Woodbury Veterinarian Sentenced After 'Torturing And Injuring' Animals: NCDA

WOODBURY, NY — A Woodbury veterinarian was sentenced on Monday after "torturing and injuring" animals, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly's office said.

Linda Pesek was arrested in Oct. 2024 after approximately 100 to 150 animals were removed from her property, her attorney Dennis Michael Lemke said, adding that he wants people to know Pesek truly loves animals and has for decades. He said overall, it's "a very sad situation."

Pesek, 76, pleaded guilty in December to one count of AGM 353, overdriving, torturing and injuring animals, and failure to provide proper sustenance, the DA's office said.

The NCDA's office said Pesek was sentenced on March 2 to three years’ probation, the surrender of all animals (which occurred last year), a 10-year animal ban with spot checks, and $4937.17 in restitution to the Nassau County SPCA.

According to Pesek's attorney, she practiced for 35 years at a number of animal hospitals – she was working at one until she was arrested. Lemke said she has a large property in Woodbury, and there are a lot of feral cats, so one of the interns at the hospital she worked with went back to the house to help trap, spay, and neuter them. The intern put in a complaint to check in on the animals, Lemke said.

There were under 150 animals, with the majority being birds, and about 30 cats in a feral colony, Lemke said. There were pigeons and geese, too, and in that area of Woodbury, there is a large number of geese. People would bring geese that were struck or hurt to Pesek, he said.

He also clarified that all of the animals were abandoned and brought to her for care over the years – she did not seek them out or buy them. Some of the larger birds have been with her for years, Lemke said.

"Dr. Pesek devoted her entire life to helping and treating animals, and a lot of animals were left with her as a last resort," he said. "She became very overwhelmed trying to maintain it and basically lost sight of the fact that sometimes animals do need to be euthanized."

Lemke said that this was a case of neglect, not abuse.

"She has a very large heart for animals," he said. "This wasn't anything intentional. It was neglect. It just became overwhelming trying to take care of too many animals."

He said Pesek wants people to know this does not define who she is.

"This is breaking her heart," he said. "She's not the monster that some could make her out to be. She is a very kind-hearted person. She has loved and cared for animals for more than three decades."

Her attorney reiterated that this was a case of neglect.

"What she pled to was neglect of dog number four that was extremely matted, and the nails were overgrown and so forth," Lemke said. "Almost everything else was dismissed."

John Di Leonardo, anthrozoologist and executive director of Humane Long Island, said he was inside Pesek's Woodbury home and saw a disturbing scene.

"Veterinarians take an oath to heal animals, not harm them; however, what we found inside Linda Pesek’s home was one of the most horrific cases of neglect I’ve ever encountered — nearly 100 animals trapped in filthy, toxic conditions, suffering from untreated infections, overgrown beaks, respiratory distress, and even confined alongside decomposing animals," he said.

"What’s most disturbing is how many people later told us they knew Pesek had been allegedly hoarding animals for decades. If you see something, say something — silence enables cruelty."

He said that although the sentencing will not bring back the lives lost, the 10-year ban on possessing animals will ensure Pesek "won't be able to use her veterinary license until she's in her 80s."