Ledy VanKavage is the Senior Legislative Attorney and National Manager of Best Friends Animal Society's Pit Bull Terrier Initiative. Before coming to Best Friends Ledy was the Senior Director of Legislation and Legal Training for the ASPCA. In 1985 she organized the Madison County Coalition Against Pound Seizure, successfully stopping the sale of pets for research in her county. She then founded the Madison County Humane Society (now Metro East Humane Society) and was its president for eight years. In 1992 she co-founded the Illinois Federation of Humane Societies and was a cofounder of Operation SPOT (Stop Pet Overpopulation Today). She has spearheaded the passage of over 30 humane state bills and is current Chair of the American Bar Association's Animal Law Committee.
Ledy and her husband have adopted three pit bulls and oversee a community cat colony. She contends that pit bulls and ferals face many of the same challenges.