30 cats and kittens abandoned in woods in South Farmingdale need 'happy homes'

Calling it "a sad situation," Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said her office has opened a criminal investigation into the animal owner who left 30 cats and kittens in a wooded area alongside the Bethpage Bikeway in South Farmingdale — felines that were rescued after two teens riding bikes stumbled upon them Tuesday.

The cats, found in cages rescuer Linda Cairo said were "filled with feces and urine" and lacking ample food and water, were transferred on Tuesday evening to the Town of Oyster Bay Animal Shelter in Syosset.

At a news conference there Wednesday, Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino, standing beside Donnelly and cradling a kitten, pledged to have the rescued felines evaluated, treated and placed for adoption into "happy homes."

Meanwhile, the owner, Thomas McDermott, 28, sat alone on a bench outside the shelter, saying he hoped to get the cats back.

A handyman who said he delivered Uber Eats orders on his bicycle, McDermott said "family issues" forced him out of his home in Farmingdale a week ago. He said he moved the cats "two at a time" on his bike, leaving them in the area just north of Exit 31 on the Southern State Parkway and just east of the Bethpage State Parkway.

"There were domestic issues," McDermott said. "But these are my cats. I actually spend about $400 a month taking care of them."

McDermott said he planned to move to Florida with the cats. "I love them," he said. "I'd never abandon them."

The cats were discovered around 6 p.m. Tuesday and John DeBacker, who runs Long Long Island Cat Kitten Solution, and Cairo, who runs Kittynap Kitten Rescue in Bethpage, went to the site.

So did New York State Police, the Nassau County SPCA and Town of Oyster Bay Animal Control officers.

"Oh, my God," Cairo said. "I wanted to cry. The conditions were ... just horrible."

DeBacker said, "I think someone was taking care of them in the past — and maybe just got overwhelmed."

"Thanks to these rescue teams, this story will have a happy ending," Saladino said. "Remember, when it comes to caring for animals, it's about providing forever homes — not seeing them forever homeless."

Donnelly said McDermott had "open criminal complaints" and initial reports from investigators indicated McDermott was not supposed to be in the Farmingdale home where he said he'd lived — and the cats were not supposed to be there either.

Whether criminal charges will be brought against McDermott depends on the outcome of the investigation, Donnelly said.

"It's so important for people to understand that animals, just like you and me, need to be cared for ... We can't have 30 cats living on the side of the Southern State Parkway in cages," Donnelly said. "We have an obligation to make sure the animals are safe — and he's safe."

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”