ABOUT

Where Renewal and Advocacy Meet

Dog Song Sanctuary is not a farm, exactly, though there are animals. It’s not a gallery, though there is art.

It’s something harder to categorize: a place where the work of healing our environment—and by extension, ourselves—is pursued through creativity, classes, concerts, and other shared experiences.

By providing a space for conversation, idea exchange, and community, Dog Song is working to help Hoosiers build a better future—one where our food and agricultural systems are more humane, just, and sustainable.

WHY DOG SONG?

The name comes from poet Mary Oliver’s Dog Songs—a celebration of the joy and companionship animals bring to our lives. It reflects our belief that tending land, animals, and each other isn’t just practical work. It’s what makes us human.

Dog Song events are hosted on the grounds of The Wheelwright, a historic Italianate home and event venue in Boggstown, Indiana, where founder Sherri Cullison stewards both the land and the work that happens there.

OUR VALUES

Connection as Healing. True change begins in relationship: with the soil that sustains us, the plants and animals that nourish us, and the people who share our world.

Care in Action. Love for the earth, for animals, and for each other means doing the work—protecting, nurturing, and showing up where we’re needed.

Creativity as Renewal. We use creativity—through art, dialogue, and exploration—to solve problems, spark collaboration, and imagine better ways to live and work.

Respect as Advocacy. We stand for food and agricultural systems that honor all life—human and non-human—and restore balance to the planet that sustains us.

Listening to Life. Every living being has a story. We listen, amplify, and learn from the voices that too often go unheard.

Meet the Board

Stevi Stoez Kersh

Board Chair
Stevi is an animal welfare advocate and nonprofit executive with more than three decades of experience leading organizations dedicated to service, community impact, and growth. Her career spans executive leadership, fund development, public relations, and partnership building—all with a focus on aligning mission with long-term sustainability. Formerly the Executive Director of the Indianapolis City Market, she has held leadership roles with Humane World, Pet Friendly Services Indiana, and multiple civic boards.
Sherri Cullison

Founder & Executive Director
In addition to leading Dog Song Sanctuary, Sherri is the executive director of Socially Responsible Agriculture Project (SRAP), a national organization committed to protecting rural communities from the damaging effects of industrial agriculture. A supporter of local and regional food systems, environmental sustainability, humane animal agriculture, and diversified, regenerative farming, she advocates for rural communities at the Indiana Statehouse and on Capitol Hill.
Mike Emmett

Board Member
Mike Emmett is a dedicated child and family advocate with over two decades of experience in social services. Currently, he serves as a social emotional learning specialist at The Bloomington Project School, where he supports students in developing essential skills for managing emotions, building healthy relationships, and making responsible decisions. Deeply committed to community, Mike strives to collaborate across sectors to build a more effective and equitable system. Mike is also a musician and visual artist.
Erin Orr

Board Member
Erin Orr is a veteran newsroom editor with deep experience in development and management. She has edited numerous award-winning news series, including an investigation into the decades-long lead contamination in the soil and water of subsidized housing in East Chicago, Indiana, and the causes behind the state’s high infant-mortality rates.
Jodee Smith

Board Member
With 13 years of experience working in the Indiana food system at Purdue Extension and Indiana University, Jodee is the incoming executive director of a new statewide nonprofit. Set to launch in the spring of 2026, the nonprofit will focus on rebuilding and supporting regional food systems by connecting farmers with schools, universities, hospitals, and other wholesale market channels.