About Us

Melissa Burchell-Dogra, Board President, has loved animals since childhood.  She began fostering with Underdog after her rabbit passed away; the apartment was too empty without a pet, but it was too soon to adopt again.  She and her husband have two rescue dogs, a "foster fail" cat, and always have at least one foster dog, cat, or bunny living with them.  Melissa is an attorney by trade and enjoys applying the methodical side of her brain to organizing and process improvement behind the scenes of Underdog.  Fostering is her principal hobby; it brings a lot of joy to be able to pull an amazing foster animal, who through no fault of their own was in a shelter without options, and then see them feel confident and loved.

Tracy Buglass, a Madison native, has worked in the nonprofit fundraising and development industry for the past 20 years. Tracy says that while she enjoyed helping people in need throughout her career, her passion now that she is retired is to help pets find their forever homes. Tracy and her husband Bill live in Deerfield with their 8 horses, one dog, and several rescue cats. She has loved animals as long as she can remember and growing up was constantly asking her parents for another cat, hamster, bird, and even a horse. She now looks forward to working with Underdog to help in any way she can.

Diane Fremgen, Board Secretary, is a retired court administrator.  Diane and her husband adopted their first rescue dog in 2014 and their second rescue dog in 2021.  There is nothing like watching a rescue become a pet in a loving home.  Diane is retired and is passionate about helping others.  She does mission work in Belize, as well as volunteer work at Luke House here in Madison.  Diane looks forward to serving on the Under Dog board where she can make an impact in finding animals their forever homes.

Steve Ticknor, Board Treasurer, is a nonprofit professional who has worked in fundraising, corporate and community engagement, & development operations for the past seven years.  He discovered his love of rescue animals when he started fostering cats with his partner in 2019.  He then officially became a "cat guy" after foster-failing his first-ever pet, Luci.  While his home is full (per his lease), his heart is not, and he continues to help Underdog's mission by focusing on development and fundraising efforts. 

Natalee Cruse lives in Verona with her family, four resident dogs, and a parade of foster pups. Professionally, she has over two decades of experience across the healthcare, financial services, and nonprofit sectors, mostly building high-performing teams and driving operational clarity. Her passion is connecting these precious foster animals with loving families, changing the lives of both for the better.

Raven, board member, is a trusted Radio and Digital Marketing Account Executive at Midwest Family Madison. She loves animals and wants to give back to our community by using her connections and knowledge to amplify the work Underdog does as a board member. (picture attached)

Autumn, board member, is a partner at Perkins Coie where she manages clients' high-stakes, complex litigation and claims in federal courts throughout the country. She also has a huge heart for the cats she fosters for Underdog. She is excited to serve on Underdog's board to use her skills and experience to improve Underdog's connections with local businesses and the community as a whole.

​Lauren Toler, board member, has worked in the concert industry for the past 12 years, most recently in venue operations. She was introduced to Underdog Pet Rescue as a foster. After seeing the dedication and care the organization has for its animals, Lauren looked to become more involved in their mission. Currently Lauren uses every opportunity to combine her love of both rescue animals and live music — often resulting in puppy parties for national touring artists and other on-site activations. Lauren lives in Madison with her family and rescue dog, Scout (endearingly known as Rat Dog).