Latest news with #JohnDiLeonardo
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dead chickens placed in odd position on ritzy NYC block — sparking ‘animal sacrifice' claims
The chickens didn't cross the road — but still made it to the other side. Two slaughtered chickens were found on an Upper West Side median in an odd position that has activists worried they were killed in an animal sacrifice ritual. The birds were found Saturday lined up with their feet facing at West 89th Street and Broadway less than a year after similar fowl play three blocks away on Broadway and West 92nd Street, local publication West Side Rag reported. '[It] appears to be animal sacrifice to me,' John Di Leonardo, executive director of Humane Long Island, told The Post. 'It's illegal for live slaughter markets to sell live birds to the public but we know they do it often,' he said. 'From Buddhists releasing live animals in Central Park who die if not recovered to birds tied to trees for Santeria in public parks to Shaktis killing pigs near Gateway National Park – to whatever this is.' Edita Birnkrant, of animal advocacy group NYCLASS, said 'it clearly was done purposely and placed in a visible spot. 'They look healthier than the birds usually look at live markets,' she added. 'The nearest live poultry market is in Harlem so I don't know [if] that's the culprit.' By Tuesday, the birds had been removed but not everyone was uneasy about the birds. 'I'm almost kind of glad,' said Harold Steinblatt, a self-described 'frequent bench-sitter' and longtime Upper West Side resident who said the incident sounded 'cultish.' 'That means it's not just all rich hedge fund managers here,' he said. 'Or maybe it was a disgruntled hedge fund manager who was the culprit.' Chickens are the most common sacrifice in the Santeria Afro-Caribbean religion, according to the BBC. The Supreme Court upheld the right to animal sacrifice on religious grounds in 1993 — but according to New York laws, aggravated cruelty to animals is a felony punishable by up to two years in prison. Evidence of sacrificial killings have been reported across the five boroughs, with chickens, pigs and even rats killed in 'twisted' religious rituals in parkland surrounding Jamaica Bay in Queens. In Upper Manhattan, whole dead chickens and cows, as well as fish and eggs, have been found as offerings on crypts at Old Trinity Cemetery, according to Scouting NY. Thousands of chickens are also killed each year in the Big Apple ahead of Yom Kippur during the ultra-orthodox Jewish ritual of Kaporos, which involves slitting a chicken's throat, per ABC New York.
New York Post
27-05-2025
- New York Post
Dead chickens placed in odd position on ritzy NYC block — sparking ‘animal sacrifice' claims
The chickens didn't cross the road — but still made it to the other side. Two slaughtered chickens were found on an Upper West Side median in an odd position that has activists worried they were killed in an animal sacrifice ritual. The birds were found Saturday lined up with their feet facing at West 89th Street and Broadway less than a year after similar fowl play three blocks away on Broadway and West 92nd Street, local publication West Side Rag reported. Advertisement '[It] appears to be animal sacrifice to me,' John Di Leonardo, executive director of Humane Long Island, told The Post. 'It's illegal for live slaughter markets to sell live birds to the public but we know they do it often,' he said. 'From Buddhists releasing live animals in Central Park who die if not recovered to birds tied to trees for Santeria in public parks to Shaktis killing pigs near Gateway National Park – to whatever this is.' Advertisement Edita Birnkrant, of animal advocacy group NYCLASS, said 'it clearly was done purposely and placed in a visible spot. 'They look healthier than the birds usually look at live markets,' she added. 'The nearest live poultry market is in Harlem so I don't know [if] that's the culprit.' A pair of dead chickens were bizarrely found on an Upper West Side curb median on Broadway over the weekend. J.C. Rice Advertisement By Tuesday, the birds had been removed but not everyone was uneasy about the birds. 'I'm almost kind of glad,' said Harold Steinblatt, a self-described 'frequent bench-sitter' and longtime Upper West Side resident who said the incident sounded 'cultish.' 'That means it's not just all rich hedge fund managers here,' he said. 'Or maybe it was a disgruntled hedge fund manager who was the culprit.' Advertisement The dead chickens (not pictured) being found occurred less than a year after another pair were discovered three blocks away, as animal activists believe these are sacrificial killings. Hanoi Photography – Chickens are the most common sacrifice in the Santeria Afro-Caribbean religion, according to the BBC. The Supreme Court upheld the right to animal sacrifice on religious grounds in 1993 — but according to New York laws, aggravated cruelty to animals is a felony punishable by up to two years in prison. Evidence of sacrificial killings have been reported across the five boroughs, with chickens, pigs and even rats killed in 'twisted' religious rituals in parkland surrounding Jamaica Bay in Queens. In Upper Manhattan, whole dead chickens and cows, as well as fish and eggs, have been found as offerings on crypts at Old Trinity Cemetery, according to Scouting NY. Thousands of chickens are also killed each year in the Big Apple ahead of Yom Kippur during the ultra-orthodox Jewish ritual of Kaporos, which involves slitting a chicken's throat, per ABC New York.
