A Long Island man allegedly hoarded 100 animals, some of which were exotic and even endangered, in his basement and backyard, according to investigators — who said he wasn’t shy about showing them off to make some quick cash.

A tip led authorities to the family home on Tuesday, where the exotic animals were allegedly found packed in cages

A Long Island man allegedly hoarded 100 animals, some of which were exotic and even endangered, in his basement and backyard, according to investigators — who said he wasn’t shy about showing them off to make some quick cash.

As part of the stunning find in the North Bellmore home of 32-year-old Matthew Spohrer, the Nassau County SPCA confiscated a young South American ostrich, otherwise known as a rhea, named Eddie.

How did Eddie end up at the home? Ebay, apparently.

“He actually said that he ordered the rhea on Ebay as an egg when he was drunk. This was a stupid mistake,” said John Di Leonardo, an anthrozoologist and the executive director of Humane Long Island. “[Spohrer’s] been seen and photographed numerous times with this rhea in public, taking it to the fair, train stations, pet stores.”

  • @Cosmonauticus
    11•7 months ago

    The people who are selling these exotic animals should all be executed by firing squad. Or at least locked up for the remainder of their lives.

    This is worse than raping kids and putting them in basement cells to torture

    Nah son

    • tygerprints
      -4•7 months ago

      Yeah son. And I’m helping with the cause. We are going after these people and my money is helping them be prosecuted for these awful crimes.

      You can be a molester and hater of animals, but I’m here to see that people like you don’t get away with it.