Who we are

Unleash the power of expert advice by reaching out to our team. Your questions are just a message away from solutions that elevate your pet's care to the next level.

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A man with glasses and a hat happily hugging two brown dogs in front of a blue door.

Jayden Toulouse (they/he)

CEO, Head Dog Trainer & Shareholder

Jayden is the founder of Visiting Animal Friends. Jayden has a B.S. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from UC Berkeley. Their major was Society and Environment with a concentration in Justice and Sustainability. They grew up in rural Monterey County and rural Oregon where they raised companion animals and grew food. Jayden is a globe trotter and has had their passport since they were 11 years old. While living in Honolulu, HI at 11 years of age they first encountered dog training as a hobby and fell in love with it.

During the covid19 pandemic Jayden joined a meditation, writing, and art making group online and there with very good friends for company asked themselves deep questions on a daily basis. One of them was what job will bring me joy? The answer if it had to be one word was ‘animals’. They applied for more than 100 jobs, quit tech, and started working as an Interim Development Director for a Farm Sanctuary in Sonoma Co. Shortly after this experience they founded VAF and in the 1st year received more than 600 booking requests. Jayden is a cat parent to Musicali, Alice, Mercury, Fomoffu, and Pounce.

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A man with tattoos on his leg and arm, wearing a black cap and gray sleeveless shirt, smiles while interacting with a black puppy on a sidewalk in a neighborhood with parked cars, houses, trees, and colorful flowers.

Raquel Daniel (they/them)

Lead of Dog Adventures

Raquel has been working with animals for 12 years. As Raquel was attending CSUEB for their Bachelors in Psychology, Raquel was working at a dog daycare. Raquel realized how much they loved working with animals and rather than become a therapist they went the four legged care route. They were at a dog daycare for 4 years, then moved to an animal care coordinator at the East Bay SPCA for a year. Meanwhile, pet sitting for cats & dogs and working for wag! as a dog walker on the side. They then decided to look at the deeper medical aspect of the animal field.

Raquel moved to Grand Lake Vet hospital for 7 years, as a Vet Tech & Behavior Coordinator, before Raquel found Visiting Animal Friends. The services provided at VAF are right up their alley of expertise and care. The team has been warm and welcoming from the start. They wanted to get outside again and enjoy nature as they do on their spare time. Besides hanging with Raquel’s two cats, Mowgli & Gigi, they enjoy hikes throughout the Bay Area, beach days, live music and spending time with their loved ones.

Norm Moreno (they/she)

Animal Caregiver / Dog Walker

Norm was born in Mexico and has lived in the Bay Area their entire life. They have senior pups named Bobo and Bramble who have improved their life in big ways. Norm was guided every step of the way by their fur children leading her to Visiting Animal Friends.

Norm believes animals bring so much more to our lives beyond companionship. They bring unconditional love, peace, joy, safety and are the best teachers around. They believe that they deserve the absolute best. Their favorite part of their day is coming home to their third dog, a puppy named Sunnie. When Norm is not caring for their amazing pets, they love watching soccer, cheering on the Valkyries and going on adventures in the Bay Area with their partner Maddy. Norm came to VAF in 2026 and became right at home taking initiative with animal caregiving and pack dog walks.

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A bulldog puppy wearing an Elizabethan collar, standing on the pavement in a parking lot.

Kassandra Toruno (she/her)
& Lilo (she/her)

Office Manager & Shareholder

Kassandra brings four years of office management experience to VAF from the education field.

Kassandra has grown up around animals for as long as she can remember, especially dogs and cats, so caring for them has always just felt natural to her. Kassandra is someone who loves being spontaneous, learning new things, and spending time outdoors in nature whenever she can. She also really enjoys learning about different cultures and languages. She speaks Spanish and English fluently, and she currently is learning Portuguese and Japanese. Kassandra also enjoys musical theater, thanks to her best friend who studies it.

Kassandra genuinely loves being in service to others and caring for both animals and people. Whether it’s trying something new or staying in with a good book, she tries to stay curious and open to life. Kassandra wanted to get involved with VAF because she really admires the company’s vision, as well as love, care, and devotion for both pets and their pet parents. Kassandra loves where the team is headed for the future and is excited to be part of that journey.

Elisa Fernandes-McDade (she/her)

Marketing Associate

Elisa graduated with a degree from UC Davis in Environmental Science in 2020 and worked on wildlife research teams in Alaska, California, and Sweden before settling into environmental interpretation in the Bay Area.

Elisa has a lifelong love for animals, and nature as well as art and building connections which inspired her to pursue Animation and Small Business Management at Diablo Valley College, where she’s currently continuing her education. She is the Marketing Associate at Visiting Animal Friends leading the outreach efforts with her unmatched artistic talented that get the word out to the Bay Area about our services.

Jeffrey Stone (he/him)

Program Manager of Dog Training, Dog Trainer & AKC CGC Approved Evaluator

Jeffrey is a professional dog trainer and AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Approved Evaluator with more than 18 years of hands-on experience helping dogs and their families succeed together. He combines credentialed expertise with a genuine love for building the skills it takes to foster strong trust-based relationships between pets and their parents.

His training background includes: mentorship through ODTC, 3 years of full-time work with Petco’s dog training program, formal education at CATCH Dog Trainers Academy and and 6 years of independent professional dog training experience. Jeffrey has seen just about every kind of dog and challenge — and knows how to meet each family where they are. Jeffrey specializes in basic dog obedience and leash manners, as well as management & modification of more challenging behaviors.

What sets Jeffrey apart is his focus on helping owners understand why their dog acts the way they do — not just handing over commands or applying cookie-cutter solutions. Jeffrey is excited to be part of the Visiting Animal Friends team and improve the lives of animals and their parents in the process!