Latest news with #SuffolkSPCA


CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
25 dogs rescued from hoarding situation on Long Island after years of complaints from neighbors, officials say
Over two dozen dogs have been rescued from a Long Island home that officials say has been deemed unsafe. Twenty-five dogs, including two puppies that are just 6 months old, were rescued from the home on Richland Boulevard in Bay Shore. The dogs were allegedly abused and starved, and they are now being treated and vaccinated inside the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Mobile Hospital at the Islip Animal Shelter. Neighbors in Bay Shore say for over 10 years, they separately called the hamlet, the town, the county and the health department for help addressing the alleged hoarding situation. They said rats were seen in the backyard, and they could hear screeching and yelping. "They told me she didn't kill any dogs, so she's still entitled to have dogs," Bay Shore homeowner Debbie Bracco said. In 2017, the woman who lived at the home, Robin Mills, was arrested, but she was eventually able to return to her house and regain her dogs. This week, however, investigators say Mills told them she lives in the backyard with her dogs and denied any abuse, and a judge had enough probable cause to sign a search warrant. "The conditions inside were heavily hoarded — ammonia, feces, deceased rodent life," said Suffolk SPCA Det. Sgt. Joseph Galante. Mills' house is now condemned. Suffolk SPCA is taking the lead on the case, and the chief says criminal charges are pending. "We thank the community for stepping up, for making the call," Suffolk County SPCA Chief Roy Gross said. The neighbors hope Mills gets mental health support and the animals are able to be adopted into loving homes. "You take animals out of an environment like this, which I've done, they make the best pets in the world," Gross said.


New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Two dozen neglected dogs rescued from stomach-turning Long Island hoarder house: ‘Ammonia, feces, flies'
More than two dozen neglected pups were rescued from a repulsive Long Island hoarder's house — the second time in eight years the sickening eyesore has been raided, officials said Thursday. Suffolk County animal rescue officials said the stomach-turning Bayshore home was so toxic that SPCA workers had to don hazmat suits while executing warrants at the property on Wednesday afternoon — following years of gripes from fed-up neighbors. 'The conditions inside were heavily hoarded — ammonia, feces, flies present, deceased rodents,' said Suffolk SPCA Detective Sgt. Joseph Galante. 'Pretty much all of the things you might imagine in an extreme hoarded and overcrowded residence. 7 The Suffolk SPCA said 25 neglected dogs were rescued from this Bayshore home — the second time in eight years. WABC 'Uninhabitable for human occupancy and, by the same convention, animal occupancy,' he said. SPCA Chief Roy Gross said there were so many dogs pulled from the property that the local shelter couldn't take them all in — with the pups treated and vaccinated against rabies in a mobile hospital. Homeowner Robin Mills, 66, refused to comment to The Post at the house on Thursday. Mills was hit with 22 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty in 2017, when authorities rescued 21 dogs and an exotic birds following an earlier batch of complaints. 7 Fire marshals declared Robin Mills' Bayshore home uninhabitable after rescuing 25 drogs from the house. Brigitte Stelzer 7 Ronbin Hills, 66, with a mysterious gash on her head, refused to comment after 25 dogs were taken from her home. WABC 'I was at this location in 2017,' Gross said. 'That smell stays with you for a long time. To walk into a house like that, where, again, I remember there was like a pass you had to squeeze your way through. 'The smell is so overwhelming you start gagging and choking and running outside for fresh air,' the chief said. 'Why someone does something like this? I'm not a psychiatrist. I can't answer that.' He said Mills claimed she wasn't living inside the house — but in the backyard. On Wednesday, the SPCA and cops were back at the house of horrors, this time finding 25 dogs, most of them terrier Pomeranian mixed pups around one year old, officials said. 7 The inside of Robin Mills' Bayshore home after a 2017 raid on the hoarder's home. The SPCA was back this week. 7 More than two dozen neglected dogs were rescued from a Long Island hoarder's home his week for the second time. Paws Unite People Neighbors said they have long complained about Mills over non-stop barking coming from her home, rodents and roaches invading nearby houses, and a stench they said is hard to forget. 'She lives like a rat,' Martin Forero, who lives across the street, told The Post. 'Hopefully they'll do something now. I mean, eight years ago they just let her go, but this time it was worse. 'She is horrible,' said Forero, 58. 'She won't stop. The guy that lives behind her has been dealing with her for 42 years. Now he's got rats and cockroaches and stuff coming over into his house from her yard. It just doesn't make sense.' 7 Suffolk SPCA workers had to wear hazmat suits in a 2017 raid at the Bayshore home where 25 dogs were rescued. 7 Robin Mills, 66, was asked about the 25 dogs rescued from her hoarder's home but she declined to comment. Brigitte Stelzer Another neighbor who asked not to be identified said the situation 'is like hell. 'She is dangerous,' the neighbor said. 'She just does not stop. She does not listen. She's driving around in a car full of garbage up to the roof. She can't see out of any of the windows.' The SPCA said the case will be referred to the district attorney's office for possible charges.


