Over 200 animals, 95-year-old woman found in hoarding house on Long Island, DA says
A New York woman is facing abuse and neglect charges after over 200 caged animals and a 95-year-old woman were found stuck in a hoarding situation at a home on Long Island, authorities said.
Suffolk County law enforcement officials said 57-year-old Samantha Boyd kept the elderly woman and dozens of wild and domestic animals in squalor at her home in Northport.
Authorities said they made the discovery Wednesday after receiving a complaint about possible animal hoarding at Boyd's home on Fort Salonga Road.
The responding officers said they found 206 animals at the property, including roosters, squirrels, ducks, pigeons, quail, rabbits, crows, starlings, geese, chipmunks, doves, chickens, hamsters, ferrets, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, voles, flying squirrels, parakeets, parrots, cockatoos, chinchillas, cats, tortoises, dogs, turkeys, and other species.
The animals "were alleged to be living in cages with piles of waste and filth, with unsanitary food and water sources, in severe states of overcrowding. The interior of the house was alleged to be infested with insects, spiders, and other pests. In addition to animal overcrowding, the house was alleged to be extremely cluttered wall-to-wall with debris, garbage, and household waste, making certain areas impassable," a press release from the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said.
A 95-year-old woman was found on the second floor of the home and was reportedly "confined by all the debris." The DA's office did not provide an update on her condition.
Boyd is charged with animal cruelty and endangering the welfare of a vulnerable adult. She is a certified wildlife rehabilitator by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, according to investigators. The agency has been notified about the DA's findings, investigators said.
Her partner, 61-year-old Neal Weschler, is also facing animal cruelty charges, officials said.
The District Attorney's Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team, known as BEAST, worked with numerous nonprofits to rescue the animals, give them medical evaluations and transport them for rehabilitation, officials said.
Many of the animals will be available for adoption through the organizations, according to the DA's office.
They include Humane Long Island, Sweetbriar Nature Center, Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue, STAR Foundation, Long Island Rabbit Rescue, Wildlife Center of Long Island, Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons and Strong Island Animal Rescue.