Woodbury veterinarian arrested after about 200 animals found in poor condition inside home, officials say

Authorities were back at the home Friday of a Woodbury veterinarian who was arrested Thursday on animal abuse charges after the Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said they found an estimated 200 animals in squalid conditions, as well as deceased animals on the property.

Nassau SPCA Director Gary Rogers said the group received a phone call on Wednesday from a vet technician who was at the Woodbury Road residence and allegedly saw dead animals in cages.

Officials then used a search warrant on Thursday to go into the house, discovering an estimated 150 to 200 animals in deplorable conditions.

Joseph Damiani, a spokesman for the Nassau District Attorney’s Office, said the agency had received “disturbing reports of dangerous conditions involving dozens of animals in a Woodbury home” and sent its Animal Crimes Unit to the scene Thursday.

Nassau SPCA arrested Linda Pesek, 75. She was issued a desk appearance ticket and is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 18, Damiani said. An investigation is ongoing.

The level of hoarding was so extreme, Rogers said, it was difficult for officers to walk around and search the entire house. At the time, Rogers said the SCPA could not get a final count of the total amount of animals, as “there were rooms we couldn’t even get into.” He said the types of animals ranged from dogs and several birds including a parrot, to exotics, which the veterinarian did not have permits for.

“We had bird cages stacked, pushed next to each other, that literally you have to squeeze by to get down the aisles,” he said. “It was very unsafe for people in there to be working.” Due to the conditions, officers were able to rescue only a portion of the animals Thursday. 

They were back at the house Friday morning to handle the estimated 38 to 50 animals remaining inside. Pesek was also at the scene wearing a T-shirt featuring a parrot. 

Rogers said that the conditions were so bad, this is the first time the SCPA ever had to return to a hoarding house the next day.

“I’ve been doing this for 44 years,” he said. “This is literally the worst conditions I’ve seen.”

The exotic animals were being transferred into the care of people or groups who have the correct permits.

Six dogs were in “such bad shape” due to the extreme circumstances that they were taken to a veterinarian for care, but one of those dogs is not expected to live, Rogers said.

Animals rescued on Friday will receive onsite veterinary care, and will then be taken to rehabilitation centers or groups that work closely with the SPCA, he added.

Pesek’s home stands adjacent to a bustling Woodbury Commons shopping center, but thanks to its long driveway, remains secluded from the busy street. Sounds of birds and parrots could be heard from the yard of Linda’s next door neighbor Friday as officials attempted to bring the animals outside.

“We knew she had animals, but not like this,” said Kiran Sangha, who lives next door with her husband and two sons. Sangha said she’d sometimes hear sounds of birds and dogs, but the noise level was not unusual or out of the ordinary. 

Although the houses are on an inclining hill, Sangha said she couldn’t see Pesek’s house due to shrubbery and bushes. While the family has lived next to Pesek for seven years, Sangha said she only exchanged pleasantries with her while waiting for her sons to come back from school. “She seemed to be a very nice lady,” she said.

The district attorney’s office released the following statement Friday: “Members of the District Attorney’s ACU are working to ensure that all the animals found in the residence are given proper medical attention and care at this time. We will always protect vulnerable and defenseless animals in Nassau County from negligence and maltreatment.”

The Nassau SCPA is not affiliated with and independent of the ASPCA. Rogers said that donations are needed at this time to properly rehabilitate the animals and give them the care they deserve.