Dogster

Team Dogster: Meet the Staff

Janine Kahn, Editor-in-Chief

Janine is an award-winning writer and editor who has what some might call an unhealthy obsession with dogs. In 2009, she left the alternative newsweekly world behind to join Team Dogster, and since then has acquired four dog tattoos (and one cat). In past lives, Janine held web editor positions at SF Weekly, OC Weekly, the Online Journalism Review and the Los Angeles Times.

Read Janine's full bio here.

Vicky Walker, Managing Editor

A cat wrangler and snuggler since toddlerhood, Vicky has worked at Dogster and Catster since the summer of 2011. She manages Dogster and Catster's freelance writers and editors, although she dreams of building a time machine to visit pre-1906 San Francisco. She has also worked for SF Weekly and the East Bay Express.

Read Vicky's full bio here.

Lori Malm, Community Manager

Lori celebrates the Spirit of Dogster and Power of the Paw as Dogster’s Community Manager. She has been managing passion-based online communities in travel, film arts, and pets for nearly 20 years. In her spare time, she advocates pet rescue and adoption, twirls around on her toes, feeds friends and family, and frolics around the globe.

Read Lori's full bio here.

Keith Bowers, Associate Editor

Keith has more than 20 years experience in journalism, covering the arts, business, technology, crime, government, and animals for publications including SF Weekly, the San Jose Business Journal, and MacWEEK. His experience with cats goes much farther back. At age 7 he founded The Cat Club with neighborhood kids in honor of his first orange tabby, Topper, and routinely wrote science-fiction stories in school about cats exploring outer space.

Read Keith's full bio here.

Liz Acosta, Assistant Editor

Liz is a pink-haired feminist with lots of good stories to tell. Originally from Los Angeles, she dabbled in the entertainment industry, freelance photography, dog-sitting, and fashion before finally throwing everything in her car and moving to San Francisco, where she is now the assistant editor for Dogster and Catster. She rides her pink bike around the city pretending she's in the Death Star trench scene from "Star Wars" and she is almost exclusively powered by coffee.

Read Liz's full bio here.

John D. Williams, Customer Support Manager

In 2004, John joined the Dogster and Catster team part-time, becoming full-time in 2007. Prior to Dogster, John taught broadcasting and communication classes at several universities and managed two college television stations. He lives in Texas with his wife, Tricia; daughter, Hannah; and Jackie the Guinea Pig.

Read John's full bio here.

Michael Leaverton, Contributing Editor

Most mornings, Michael follows a Bengal cat around the house, trying to cut her nails. He writes and edits for Dogster and Catster, along with alternative newsweeklies and, one day, Highlights.

Read Michael's full bio here.

Also see: Dogster's Founding Fathers

Need to get in touch? Drop us a line here.