200 Animals — Including Geese and Flying Squirrels — Were 'Living in Squalor' in Home. 2 Humans Were Arrested By Sean Neumann

More than 200 animals and a 95-year-old woman were rescued from a home on Long Island last week after authorities say they were living in “deplorable,” “unsanitary,” and “overcrowded” conditions.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office announced that Samantha Boyd, 57, and her partner Neal Weschler, 61, were both arrested and charged with animal cruelty and endangering an elderly person last Wednesday, Oct. 1, when authorities responded to the home after receiving a call alleging Boyd was hoarding animals at the residence.

Authorities said they were shocked to find more than 200 animals inside the home, which was also 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,” the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said.

Boyd’s mother, 95, was allegedly “confined” to a room on the second floor and essentially trapped “by all the debris,” the district attorney’s office added.

All told, 206 animals were found in the home, “living in cages with piles of waste and filth, with unsanitary food and water sources, in severe states of overcrowding,” the DA’s office said.

They included 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 and turkeys, among other species, according to the DA’s office.

According to authorities, Boyd had “certified” her suburban home as an official wildlife sanctuary with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Authorities alerted the department to the conditions they discovered inside Boyd’s home and have partnered with at least eight animal rescue organizations to begin rehoming the animals rescued from the home.

“The level of neglect was unconscionable as the animals were in poor condition and living in squalor,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said in a statement.

“Wild animals belong in the wild, not being hoarded in residential homes,” added John Di Leonardo, an anthrozoologist and the Executive Director of Humane Long Island, calling Boyd’s home a “fraudulent rescue” facility that “neglected animals” instead of helping them. He said his group will provide the animals veterinary care and then either move to release them back to the wild or rehome them at “reputable” sanctuaries.

Local ABC 7 reported that Boyd’s mother has since been removed from the home and is receiving proper care, as authorities said their investigation is “ongoing.”