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research dossier

Humane Long Island

RIVERHEAD, NY · EIN 462244513 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE D20 · Animal-Related · Micro (<$100K) · humaneli.org

revenue

$99K

expenses

$136K

net assets

$28K

employees

—

mission · from form 990

ANIMAL ADVOCACY AND RESCUE

profile · synthesized from sources

Humane Long Island is an animal advocacy and rescue organization focused on exposing and ending animal neglect at the Holtsville Ecology Site, a municipal roadside zoo in Brookhaven, New York. The group investigates systemic animal abuse, promotes relocation of animals to accredited sanctuaries, and advocates for policy changes to prevent exploitation and improve welfare standards for captive wildlife and farmed animals.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Advocacy for Animal Relocation

Urges local officials to transfer animals to GFAS-accredited sanctuaries, such as PAWS Ark 2000, and provides evidence to support humane relocation

Exposing Neglect at the Holtsville Ecology Site

Investigates and publicizes animal abuse at the unaccredited Holtsville Ecology Site, including medical neglect, unsanitary conditions, and improper housing of bears, big cats, birds, and other animals

Whistleblower Support and Public Awareness

Amplifies testimony from former employees and partners with media outlets like Newsday and The New York Post to expose systemic animal care failures

activities · 7 groups

What they do

Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release 2 activities
- Animal rescue and rehabilitation
  
  Rescues, treats, fosters, and rehomes hundreds of animals annually—including farmed, exotic, wild, and domestic fowl such as ducks, chickens, turkeys, peafowl, pigs, goats, sheep, and rabbits—from neglect, abuse, slaughter markets, illegal operations, and abandonment. Operates a transitional sanctuary model and provides specialized care for underrepresented species.
- Duck Defenders program
  
  Operates the Duck Defenders program, North America's leading domestic waterfowl rescue network, which rescues hundreds of ducks annually, advises municipalities on humane wildlife coexistence, and supports rescues through supplies and placement into permanent homes or sanctuaries.
Animal Protection Advocacy & Campaigns 2 activities
- National coalition leadership
  
  Founded the international Duck Defenders program and serves on the steering committee of the National Canada Goose Protection Coalition, providing strategic leadership in national animal protection efforts.
- Policy and legislative advocacy
  
  Secures stronger state and local animal protection laws to provide long-term safeguards for animals, advocating for lasting systemic change through enhanced legislation.
Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
- Community food distribution
  
  Distributes plant-based meals to underserved communities facing food insecurity and provides companion animal food to shelters and rescues through partnerships with elected officials, hunger relief organizations, and national animal welfare groups.
Humane Education and Responsible Pet Ownership 1 activity
- Humane education programs
  
  Provides free in-person and virtual humane education instruction for students from preschool through college, including school field trips to its Riverhead sanctuary and live virtual visits with rescued animals. Also offers educators free resources and one-on-one coaching to integrate humane education into curricula.
Vegan Advocacy & Community Engagement 1 activity
- Pro-animal public awareness campaigns
  
  Installs pro-vegan billboards across Nassau and Suffolk counties promoting animal-free diets and classrooms, reaching an estimated 13 million people; uses public messaging to highlight that meat and dairy come from once-living beings.
Humane Law Enforcement and Cruelty Intervention 1 activity
- Undercover investigations and legal advocacy
  
  Conducts undercover investigations to expose animal abuse, illegal wildlife trade, and neglect; partners with law enforcement such as the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office to secure misdemeanor arrests and convictions; offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to arrests in cases of poultry abandonment.
Uncategorized 4 activities
- Advocacy to end animal exploitation
  
  Shuts down unlicensed slaughterhouses, sham sanctuaries, roadside zoos, illegal petting zoos, rodeos, backyard slaughter operations, and exploitative performances across Long Island and New York City. Prevents expansion of live animal facilities such as slaughterhouses, aquarium chains, and sloth exhibits.
- Elimination of classroom hatching projects
  
  Advocated for and secured the permanent end of classroom hatching projects at multiple schools, including Hopscotch Montessori and St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School; rescued and placed 24 baby birds from such projects into permanent sanctuaries in Vermont and New Jersey.
- Exchange of vegan meals for live animals at slaughter markets
  
  Prevents animal slaughter by exchanging plant-based meals for live animals at New York City live poultry markets, then provides ongoing care, rehabilitation, and sanctuary placement for rescued animals.
- Prevention of mass wildlife killings
  
  Halted large-scale culls of native Canada geese and white-tailed deer; advocated against town-sanctioned releases of bobwhite quails and recovered approximately 10% of released birds; urged relocation of captive bears like Honey the bear to accredited sanctuaries.

