By Juliana Di Leonardo
Recently, my partner and I have been working on dismantling a pseudo sanctuary in eastern Long Island. This place has been operating for many years and has never been a safe haven for the unwanted animals they've accumulated over the years. Some may believe that the owner, now in his 80s, hasn't been able to keep up due to his age but his insufficient care has always been an issue and the quality poor. This business is purely to make money and fills the niche of taking unwanted animals except its a recipe for hoarding and neglect. For a price, he will promise unsuspecting families and individuals that their former pets will be taken care of and have a place to call home. The owner considers certain residents his main attractions and sees these tossed away animals as dollar signs. All the farmed animals in his possession, including the domestic cats kept in a trailer, have been showed signs of extremely poor with many animals exhibiting sickness, infection, and more.
.png)
Acharya Tulsi Ji (Photo provided by: Arvind Vora)
When I first visited this fake rescue, I was shocked. It is much larger than it appears, especially from the road and is sandwiched between a slaughterhouse and a storage facility. The animals are kept in sad, barren pens with no enrichment and their shelters look like they've been sloppily put together with scrap plywood with enclosures obviously not predator proofed. The chicken runs have old wire fencing panels laid all over the floor which can be dangerous for toes, ankles, legs and more. We found dead animals among the living ones which might not be quite traumatizing as the fact that there is no buffer between the slaughterhouse next door and “sanctuary”. A large goat pen literally sits adjacent to where the slaughtering happens.
Overall, this place is depressing and reminds me of the island of misfit toys from Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer but worse. People have discarded these animals with intent to wash their hands of the responsibility they may or may have not considered prior to making the decision to take home a llama, pig, goat, hen, rooster, duck, goose, cow, cat, or horse.
For this week's Anuvrat, I encourage you to remember that animals are not objects that can be bought or collected on impulse just because we think they're cool or will entertain us. Animals are a lifelong commitment and they deserve our love and respect. If you're looking to spend time with an animal but do not have the time or resources to take care of them then please visit your local animal shelter or even our organization Humane Long Island.
----------------------------------------------
.jpg)
Juliana Di Leonardo is the Vice President of Humane Long Island. She is a yoga and ballroom dance instructor, model, and artist. Her advocacy for animals exploited by the fashion industry was credited in the 2021 documentary “The Face of Fashion is Fear” and recognized by PETA with a Hero for Coyotes award. (Image provided by author)
