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They lived stacked in cages and wading through their own waste. Roosters crowed next to starlings. Squirrels huddled beside hedgehogs. Ferrets shared space with flying squirrels, parrots with chinchillas, dogs with tortoises.
More than 200 animals — domestic and wild — crammed into a Northport home where the air hung thick with filth, insects crawled the walls, and a 95-year-old woman sat trapped on the second floor, hemmed in by mountains of debris, authorities said on Thursday.
Now, the animals are safe and cared for. And the couple accused of keeping them there faces criminal charges.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced the arrest of Samantha Boyd, 57, and her partner Neal Weschler, 61, both of Northport, on multiple counts of animal cruelty. Boyd also faces a charge of endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person.
The rescue unfolded in a single, massive operation Oct. 1 after the Tierney’s Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team (BEAST) executed a search warrant in the predawn hours.
A huge menagerie of animals
Investigators found 206 animals living in “overcrowded and unsanitary conditions,” Tierney reported. The house itself was allegedly infested with insects and spiders, cluttered wall-to-wall with garbage and household waste that made parts of the home impassable.
The menagerie included cats, dogs, roosters, ducks, pigeons, quail, rabbits, crows, geese, chipmunks, doves, chickens, hamsters, ferrets, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, voles, flying squirrels, parakeets, parrots, cockatoos, chinchillas, tortoises, turkeys and various other species — all, authorities said, living in cages piled with waste, with contaminated food and water.
“This was a deeply distressing situation, but thanks to the swift action and collaboration between our office and the dedicated rescue partners, these animals are now safe and receiving the care that they urgently need,” Tierney said. “Animal cruelty and neglect will not be tolerated in our county.”
Boyd is currently certified by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as a wildlife rehabilitator — a credential now under scrutiny as state authorities review the case.
“Wild animals belong in the wild, not being hoarded in residential homes,” said John Di Leonardo, executive director of Humane Long Island, one of several rescue organizations that responded. “These long-neglected animals … were languishing in their own filth with bone infections and staph infections.”
Severe neglect, investigators say
The animals suffered from severe neglect, officials said. Many were allegedly denied even basic veterinary care.
But the horror wasn’t limited to animals. Upstairs, investigators found a 95-year-old woman confined by debris and unable to move freely through the home, according to authorities.
“Conditions were deplorable … The level of neglect was unconscionable,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said.
The one-day emergency operation required a small army of responders.
The BEAST unit coordinated with the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, Suffolk County police, Suffolk County Department of Social Services, the Town of Huntington, and a coalition of rescue groups that included Humane Long Island, Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center, Sweetbriar Nature Center, Save the Animals Rescue Foundation, Long Island Rabbit Rescue, Strong Island Animal Rescue, Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons and the Wildlife Center of Long Island.
Tierney said the organizations provided medical evaluations, transport, shelter and ongoing rehabilitation.
“This is a powerful example of coordination between agencies and organizations working to protect animals and keep our communities safe,” said Brian Shapiro, the director of Humane World for Animals for New York state.
Janine Bendicksen, director of wildlife rehabilitation at Sweetbriar in Smithtown, called the situation “a travesty.”
The Town of Huntington was notified of building and fire code violations and will supervise remediation of the property. Many of the rescued animals will soon be available for adoption through participating rescue organizations.
Boyd faces multiple counts of animal cruelty and one count of endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person. Weschler was charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty.
Photos: Provided by the SCDA
