to help save pets' lives.

During Tour for Life 2004, Warren married his girlfriend, co-driver and Animal League Off-Site Manager, Claire Balchumas, in Reno, Nevada. Each year, they look forward to spending their anniversary behind the wheel of the Animal League's mobile unit.

Warren shares his home and heart with seven rescued pets. Perhaps someday he'll write a song about their plight.

Jennifer Lewis
Jen Lewis is a Rescue Associate for North Shore Animal League America. In this role, Jen travels to various locations rescuing animals from kill shelters and other perilous situations. She was one of the first to volunteer when the sixth strongest hurricane ever recorded, Hurricane Katrina, devastated the Gulf Coast and she helped transport close to 200 animals to safety in the first week alone. Jen played a similar role when the Emergency Response Team was sent in again to help rescue animals from the ruins of the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, Hurricane Rita.

In addition to these rescue missions, Jen also drives the mobile unit across country for the Animal League's month-long cooperative initiative, Tour for Life, helping to promote the adoption of shelter pets while coordinating events with local shelters in various cities.

When Jen is not traveling the country rescuing pets, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and traveling for pleasure. Her four-legged family has expanded from one dog to four cats and two dogs, and she is proud to have been playing such an integral role in saving pets' lives since 2003.

James Gleason
James Gleason is the Off-Site Field Team Leader for North Shore Animal League America. In this role, James travels to various locations within the country rescuing pets from uncertain fates and plays a vital role in adoption tours as well as on-site adoption events. Prior to this, James was a Manager and Merchandise Buyer for Halloween Adventure in NYC, one of the largest Halloween Specialty Shop retailers in the U.S. While James was happy with this career, he couldn't deny his calling for pet rescue.

James is an avid animal lover and shares his life with his four pets: Saturn, an adopted 8-year-old Sphinx and three rescued Chihuahuas; 15-year-old Fauna, 12-year-old Flora and 8-year-old Fatima.

When James is not passionately rescuing animals, he spends his spare time writing and enjoying the company of his adored pet family. James has been with the Animal League since May 2009. He loves his work and feels extremely grateful to be able to have such a spiritually rewarding career.

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