Susan Whittred, DVM
Executive Director

Prior to embarking on a career in veterinary medicine, Susan spent the better part of the 80's working in the music industry at Chrysalis and Imago Records with such artists as The DiVinyls, Rory Gallagher, Billy Idol, Pat Benatar, John Waite, Jethro Tull, Blondie, Henry Rollins and Huey Lewis and The News, among others. However, Susan always had a special interest in four legged furry, "kids" so in the beginning of the 90's decided to switch career paths and pursue veterinary medicine. Through Elliot L. Hoffman, Esq., Susan met Pat Ladew in 1994, and they grew to be close friends. Prior to her passing, Pat asked Susan to look after the Foundation for her. In 1999, Susan graduated with special honors from Hunter College. In 2003 she graduated from Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and the same year was presented with an award for outstanding interest and ability in feline medicine and surgery from the Association of Feline Practitioners. Susan currently lives in Long Beach with a parcel of furry "kids." Dr. Whittred is a former veterinarian at Animal Hospital of the Rockaways and is also Director of the Paw Project-NY, a non-profit organization formed of veterinarians whose goal is to educate the public about the realities of declawing cats.  She appears in the upcoming movie, “American Cats: The Good, The Bad & The Cuddly,” and was named Feline Veterinarian Hero Of the Year (2024) by DVM 360/Fetch.com She is a member of the Cornell Feline Health Center, The Association of Feline Practitioners, The Association of Shelter Veterinarians, The Long Island Veterinary Medical Association, The New York State Veterinary Medical Society, The American Veterinary Medical Association, the  Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association and an adjunct member of the Animal Law Committee of the New York Bar Association.

Tim Frazer-Talan, Licensed Veterinary Technician

Tim Frazer-Talan has been working in the veterinary field for over 35 years and a licensed technician for 30 years. Tim has worked at the Animal Medical Center in the city where he worked the overnight shift, took care of critically ill patients, and helped trained the new interns during emergency rotations. He is presently also working at The Cat Doctor and Mineola Animal Hospital.  Tim has a special rapport with cats and enjoys working with all animals. He has many pets of his own including some exotics including 2 turtles that he has for over 35 years. He also does grooming especially pets with medical conditions.

Lynn first heard about the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation nearly 15 years ago from a friend at work. That's when she started dropping off donations. Every year for Christmas Lynn would buy her cats new beds and then donate their old ones to the "Cat House" as it was called back then. She loved to peek in the window and see all the adorable faces staring back at her. Then, in 2009, she had a new cat that didn't get along with her other cat. After months of trying to make it work, she made the difficult decision to give him up. Lynn paid the fee for sanctuary services and brought her cat to the Foundation where she knew he would have a good life. At that time Lynn began to volunteer for the Foundation. She is an avid photographer and learned all the cats names by taking their photos. After Lynn's older cat passed away in February 2010, the Foundation was her only outlet to spend time with cats as Lynn's dad, whom she lived with at the time, did not want any more cats. Later that year, there was some restructuring at the Foundation and Lynn was offered the position of Manager, which included living in the apartment upstairs from the sanctuary. Lynn has since adopted several cats from the Foundation and says her life is filled with love and she couldn't be happier!

Liz Cousins, Caretaker, Cat Behaviorist

Liz first heard about The Ladew Cat Sanctuary at the Adoptapalooza event in NYC September 2019. She decided to donate her Birthday to the Seniors for Seniors program! But it was a visit a few weeks later that really excited her: all of the cats were "free range"- not in cages. Special rooms were given to those with special needs and dietary restrictions. And EVERY room had a catio attached! Cat paradise (outside of finding a forever home, of course)!! Fast forward one year, Liz obtained her feline behavior consulting certification and ended up moving to beautiful Oyster Bay...right across the street from the sanctuary! So it was only natural she applied her specialized skills to the cats who needed her there. And she couldn't be happier to be a part of Ladew!!

Rex, Caretaker

Above is a photo of Rex, building a snow cat indoors with two of his cats helping.

Rex has a unique relationship and history with cats. As a child, he grew up on a farm, miles from the nearest town, and when people would release their cats into the wild, the stray cats would ultimately end up at his parent’s farm. At one point, there were 16 cats living at the farm, catching small game, pestering dogs, and having kittens. Feeding the cats, Rex was accepted into the colony of strays. Decades later, Rex and his girlfriend found themselves adopting many cats: two tuxedoes, two Bombay twins, and two feral tabby twins. They also found themselves occasionally trapping feral cats to have them neutered through the town’s feral cat program, before releasing them back into the wilds of suburban cat life. At the sanctuary, Rex has befriended Blakey, Cuma, Chico, Eric, and sometimes Cosmo.