financials · form 990EZ · fy2024

revenue

Total revenue$99K

Contributions & grants$99K100%

Program service revenue——

Investment income——

Other revenue—

expenses

Total expenses$136K

Program expenses—

Admin / overhead—

Fundraising—

Salaries & benefits$35K

Grants paid out—

balance sheet

Total assets$28K

Cash—

Investments—

Liabilities—

Net assets$28K

3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -15.9%

leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1

Name	Title	Hours/wk	Compensation
JOHN DI LEONARDO	PRESIDENT EXEC DIRECTOR	40	$35K

board members · 2

EDITA BIRNKRANT — BOARD MEMBER
KELLY RUTKOWSKI — BOARD MEMBER

relationships · 34

Who they work with

All About Rabbits Rescue Partner — Collaborates with All About Rabbits Rescue for assistance with lost or abandoned domestic rabbits.
Animal Care Center of New York City Partner — Receives transfers of farmed and exotic animals from the Animal Care Center of New York City for care.
CEED Partner — Responded to quail releases conducted by CEED in partnership with the Town of Brookhaven.
Cindy's Snacks Partner — Partner organization linked through sponsorship or collaboration, associated with plant-based food initiatives.
Community Solidarity Partner — Partner organization collaborating with Humane Long Island to distribute plant-based meals.
DEC Government — Engages with DEC regarding wildlife rehabilitation policies and funding equity.
Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center Partner — Collaborated with staff to treat and assess Nessy the duck, with Humane Long Island referencing their findings in advocacy efforts.
Greater Good Charities Partner — National partner organization collaborating with Humane Long Island on plant-based meal and companion animal food distribution.
Hopscotch Montessori Schools Partner — Collaborated with Humane Long Island to end hatching projects at their NYC campuses.
Hopscotch Montessori Schools Partner — Partnered to permanently end classroom hatching projects on their campuses.
IRS Government — Registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the IRS and files required financial forms.
Iowa Pork Association Partner — Engaged its vice president to surrender pigs from a factory farm for rescue
Long Island Rabbit Rescue Group Partner — Collaborates with Long Island Rabbit Rescue Group for assistance with lost or abandoned domestic rabbits.
National Canada Goose Protection Coalition Coalition — Humane Long Island's founder serves on the steering committee of the National Canada Goose Protection Coalition.
Newsday Partner — Conducted independent investigative reporting on animal neglect at the Holtsville Ecology Site following Humane Long Island's public disclosure.
PAWS Ark 2000 Partner — Proposed as a relocation destination for Honey the bear, recognized as a GFAS-accredited sanctuary with appropriate veterinary capacity.
PETA Partner — National partner organization collaborating with Humane Long Island on plant-based meal and companion animal food distribution.
Party Pets of New York Partner — Collaborated to shut down a petting zoo and retire animals to sanctuaries
Rite Auto Repair Partner — Partner organization listed among sponsors supporting Humane Long Island’s work.
Secret Vegan Kitchen Partner — Partner organization linked through sponsorship or collaboration, associated with plant-based food initiatives.
St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School Partner — Partnered to permanently end classroom hatching projects on its campus.
St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School Partner — Worked with Humane Long Island to ban hatching projects at its Islip campus.
Suffolk County DA’s Office Partner — Collaborated on legal actions resulting in misdemeanor charges and convictions against illegal poultry sellers.
Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office Partner — Collaborated to secure arrests at three Long Island poultry stores for illegal sale of baby chicks.
TeachKind Partner — Collaborates with TeachKind to promote humane, non-animal-dependent educational resources.
The New York Post Partner — Conducted independent investigative reporting on animal neglect at the Holtsville Ecology Site following Humane Long Island's public disclosure.
Town of Brookhaven Government — Engaged in advocacy and meetings regarding animal welfare conditions at the Holtsville Ecology Site.
Town of Brookhaven Partner — Recovered quails released by the Town of Brookhaven in partnership with CEED.
elected officials Government — Collaborates with elected officials on plant-based food distribution initiatives
elected officials Partner — Partners with to distribute plant-based meals to food-insecure communities.

+ 4 more

strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

Community-Empowered Wildlife Coexistence

methodology: wildlife_coexistence
By advising municipalities and empowering communities to manage fowl abandonment and wildlife interactions locally, we promote sustainable coexistence, because decentralized, education-driven responses are more scalable and culturally adaptive than centralized sheltering.
Demand Reduction through Public Advocacy and Vegan Outreach

methodology: demand_reduction
By exposing systemic cruelty in animal agriculture and promoting veganism and plant-based living, we reduce demand for animal products, thereby preventing large-scale animal suffering, because consumer behavior change is more effective than regulation alone at transforming exploitative systems.
Direct-Action Rescue with Rehabilitation and Rehoming

methodology: direct_action_rescue
By rescuing animals from neglect and abuse and providing medical treatment, fostering, and placement into sanctuaries or homes, we improve individual animal welfare and demonstrate systemic failures, because direct intervention creates immediate impact and builds public trust for broader advocacy.
Humane Education via Empathy-Based and Integrated Learning

methodology: humane_education
By replacing live animal use in education with virtual alternatives and integrating humane curricula over time, we foster long-term compassionate behavior in youth, because sustained, empathy-centered learning produces deeper ethical understanding than isolated or exploitative experiences.