Nearly 350 pigeons rescued from Long Island home

The doors wouldn’t open all the way because of the bird droppings. I’ve never seen anything like this…

As for the North Merrick bird house, Rogers said the investigation began after Hempstead town received a complaint about overgrown bushes at the home.

“It’s a frightful situation; it’s been like this for a long time…”

Rogers said people should not be afraid to contact the SPCA when they suspect animal cruelty.

“He been a recluse – became one with the birds”, Lamonis said.

Shocking video captured from the scene showed mountains of droppings and debris from the doorway of the house with a few lone pigeons poking around the mess.

There was up to two feet of bird droppings and seed shells in some parts of the home, Rogers said, forcing the SPCA workers to wear hazmat suits and respirators to get the birds.

He said numerous birds rescued have neurological disorders and there are a few babies that will need nursing but they expect all 344 to survive. Rogers said the health department also was notified and a determination would be made on whether the house would be condemned.

“We found rats in the house and if there were dead pigeons in the house they were eaten by the rats”, Rogers said, adding that numerous live pigeons were found with rat bites. The DA then executed a search warrant at 7 a.m. Thursday. He was taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening head injuries.

The elderly man was taken out of the house on a stretcher wearing an oxygen mask and taken to the Nassau County Medical Center.

“There was one day where me and my brother found this injured bird, and we brought him over to the guy and he took it in, and we never saw it again”, said Matt Lamonas. The bottom line, Rogers said, is that “these situations exist and someone has to be aware they’re going on”. Their neighbors need your help.

The pigeons were allowed to roam and fly around as they please.