Our Staff
Devin Abramo
Sanctuary Canine Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Concerts, sunshine, the beach, dogs, traveling, trying new food
Could Easily Live Without: BUGS
Hannah Armstrong
Sanctuary Canine Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Video games, anything and everything cute
Could Easily Live Without: Frogs, corn
Karen Aseltine
Sanctuary Feline Wellness Specialist
Best Things in Life: bicycles, scented candles, gummy bears, warm summer nights
Could Easily Live Without: snow days, paper cuts, family members who complain about my cooking
Edie Bonneville
Helpline Manager
Best things in life: Family, big smiles, nature and all its miracles, books, a good belly laugh and the unconditional love of animals
Could easily live without: TV, bills, traffic jams and lima beans
Lucas Brozyna
Canine Team Manager - Behavior Cottages
Best things in life: spending time outdoors, bike rides, and disc golf
Could easily live without: bad drivers, cold weather, and poor grammar
Michelle Christensen
Sanctuary Feline Caregiver
Best things in life: Family, all animals and nature, Fall and Winter, chocolate
Could easily live without: Hot and humid weather, spiders, mosquitos, fireworks
Toni DeLorenzo
Sanctuary Canine Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Family, friends, dogs, old Jeeps, my motorcycle, being outside, being able to help others, ice cream, and baking delicious snacks
Could Easily Live Without: Narcissism, hot and humid weather
Erika Duplessis
Sanctuary Feline Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Family and friends, animals and plants, art and music, ocean and the woods, humor and optimism, and enjoying good food
Could Easily Live Without: War, corruption, toxic people, harmful expectations, and definitely commercials
Deb Fox
Sanctuary Canine Caregiver
Best Things in Life: My family, dancing in the kitchen, hiking with Brooke and Zac, audiobooks, summer days, painting, drawing and all things crafty, new socks, grandkids, singing loud in the car, when new recipes turn out great, and soup season
Could Easily Live Without: Good veggies going bad, worrying about being late, being late, when you can't find matching shoe, sock, earring, glove,. etc., blue cheeses, wet socks, and turning clocks back an hour
Angela Frati
Sanctuary Feline Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Watching my pets sleep, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, long walks in the woods, and waterfalls
Could Easily Live Without: Mean people, ticks, litter, and highways
Caroline Gaetano
Veterinary Program Manager
Best Things in Life: Fresh mountain air, hiking with dogs, my vacuum cleaner, and chocolate
Could Easily Live Without: Glitter, bananas, and snakes
Sara Geriak
Sanctuary Feline Caregiver
Best Things in Life: My dog Sam, Autumn, books, music, and strawberries
Could Easily Live Without: Spiders and tuition expenses
Mark Heinrich
Chief Financial Officer
Best things in life: Family and friends at Lake Sunapee, NH, anything outside, any sporting event: anywhere – anytime!
Could easily live without: Commercials and taxes
Mario Hurtado
Sanctuary Facilities Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Good conversation, good food, good music, good wine and a good walk, all of the better if I'm with my family and friends
Could Easily Live Without: Humidity, mosquitos, petulance, entitlement, rudeness
Paul Johnson
Office Manager
Best Things in Life: Classical music, craft beer, and cartoons
Could Easily Live Without: Sports
Marie Joyner
Canine Behavior Manager
Best Things in Life: In the woods with the dogs, The Maine Cabin, and Hound Hugs
Could Easily Live Without: Social Media
Miles Lindell
Sanctuary Feline Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Animals, nature, video games, and music
Could Easily Live Without: Hot weather and traffic
Susan B. Linker
Chief Executive Officer
Best Things in Life: Soft cat fur, Summer, and Home
Could Easily Live Without: Country Music
Matt Mador
Sanctuary Canine Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Dogs, Musicals, Dessert, Music and Concerts, Campfires, Brisk fall weather
Could Easily Live Without: Mosquitoes, Ticks, and Humid weather
Krystal Makowski
Canine Wellness Specialist & Assistant Team Manager – Volunteer Cottages
Best Things in Life: All things sparkly, Photography, Mac and Cheese, and shopping
Could Easily Live Without: Hitting my funny bone -the irony is too much
Beckham Marder
Sanctuary Canine Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Friends, a simple cup of tea late at night or a fall morning, ice cream cake, art, music and of course animals!
Could Easily Live Without: My laundry, winter, and mosquitos
Tammy Mercier
Sanctuary Feline Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Sleeping in, a day at the beach, a good live concert, animals to cuddle with
Could Easily Live Without: Negative people, inflation, bad weather, poor customer service
Beth Merow
Community Cat Program Coordinator
Best Things in Life: Pets, all things nature and wildlife, repurposing stuff into other neater stuff, nerding out on popular science books, and true crime podcasts
Could Easily Live Without: Poison ivy, sunburn, and mayonnaise
Amaya Miller
Sanctuary Canine Caregiver
Best Things in Life: The simple things like nature, laughs, and spending time with people you love
Could Easily Live Without: Social media and junk food
Stephanie Montemerlo
Executive Director of Programs
Best Things in Life: Family, home, pasta, reading, traveling, and animals of course!