Vancouver Sun
09-05-2025
- Vancouver Sun
'Grime and filth': Man charged with animal cruelty after nearly 100 cats found in home, dozens dead
A New York man has been charged with animal cruelty after nearly 100 cats — dozens of which were dead — were found in his home last weekend. The 75-year-old man was arrested on May 6 after detectives from the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) arrived at his residence in Bohemia, a Long Island community. He faces 18 misdemeanour counts of cruelty to animals and animal neglect, according to Chief of the Suffolk SPCA Roy Gross. A post shared by SPCA of Suffolk County, NY (@suffolk_spca) Authorities received a complaint 'of dozens of cats living in poor, squalid conditions as well as many deceased cats in a freezer,' according to a Facebook post by the SPCA. When detectives arrived at the property on May 3, they found the man with the animals that he allegedly neglected while they were in his care. The man and the cats were living amongst 'wet urine, smeared feces, grime, and filth covering the floors, walls, and stairs.' 'The overpowering foul odours of feces, rot, grime, and ammonia were so severe' that the SPCA requested a hazmat team and backup from the fire department. After conducting an evaluation of the air and structure, fire mashals found high readings of ammonia gas inside the home. The residence was deemed unfit for human occupancy. In the freezer, detectives from the SPCA 'found multiple wrapped items' that contained more than twenty deceased kittens. The New York Post reported that the man lived in the home with his late wife for 30 years, but she died a few weeks ago. A neighbour told the publication that cats were attracted to the residence because the pair would put out food. Gross told the N.Y. Post that if convicted, the man would be added to a registry preventing him from owning a pet for five years. On Saturday and Sunday, teams worked to trap 61 cats, some of which were pregnant. They were taken to the Islip Town Animal Shelter and received veterinary care. 'Many cats presented with medical conditions including upper respiratory infections, urine scalding, eye disease, dental disease, missing teeth, and ear discharge; three cats were in such severe physical condition they required humane euthanasia,' per the SPCA. In a post on Facebook on Wednesday, vice president of the Long Island Cat/Kitten Solution John Debacker shared a photo of one of the cats rescued from the home in Bohemia. He said that twelve of the cats would be transferred to rescues on Thursday. Inside the mobile SPCA trailer where some of the Bohemia cats are being housed, 12 of them are being transferred to rescues tomorrow! Woot woot! :) All of the cats will eventually be put up for adoption through the shelter once they are medically stable. The accused is due to be arraigned in Suffolk County First District Court on May 23 at 9 a.m. ET. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .


Calgary Herald
09-05-2025
- Calgary Herald
'Grime and filth': Man charged with animal cruelty after nearly 100 cats found in home, dozens dead
A New York man has been charged with animal cruelty after nearly 100 cats — dozens of which were dead — were found in his home last weekend. Article content Article content The 75-year-old man was arrested on May 6 after detectives from the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) arrived at his residence in Bohemia, a Long Island community. He faces 18 misdemeanour counts of cruelty to animals and animal neglect, according to Chief of the Suffolk SPCA Roy Gross. Article content Article content View this post on Instagram A post shared by SPCA of Suffolk County, NY (@suffolk_spca) Article content Article content Authorities received a complaint 'of dozens of cats living in poor, squalid conditions as well as many deceased cats in a freezer,' according to a Facebook post by the SPCA. Article content Article content When detectives arrived at the property on May 3, they found the man with the animals that he allegedly neglected while they were in his care. The man and the cats were living amongst 'wet urine, smeared feces, grime, and filth covering the floors, walls, and stairs.' Article content 'The overpowering foul odours of feces, rot, grime, and ammonia were so severe' that the SPCA requested a hazmat team and backup from the fire department. After conducting an evaluation of the air and structure, fire mashals found high readings of ammonia gas inside the home. The residence was deemed unfit for human occupancy. Article content In the freezer, detectives from the SPCA 'found multiple wrapped items' that contained more than twenty deceased kittens. Article content The New York Post reported that the man lived in the home with his late wife for 30 years, but she died a few weeks ago. A neighbour told the publication that cats were attracted to the residence because the pair would put out food. Gross told the N.Y. Post that if convicted, the man would be added to a registry preventing him from owning a pet for five years.