Stephanie Stellaccio, Volunteer

Stephanie Stellaccio is retired from CNG Newspaper Group as  Sales Executive.
She was drawn to Patricia H. Ladew Cat Foundation after her cat Becky passed . Her son Ian brought her to see a cat for adoption at PetValue of Oyster Bay and was told to give Lynn Manno a call to visit the sanctuary.
“ I scheduled  a meeting and when  I walked  into this amazing  place , I immediately felt the love and care given to these beautiful cats.  It made such an impression on me that  I knew one day I would want to volunteer and just help in any way I could. Now as a volunteer it couldn’t be a more joyful and rewarding experience.”   Oh and  by the way, she adopted Buffy now called Brianna. Recently joining her family is Kira, a pretty Ladew cat, who is affectionally called KiKi. And who could stop at two? Tiger now called Loki also joined Bri and Kiki and now they are one big happy Ladew family.

Peggy Ricciardi, Volunteer

I am a lifelong resident of Oyster Bay.  I retired from the Town of Oyster Bay in 2016 after 38 years. I am an active member of the Life Enrichment Center and enjoy knitting and crocheting with the "Happy Hookers" every Thursday. I have a guide dog named Dixie and 2 cats at home named Aisling and Maeve. I've always wanted to volunteer at a cat shelter/sanctuary and am thoroughly enjoying doing so at the Ladew Foundation. 

Denise Suozzo, Volunteer

Denise Suozzo is retired from a 30 year career at Verizon. She loves to travel but also felt the need to volunteer in her spare time. A lifelong lover of cats , Denise has 2 of her own named Rusty and Ringo. She searched online and lucky for us, she found the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation website and decided this is where she wanted to be. Being a volunteer at the sanctuary is a wonderful and fulfilling experience for her. And best of all, our cats share in her love!

Dawn Martinetion, Volunteer

Dawn has always shown an interest in volunteer work. so she decided to search on FB for volunteer positions . Being a lover of cats , volunteering at the Patricia H.Ladew Foundation just seemed a perfect fit. Her devotion, patience and socializing skills have been so helpful in getting cats ready for adoption. One of our lucky kittens, Zoe, is now home with Dawn and her family.

Heather See, Volunteer

Heather is retired and finds plenty of time for volunteer work. Helping and socializing with cats has become her new passion. Heather adopted her first cat Igor about 12 years ago at the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation and is now proud Mom to Pokey, Watson and Holmes. We are extremely lucky to have Heather on board.

Sarah Watson, Volunteer

Sarah, a full-time CPA, is passionate about raising awareness for special needs and senior cats through her Instagram presence. She discovered the Patricia H. Ladew Foundation in 2021 while searching for a super senior cat to adopt and was amazed by the sanctuary’s exceptional staff, volunteers and Seniors for Seniors program.  

Her heart was instantly captured by Polly, a 15-year-old deaf tortoiseshell polydactyl cat who Ladew rescued from a hoarding situation. Later that year, Sarah also adopted Ladewbie Elliot, a senior hospice cat. Upon arriving home, Elliot developed a deep affection for Polly and their love story quickly gained widespread attention on social media, being featured on popular platforms such as The Dodo, Cats.com, and GeoBeats Animals.

Pat Hudson & Carol Derby, Sisters of St. Joseph , Volunteers

Pat and Carol are Sisters of St. Joseph from Brentwood. They both grew up in Queens NY and were active in sports. Carol had one pet Tippy" a small dog. Pat had several pets. There were always at least two cats and two dogs in her house. Both Pat and Carol entered the convent when they were young women and were educated to be teachers but their careers were different. Carol was a principal in elementary school, Director of a nursery school and eventually taught theology in College.. Pat became a school counselor, therapist,. Director of Safe Environment Program (sex abuse awareness) and taught Graduate school in NY, Li and DC. Pat and Carols passion and love for cats was satisfied by the cats they had along the way. One pair of cats were with them until their owner found them a good home" Then the owner disappeared and so they stayed with them for 20 years. We guess they found a good home! Now Pat and Carol have "Tess" a very special cat.. She has become a therapy cat, greeting the retired nuns who stop by their apartment almost every day. They got "Tess" from the Ladew cat sanctuary and she is a treasure. Pat and Carol love her as do several old retired nuns who she comes to greet and sits with when they visit..

Christopher Judge, Volunteer

Christopher is an Oyster Bay resident who enjoys volunteering with animals and senior citizens. He previously volunteered at Little Shelter in Huntington with cats and doing administrative tasks. He currently works at Raynham Hall Museum as Marketing Assistant and docent, as well as serving as a choir section leader at Christ Church for over 10 years. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, listening to podcasts, watching science fiction shows, and reading about American history.

Susie Brodsky, Volunteer

Susie, a resident of Far Rockaway, is a life-long feline nut. Her family includes three indoor cats, Gizmo Bean (a Ladew Cat Sanctuary graduate), Gwendolyn, and Felafel, and a husband with whom she cares for a neighborhood feral colony.

