Meet Our Team
Who We Are
The Board
Melez Dog Rescue is led by a dedicated team of animal welfare advocates committed to giving stray and abandoned dogs a second chance. Our board members bring a wealth of experience in rescue work, animal care, and nonprofit management, ensuring that our mission is carried out with compassion, integrity, and efficiency.
Each board member plays a crucial role in overseeing our shelter operations, coordinating adoptions, and developing initiatives to improve the lives of the dogs in our care. With a shared passion for animal welfare, we work tirelessly to provide the best possible future for every dog that comes through our rescue.
Would you like to meet the team behind Melez Dog Rescue? Learn more about our board members below.
Lisanne
Founder & Chair
ISFJ personality type. ‘Glass half full’ kind of person. Terrible at saying no (especially when it comes to new dogs!). Confrontation avoider. Morning person.
Hi! My name is Lisanne.
I’m Dutch, but spent much of my life in the UK. It was there that I met my husband Alp, who is Turkish. After a having a long-distance relationship for a few years, I decided to leave my job in the corporate world to move to Turkey to be with Alp and (equally importantly!) to rescue dogs.
We set up the shelter in 2018. What started as a basic enclosure for 20 dogs soon grew into a shelter with 20 kennels currently holding over 50 dogs.
I run the shelter and take care of the dogs’ daily needs. A day in the shelter includes cleaning the kennels, providing fresh water, feeding the dogs, administering medication and carrying out treatments for the sick dogs, taking dogs to their vet appointments, applying for travel papers, getting the dogs adoption- and travel-ready and carrying out reparations in the shelter. Work in the shelter is a full-time job and takes up doesn’t leave much time for anything else, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
I believe that ALL animals have the right to be safe, well-cared for and free from constraints, danger and fear.
Our Team
