North Fork Animal Welfare League Directors

North Fork Animal Welfare League, Inc.
Southold Animal Shelter

adopt1@softhome.net — 631.765.1811

Maril Sawastynowicz - N.F.A.W.L. Director
Cutchogue resident Maril Sawastynowicz runs Hampton Haircutters in Westhampton Beach when she is not running after dogs. After Hurricane Katrina she ran down to a city she knows well, New Orleans, and worked with ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans) to care for canine and feline victims of the lack of storm preparedness.

Maril is a frequent NFAWL volunteer at the Shelter and with outreach programs including Pet Therapy, Fostering, and Public Events.

Her interests include humane education, helping our community learn how to treat animals with respect.

Nancy Sawastynowicz - N.F.A.W.L. Director
East Marion resident Nancy Sawastynowicz is a proud fourth generation East Ender who describes herself as “a jack of all trades” and an activist. The trades include dental assistant, garden designer, home caregiver and for fifteen years, running her own wooden boat restoration business. In the nineteen eighties she became an activist, fought against a proposed 350-unit condominium development in Cutchogue and the airport in Peconic and served on the boards of both the North Fork Environmental Council and United Southold. Her activities came to a halt with the birth of her son, but now she says “Once you see what’s going on, you can’t help but be active. I love animals.” Nancy has two dogs of her own, and recently lost her beloved nineteen-year-old cat. “The League’s Board,” she stresses, “is made up of devoted, generous, honest, hardworking people: who aren’t there for power, prestige or political ambition, they are there to work for the animals.”

Jean Eckardt - N.F.A.W.L. Director
Jean is a lifetime resident of Southold Town. She was a Co-owner/Director of the Swedish Institute, College of Massage Therapy/School of Acupuncture located in NYC for twenty years. Having recently reduced her work load in NYC she now has time to dedicate to one of her true passions, the animals. Jean is an active participant in our Pet Therapy program, visiting at least two nursing homes each week. If you would like to meet your new Board member come to the Shelter. You’ll find her there most Wednesdays and Thursdays pitching in wherever she is most needed.

Susan Ellsworth - N.F.A.W.L. Director
I wish I was fortunate enough to be born a “North Forker”, however, being a recent transplant from Western Suffolk County and the borough of Queens helps me better appreciate the wonderful lifestyle that can be achieved on the North Fork.

After relocating to Greenport four years ago, I found myself with a lot of free time. Since I have always had a deep love of, and feel a special connection with, animals, I decided to devote some of my free time to assisting needy companion animals. I had read in the local papers about the issues on the East End, and noticed many articles about the Southold Shelter and the struggle to get a new shelter built. I also noticed that a cat rescue group called S.A.V.E.S. (Spay, Alter, Vaccinate Every Stray) was holding a free neuter clinic in Mattituck. I volunteered at the clinic and the rest is history. The S.A.V.E.S. volunteers that I met that day were a very passionate group of people who were obviously making great strides in improving the life for many feral cats in our area. In the beginning I could not do much, but did volunteer to answer the “hot-line”. After several months of hearing heart wrenching stories about cats in distress, I chose to participate in a more hands-on way. Since then, I have helped rescue cats, socialize and raise kittens, and volunteered at S.A.V.E.S. neuter clinics, adoption events and fund raisers.

I also volunteer at the Southold Shelter and am becoming more and more involved here. Like many others, I look forward to the long awaited day when the new shelter facility is a reality.

Besides animals, my other passions are collecting antiques, conducting tag sales and painting landscapes of this beautiful area in which we live. I consider myself incredibly lucky to be able to do all of these things and to have a wonderful group of true friends with which to share these interests.

Carole Marcus - N.F.A.W.L. Director

Deborah Lindsay - N.F.A.W.L. Director

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