Susie is grateful to have met Dr. Whittred at the Animal Hospital of the Rockaways over ten years ago and to have had such amazing care for her cats. When Dr. Whittred invited her to tour the Sanctuary, she knew that one day she would apply to become a volunteer. She flipped out when she saw the incredible care and creative facilities there, all for the comfort and well-being of the resident cats!

Although she currently works as a payroll manager for a home health agency, her employer has generously given her time off to volunteer at the Sanctuary. A dream come true

Heidi Hohmann, Volunteer

As a toddler, Heidi already had a great love for ALL animals (furry, feathery, slippery).  Growing up, she always begged her parents for any kind of pet that crossed her path and even wore them down sometimes (like when she brought a baby opossum home from school).

Although she is still working FT as a budget analyst, she could not pass up the opportunity to become a volunteer at the Patricia H. Ladew Cat Foundation.  “I have 39 years of experience living with cats with all types of personalities and many different medical conditions, so I’m thankful for the chance to help at the sanctuary in any way I can”.

Other than animals, Heidi likes to work outside in the yard, sew and do crafting projects.  One of her other goals is to become a wildlife rehabilitator.

Currently her cat fur-babies include Scarlet, Zippy, Tigaroni, Juliet and the newest addition, Nugget.  She’s working on getting Nemo into the house who is a stray that wandered into her yard.

Her motto is: “I will never turn my back on an animal in need of help or a home and will always have them in my life”.

Maria Boyland, Volunteer

Hi, I'm Maria, and I was lucky enough to have Dr. Susan as an amazing vet for my beloved Jamie.  Through her, I learned about Ladew, and I gladly became a volunteer here.  When I'm not surrounded by cats (my happy place!) I live in Rockaway with my husband, son, daughter,  foster cat, Saki, and our newest family member, Pikachu -- adopted from Ladew through Seniors for Seniors! 

It was a very sad day in March 2011 when Elise and her husband Richard had to bring their eldest cat, Georgie, for his last visit to Animal Hospital of the Rockaways.  Elise recalled, "our cat, Georgie, the eldest of ten, who had been battling cancer for some time, lost the fight and had to be put to sleep.  Dr. Whittred made the experience private and peaceful.  We all cried together that morning."

Elise wanted to do something meaningful in Georgie's memory.  Having followed the work of Dr. Whittred at the Ladew Cat Sanctuary via its website, she noticed that it did not have a printed newsletter and thought that volunteering her communications services to the shelter would be a fitting tribute to Georgie.  So, she made Dr. Whittred an offer she couldn't refuse.  The shelter's newsletter, The Ladew Mews, began in April 2011.  Elise is not only responsible for the creative design of the newsletter, she also helps with advertising, posters, brochures and cards.  All in the memory of a sweet cat named Georgie.  I'm sure Georgie is purring somewhere knowing that he continues to make a difference.
 

Beatta And Jerzy Boruta, Volunteers

Beatta and her husband, Jerzy, were clients of Dr. Whittred's at Animal Hospital of the Rockaways.   When they moved to Oyster Bay, they offered to volunteer and both have been a integral part of the sanctuary ever since.  It's hard to put into one paragraph how much these two do for us -- everything from emergencies to transportation to adoption events to caring for our cats at PetValu!

Robin Fishman (left) and Jane Totura (right), Volunteers

Robin and Jane are no strangers to animal welfare.  Robin (left) and Jane were awarded a Citation from Nassau County Executive, Ed Mangano, for their work at the temporary shelter in Nassau County that housed homeless animals following hurricane Sandy.  When the shelter closed, Jane (a client of Dr. Whittred's when she worked at New Hyde Park Animal Hospital) needed to place three cats and called the sanctuary.  Robin fell in love with the place and the two have been stalwart volunteers ever since.  Not only do they tend to our cats, but they are responsible for the beautiful gardens.

Toby and Sidney Weiss, Volunteers in Training

Toby and Sidney Weiss, nephew and niece of manager Lynn Manno, live in Albany, NY. Whenever they are in town they are eager to visit the shelter and help with feeding and cleaning.  They spend time interacting with the cats, holding and brushing them so that they look their best for adoption.  Toby and Sydney each have a favorite cat that they look forward to visiting. They love to play with the cats, especially with the laser light (which they are very careful not to shine in anyone's eyes!).  It is important that the cats get used to having children around them, as they may be adopted into a family with kids. Toby and Sidney are a great brother and sister team and we look forward to watching them grow up as part of our Ladew cat family.

Thanks to Sidney and Toby (Lynn’s niece and nephew) along with some help from mom and dad, for putting together a new clubhouse for the catio. This awesome family has been helping us get cats adopted (and making life better for cats) for years - they even hosted a sleep-over for Rubio when he went to Albany to fight to ban declawing!