4 JANUARY 20, 2022 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Forest Hills residents cry ‘fowl’ over
birds kept in deplorable conditions
BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
More than a dozen geese and
ducks have been rescued
from a Forest Hills home
where they were kept illegally
outdoors in deplorable conditions.
The Long Island Orchestrating
for Nature (LION), the leading
waterfowl rescue organization in
the Northeast, and New Yorkers
for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets
(NYCLASS), obtained the release of
a domestic Embden goose and four
Muscovy ducks from a residence
across from Forest Hills High
School, which were discovered
lying on a bed of frozen feces and
fed a diet of stale bread and moldy
bagels.
The rescuers returned to the
home and were able to negotiate
the release of 12 more waterfowl
on Thursday evening, Jan. 13.
The large birds are now recovering
at LION’s Riverhead animal
shelter and are being treated by
a veterinarian for severe wing
deformities and staph infections
attributed to their poor diet and
lack of shelter.
“Animals, whether dogs or ducks,
feel pain and suffer just like we do,”
LION President John Di Leonardo
said. “If we’re cold, they’re cold.
Muscovy ducks are endemic to
South and Central America and are
especially prone to frostbite and
hypothermia when exposed to our
cold winters. LION is urging the
public to contact us immediately if
they see domestic ducks or geese
abandoned in public parks or left
outside without shelter, especially
in New York City where it is illegal
to house these sensitive animals.”
Concerned neighbors in Forest
Hills had been calling 311 and lodging
complaints with the 112th Precinct
for months about the birds being
kept in violation of NYC Health
Code 161 for months without action
before LION contacted the mayor’s
office last week.
The owners of the animals told
rescuers they were eating them
and would be taking most of them
to a farm in Pennsylvania where
they would be auctioned and killed.
Di Leonardo informed them that
the birds would need to be seen by
a veterinarian prior to crossing
state lines and that due to their
condition, many of them would not
receive the necessary veterinary
certification.
NYCLASS executive director Edita
Birnkrant said she was horrified
LION president John Di Lorenzo with a goose he was able to rescue from a home across from Forest Hills High
School, where more than a dozen geese and ducks were living outdoors in poor conditions. Photo courtesy of LION
to see the conditions the waterfowl
were living in, especially in
sub-freezing temperatures early in
the week. She was further angered
to learn from neighbors that this
has been going on for years at the
home.
“This situation highlights the
need for the New York City Council
to pass Code Blue legislation prohibiting
residents from keeping
animals outside in sub-freezing
temperatures,” she said.
Once recovered at LION’s shelter,
the rescued waterfowl, who are
domestic and cannot be released
to the wild, will be placed in reputable
homes and sanctuaries where
they will be loved and never eaten,
Di Leonardo said.
The geese were reportedly living in deplorable conditions.
Photo courtesy of LION
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