Could Easily Live Without: Cold weather, driving
Caitlin Moses
Adoption and Helpline Program Coordinator
Best Things in Life: The amazing flora and fauna of this earth, being by a body of water, and any form of cooked potato
Could Easily Live Without: A little less anxiety would be nice, confusing highways, meanness
Deanna Nickels, CPDT-KA
Canine College Program Manager
Best Things in Life: hot fudge sundaes, teaching dogs new tricks, sunshine, gardening, family, and friends
Could Easily Live Without: snakes, cold weather, and bad coffee
Jill Nugent, CPDT-KA
Canine Team Manager - Volunteer Cottages
Best Things in Life: Bicycle rides, dogs, fall, winter, and Christmas
Could Easily Live Without: Humidity
Alayna O'Callaghan-Chausse
Sanctuary Canine Caregiver
Best Things in Life: A good movie with a dog on your lap, coffee with chocolate
Could Easily Live Without: Sommercials, raisins in food that shouldn't have raisins
Alyssa Oppelt
Sanctuary Canine Caregiver
Best Things in Life: wrapped up in warm blankets on a rainy day, sunsets & sunrises, puppy kisses and love
Could Easily Live Without: traffic jams, anxiety & stress, bills, & close minded people
Lindsey Pellino
Feline Team Assistant Manager
Best Things in Life: Bike rides, hot sauce, lipstick, and reading on a hammock
Could Easily Live Without: Mosquitos, cold weather, and my own clumsiness
Jon Phillips
Sanctuary Director
Best Things in Life: Watching TV on the couch with my wife and assorted furballs and all things musical
Could Easily Live Without: Reality TV
Loren Pontz
Sanctuary Feline Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Cats, chocolate, ice cream, and chocolate in ice cream
Could Easily Live Without: Bugs, cold weather, and stress
Katie Popiela
Sanctuary Canine Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Driving with the windows down on warm nights, iced lattes, watching dogs remember/find out what snow is
Could Easily Live Without: People who ONLY drive with their high beams on
Josie Redding
Sanctuary Canine Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Music, art, movies, animals, family and friends, the ocean
Could Easily Live Without: Holes in socks, cold pizza, raw tomatoes
Courtney Schramm
Sanctuary Canine Caregiver
Best things in life: Dogs, chocolate, vegan restaurants, tea, fuzzy socks, a fire in the fireplace, and Christmas music
Could easily live without: Filling up my car with gas
Jennifer Strong
Sanctuary Canine Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Disney World, Halloween, The Drive-in Movies (yes they still exist!), Dogs (of course), Spending time with my husband and our fur kids, and Christmas movies!
Could Easily Live Without: Snakes and Spiders.
Kiana Torres
Sanctuary Canine Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Anything Chocolate, Music, Animals, Heated Blankets, Traveling
Could Easily Live Without: Bills, Snow, Traffic, Pineapple Pizza
Heidi Van Flatern
Feline Team Manager
Best Things in Life: A glass of wine, Michael's cooking and a cat in my lap
Could Easily Live Without: Cleaning the bathroom, driving in a snow storm, and mosquitoes
Kelsie Viel
Sanctuary Feline Caregiver
Best Things in Life: Spending time with my dogs, thunderstorms, sleeping in, traveling, movies, being at home, sunsets
Could Easily Live Without: Large crowds of people, pickles, spiders, heights
Montana Voisine, CPDT-KA
Canine Team Assistant Manager - Behavior Cottages
Best Things in Life: All animals, nature, spending time with my fur babies, and Green Tea!
Could Easily Live Without: The cold, anxiety and college tuition
Allisia Vroom, CBCC
Sanctuary Canine Behavior Assistant
Best Things in Life: Disney, Harry Potter, crafting, and being outdoors
Could Easily Live Without: Tuna fish, running, and cooking
Janice Wehner
Community Outreach Coordinator
Best Things in Life: Love of my family and pets, dark chocolate, purple, horses, dragonflies, movies, musicals, concerts, dancing, and uncontrollable laughter
Could Easily Live Without: Ticks, winter, wet socks, and reckless drivers
Heather Wildman
Adoption Program & Media Manager
Best Things in Life: Mountain adventures, purple hair dye, Indian food, sunbathing with some furry friends, front row at a concert, and laughing until your stomach hurts
Could Easily Live Without: Stubbing your toe and the feeling of having something stuck in your teeth
Peyton Winter, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA
Director of Canine Behavior Programs
Best Things in Life: Trees, Nice Views, Cool Rocks, Dogs, Stevie Nicks, and Iced Oat Milk Lattes
Could Easily Live Without: Traffic, Styrofoam, and Laundry
Leadership
It is our pleasure to welcome our Board of Directors. While this diverse group of individuals offers a myriad of skills and expertise, they share a common bond: a deep commitment to the mission of Our Companions Domestic Animal Sanctuary. We look forward to many accomplishments through the dedication of our new leadership.
Officers
Maria das Neves - Board Chair
Jennifer Coffey, Esq. - Secretary
Maneesh Shanbhag, CFA - Treasurer
Directors
James Dolce - Willington, CT
Pat Foley - West Hartford, CT
Valerie Friedman - Washington Depot, CT
Frank Gaetano, CPA (Licensed in MA, CT, NY, and NJ) - Grafton, MA
Marie Joyner - Union, CT
Mitchell H. Linker - Bloomfield, CT
Susan B. Linker - Bloomfield, CT
Kerry Mansberg- Ashford, CT
Tony Menchaca - Westport, CT
Deirdre Silver- Redding, CT
George Trumbull - West Simsbury
Advisory
Janet Bailey - Farmington, CT
Colleen Bridgeman - Willington, CT
Risa Davidson, M.S- West Hartford, CT
Diana Garfield, Esq. – Acton, MA
Linda Hatten - Farmington, CT
Anne Llewellyn - Enfield, CT
Lauren Mascola, D.V.M. - West Hartford, CT
Joleen Nevers – Storrs, CT
Barbara Ruben - Middletown, CT
Kathy Sullivan - Bloomfield, CT
Kim Zimmermann - Farmington, CT