Eric, an Orlando Florida native, and the oldest of 6 siblings has been in a lead role since childhood. Eric’s love for animals started at a young age with a family that had 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 sugar gliders, and various other amphibian/aquatic animals. His first rescue was a stray kitten who he named Thomas because his coloring matched the cartoon character from Tom and Jerry.
After his family relocated to Franklin, TN in his late teens his social wings fluttered and he went on to meet a great man named Fran Kowalski who helped him make a career in the sports industry. After settling down in Nashville for work and moving away from an animal loving home he decided his home was missing the love and affection only an animal could bring. He went on to adopt his first rescued dog which was a Siberian husky named Leelou. Eric being a long boarder and Leelou having the energy of a sled dog they took to the streets to for high speeds and good times. After a few years of good times Eric knew his pal needed a friend and playmate so he went on to adopt his second husky named Cassie.
With the sudden passing of his boss and best friend Fran, he looked to pay forward the charity he was shown by his boss and looked to start volunteering. “I was inspired by my boss Fran who not only showed me the power of charity but how helping even a little can have a huge impact.” After seeing a post on Facebook from Lindsey Blades, Agape’s Board of Directors Secretary, he reached out to her to see where he could help. “I knew with my undying love for animals that I had found what I was looking for, and couldn’t imagine doing anything else that would make me happier.”
Eric’s top three goals with Agape have been to help his canine friends find their forever homes, raise awareness to the many dogs in need of rescuing, and to show how “easy, rewarding, and fun” it is to volunteer.