OUR TEAM
The Team Behind
Blue Man Dog
Mia Gyzander
Founder & Head Trainer
Blue Man Dog founder and Certified Professional Trainer, Mia Gyzander, has worked with horses and dogs for over 30 years. In the past decade alone, she has worked with hundreds of behavior-issue dogs, fosters, volunteers, and adopters, setting them up for success by offering continuing support.
Besides being a licensed obedience trainer, she evaluates and rehabilitates shelter dogs to get them ready to be adopted. She tackles everything from extreme fear to aggression and focuses most of her work on behavior-issue dogs.
(License CPDT-KA)
ANDREA CHRISTENSEN
Vice President/Chair
Andrea's family always had cats, which led to her strong compassion for animals. As an adult she was heavily involved in cat TNR for several years and has two adopted cats. She started volunteering with Blue Man Dog when it was founded and also worked at LA Animal Services shelter.
Andrea is best friends with senior dog Daisy, one of BMDs special cases who does not like people, and therefore was never successfully adopted but became a “lifer” with us. Andrea’s BMD tasks include walking dogs, brushing Daisy, administers vaccines, making videos for social media and filing dog paperwork.
Tracy Serpanchy
Fundraising & Gratitude Coordinator
Originally from Sri Lanka, Tracy moved to Australia where her family raised 6 Guide Dog puppies, and she started walking shelter dogs every Sunday. She did the same for a shelter in San Gabriel upon moving to Los Angeles and soon began fostering through LA city shelters too.
Tracy now fosters for Blue Man Dog (11 dogs and counting!) and works on our website and newsletters. She ensures donations always get a thank you note.
Andrea Cohen
Relations/Outreach Manager
Andrea has always loved animals, especially dogs and horses. The family story goes that even as a baby she would reach out from her stroller, wanting to pet passing dogs. Andrea grew up with two German Shepherds and a Labrador Retriever. As an adult, Andrea and her husband adopted two rescues, a Pitbull and a Staffie-Boxer mix. Most recently, Fiona, a Blue Man Dog rescue German Shepherd, has joined the family.
A retired high school history teacher, Andrea spends her BMD volunteer time working with the rescues weekly, writing the newsletters, learning about the rescue and shelter world, fostering and assisting in other areas as needed.