New York Post
23-04-2025
- Business
- New York Post
NY Petco selling live chicks for $5.99 a pop in new ‘pilot program' amid egg price crisis
Petco has hatched a plan. Budget-conscious Long Islanders are flocking to the pet supply retailer's location in Commack, New York, which has started selling egg-laying female chicks as part of a 'pilot program' for those looking to procure their own eggs amid soaring costs. 'We actually sold through the first two batches,' a worker at the store told The Post, adding that a third shipment of about 25 female chicks sold for $5.99 a pop is expected to come in on Wednesday. Advertisement 'We're down to our last few.' 4 Nationwide pet retail chain Petco has launched a 'pilot program' in five stores to sell egg-laying female chicks year-round — including at one store on Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack, New York. Google The pilot program, which started in late March in five U.S. stores, serves as the retailer's first foray into selling chicks year-round beyond select rural locations. The birds of varying breeds are sourced from an Iowa hatchery, the store rep said. Advertisement A corporate representative did not disclose where the other stores are located, but the local worker confirmed Commack is the only participating store on Long Island to do so. However, local animal activists are calling fowl play, claiming that many of the birds are abandoned after being bought and before even laying eggs. 'First with COVID, and now with avian influenza, people are getting these animals because they think it's a cheaper way of getting eggs, but it's actually exactly the opposite,' John Di Leonardo, executive director of Humane Long Island told The Post, adding he's seen an uptick in surrendered and abandoned birds this spring due to interest in at-home egg production. 'Most people end up dumping them before they ever even lay a single egg,' he said. 'People don't really know what they're getting into.' Advertisement 4 John Di Leonardo, executive director of Humane Long Island. NEW YORK STATE HUMANE ASSOCIATION Di Leonardo, who has rescued about a dozen dumped chicks and many more roosters this year, reports the vast majority of the abandoned birds can't survive the elements for more than a day – and many others are provided hospice care when they are rescued 'because they're too far gone.' Properly caring for the birds is expensive, he said. An expert bird vet could run owners up to $1,000 or more for one visit, and the installation and maintenance of a proper coop could add thousands more to a bird lover's budget. 'For one of those cheap [coops] that you get at Tractor Supply for $100, a raccoon is going to break in immediately and kill your whole flock,' Di Leonardo noted. Advertisement Also, by law, people have to buy at least six chicks at a time, increasing the burden, the store confirmed. 4 A store rep at Petco's Commack location said business is booming, and the store is already expecting a third shipment. Houston Chronicle via Getty Images But while the worker claimed the chicks are coming in 'really healthy,' Di Leonardo questioned whether the Commack store has anyone on-site with the veterinary knowledge to make that assessment. 'They pick [the chicks] up at the post office like everyone else,' the activist argued. 'They're mailed without food or water, and many arrive dead.' 4 'Every year, I get calls from postal workers talking about how horrible these animals are created,' Di Leonardo added. 'They're just treated like parcels, and they're crushed and die.' AFP via Getty Images The new 'pilot program' also contradicts a pledge the pet store made last year to PETA in regards to its rabbit sales, vowing it would be 'recommitting to an adoption-only policy,' Di Leonardo said. 'Petco has really had a dismal record for years,' Colin Henstock, PETA's Associate Director of Project Strategy, told The Post. 'Petco sells a lot of small animals … and they all come from large, deplorable breeding mills. Humane Long Island and PETA are now planning a protest outside the Commack store to draw attention to the issue. Advertisement In the meantime, Di Leonardo only expects the number of abandoned birds to increase as a result of the bird flu – and more readily-available birds at local stores. 'Petco is a multi-million dollar company – I don't see how selling some animals … is really going to boost their sales in any significant way,' he said. 'They're going to survive with or without that, so it's particularly atrocious that they're doing it now.' Petco corporate officials did not return requests for comment.
