More than 200 animals were discovered living in squalid conditions inside a Long Island home, law enforcement said, along with a 95-year-old woman who was trapped among the filth.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office has charged the homeowner, Samantha Boyd, and her boyfriend with animal abuse. Authorities allege the home was filled with garbage and clutter when they arrived Wednesday, following tips from neighbors.
The house, which Boyd had labeled a “wildlife refuge,” instead revealed signs of extreme hoarding, with animals ranging from cats and dogs to turkeys, roosters, reptiles and squirrels trapped inside cages and unsanitary enclosures.
Some of the animals were in such poor condition that they had to be euthanized, officials said.
Among those who helped with the rescue was animal activist John Di Leonardo, who showed examples of the neglect — including a bunny with severely overgrown nails and a quail living in its own feces.
“This is severe neglect,” he said. “This house is a hoarder house.”
Shocking video shared by Humane Long Island captured a squirrel caged among piles of clutter. In another clip, rescuers gently encouraged a debilitated duck, which was struggling to walk.
A neighbor was stunned by the discovery.
“I thought they were doing a good thing but had no clue that the animals were endangered,” Dave Rodriguez said. “The conditions these animals were forced to exist in were deplorable.”
Adding to the severity of the situation, investigators also found Boyd’s 95-year-old mother essentially trapped on the second floor of the home, living amid the same dangerous conditions.
“She was essentially trapped upstairs and it took a bit to get her out of the house,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.
The DA confirmed the elderly woman had since been safely removed from the home and was doing well.
Boyd, who holds a New York license as a wildlife rehabilitator, is accused of misusing that license to hoard wild animals under the guise of caring for them.
“Your wildlife license doesn’t allow you to start hoarding wild animals and keep them as pets,” said Di Leonardo. “This is a rampant issue.”
Di Leonardo went on to call the case “a betrayal of the public trust and a betrayal of the animals.”
Samantha Boyd could not be reached for comment.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC New York. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC New York journalist edited the article for publication.
