LI Animal Rescuer, Who Works With Ducks, Named Volunteer Of Year

WEST HEMPSTEAD, NY — Elliot Speiser is committed to rescuing animals as a volunteer for Long Island Orchestrating for Nature (LION), an advocacy organization founded in Malverne.

Speiser, who lives in West Hempstead, has been a LION volunteer for a year.

On Dec. 27, the group was tipped off about a dead domestic duckling near a trash bin at Halls Pond in West Hempstead.

Speiser, 20, recovered the deceased duck and found a badly injured wild duck, who was rehabilitated.

For that and his other rescue work with LION, Speiser was named their Volunteer of the Year.

"I've always loved animals," Speiser told Patch. "I have a local pond that I visit probably every day."

After finding an injured duckling in early 2021, Speiser was connected to LION's president John Di Leonardo. His main focus is ducks, but Speiser also saves domestic pigeons and other animals.

Most animals were abandoned and scared until Speiser and others work with them.

"They are so sweet. They come up to you and want to sit on your lap and snuggle," he said. "People think birds usually aren't friendly, but they really are. You just have to spend the time to get to know them."

Being recognized for his volunteer work with LION was surprising for Speiser, but "they mean so much to me. They are basically my family."

Speiser hopes to parlay his love of wildlife into a career. He would like to go to avian veterinary school and become licensed as a vet tech. For now, he's getting an art education at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

"I do want to pursue multiple careers, but animals are definitely a big focus," he said.