
Front row, Eileen Recchia, Donna Burnett, Marge Superits, Butch LaRochelle, Becca Scarborough, Joanna Todisco, Pat Zymros, Jan Cirillo, Phyllis Ostrow, Michelle Sheehan, Susan Sorrentino. Back row, Lisa Gandy, Donna Wadsworth, Sharon Cook, Betty Muskus, Jill Liebson, Beverly Novark, Rachel DeHanas, Kathy Miracco, Denise Rose. Photo by Carole Musgrave
While the ladies enjoyed their lunch and each other’s company, Program Scheduler Marge Superits introduced the special guest speaker for May’s luncheon: Mark Scarola, a Board Member of the Shy Wolf Sanctuary, Education and Experience Center, located at 1163 27th Street in Naples.
Scarola explained that the sanctuary, run by an all-volunteer team, is home to a large variety of resident animals, including

Marge Superits, Program Scheduler, and Mark Scarola of Shy Wolf Sanctuary. Photos by Carole Musgrave
Scarola showed a video of some of the current residents of the sanctuary and of volunteers interacting with the animals. The ladies at Newcomers were interested to learn about the wolves and wolfdogs in particular. Some were surprised to learn that wolves are not aggressive animals, but actually shy of humans and always stay far away from them. In fact, there is no documented attack from a wolf on humans in the U.S. Wolves are an endangered species. They were introduced into the states, but people are allowed to shoot them.


Scarola himself works with the shyer wolves, with the help of his dog, George. One was so scared at first, that she scaled an 8-foot fence to try to get away from him! (She now allows Scarola, but only Scarola, to pet her.) The wolves and wolfdogs are fed raw chicken, with the bones, and raw beef, plus vitamins. Only red wolves are native to Florida, but at the Naples location there are three enclosures of wolves that were bred at the sanctuary. The Sanctuary also takes in unwanted wolfdogs (hybrids in which a wolves are bred usually with Shepherds, Malamutes, or Huskies). To learn more about adopting a wolfdog, check out www.wolfdogrescue.net.
Animal encounters and educational programs that target many different topics and age groups are available year-round

Mark Scarola of Shy Wolf Sanctuary speaks to Newcomers Club of Marco Island 5-12-10.
Besides the monthly luncheon, the Newcomers Club of Marco Island offer a host of other opportunities to meet and enjoy fellow Marco Islanders, including: a lunch brunch, a couples dinner club, and special interests and mini clubs, such as “Arts & Entertainment”, “Artists’ Café,” Book Clubs, Bridge, Cooking, and Canasta—and that’s just the A’s through C’s!
If you would like to learn more about joining Newcomers Club of Marco Island, contact Phyllis Ostrow at 642-3842 or Joanna Todisco at 394-8213 or go to www.marconewcomers.org.
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