'Deplorable': 100s Of Animals Found In Long Island Hoarder's Home: DA

MILLER PLACE, NY — Over 300 animals were found living in filthy conditions — surrounded by their excrement, vermin, and tens of thousands of roaches — inside of a Miller Place hoarder's home that was condemned Tuesday, Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney's office said.

Special investigators who deal with animal cruelty working in Tierney's office were contacted Oct. 1 by Town of Brookhaven Animal Control Officers reporting a hoarding situation at the home. according to Tierney's office.

During what is now being called “Operation Open Cage,” officers reported finding 118 rabbits, 150 birds, 15 cats, seven tortoises, three snakes and several mice at the home when they initially responded to complaints of alleged town code violations, his office said.

The animals were living among filth, with many surrounded by their feces and urine, and covered in vermin, Tierney's office said, adding, it is estimated there were tens and thousands of cockroaches crawling through the home.

The home's conditions "were so deplorable" Brookhaven's building inspector condemned it "as uninhabitable," Tierney's office said.

Some of the animals were also suffering from untreated medical conditions and with help from the ASPCA are now being removed from the home, according to his office. The ASPCA urgently "mobilized more than 20 responders," to go to the home at Tierney's request, according to a news release. The responders needed protective suits and respirators to enter the home, according to photos supplied by the ASPCA.

Tierney credited Brookhaven for alerting his office to the "deplorable conditions these helpless animals were living in and we immediately took action."

“Through our partnerships with local government and rescue groups, we can work
cohesively to ensure that these types of inhumane abuse of animals are addressed and those who
participate in them are held accountable,” he said.

Town Supervisor Ed Romaine said "the mistreatment and neglect of animals is a serious crime and a severe threat to the health and safety of those animals as well as the inhabitants of the house."

He thanked Tierney, the ASPCA, and all the law enforcement personnel "who made it their priority to rescue the animals from such horrific conditions. Animal cruelty will not be tolerated in the Town of Brookhaven and anyone involved will be prosecuted with the full extent of the law.”

Councilwoman Jane Bonner called the "level of cruelty and the abhorrent conditions that the animals were subjected to is beyond comprehension."

"The awful neglect that they were forced to endure cannot be excused or explained in any way,” she said, adding that she expects the DA to "treat this as a serious violation of the law and mete out a punishment that befits the crime."

She credited the ASPCA officers for their diligence "in this case and for their compassion and care for the rescued animals.”

Matt Bershadker, ASPCA president and CEO, said that when ASPCA responders arrived at the home, "it was clear that immediate intervention was necessary to remove hundreds of neglected animals from the inhumane and brutal conditions they were subjected to and provide them with expert care.”

He went on to say that the DA’s task force is dedicated to helping animals in need, "and we commend them for prioritizing efforts to stop animal neglect and cruelty in their communities.

"The ASPCA is proud to support their work by bringing these animals to safety and assisting the prosecutorial case through evidence collection, forensic exams, and legal and investigative support,” he added.

The 51-year-old woman who owns the home has been charged with multiple counts of cruel confinement of animals, a misdemeanor, under the state's Agriculture and Markets Law, Tierney's office said.

NBC News reported that the woman is a social worker whose clients tipped off firefighters to the home's conditions.

A friend called the woman "Snow White," noting her love of animals, the outlet reported.

The ASPCA is assisting with operational planning and removal, evidence collection and crime
scene documentation, legal and investigative assistance, and forensic exams, officials said. The animals are being transported to animal welfare organizations throughout New York where they will receive much-needed care, according to officials.