Sloth Encounters shut down, owner Larry Wallach's lawyer vows business will return

The Hauppauge-based Sloth Encounters has been shut down, an attorney for the business said Thursday.

Islip Town officials confirmed Thursday that all animals were removed by Monday. Suffolk County Supreme Court Judge Joseph Santorelli had ordered Larry Wallach, the federally-licensed animal exhibitor who owns Sloth Encounters, to remove all animals from the premises by March 25.  

"The animals have been removed," said William Wexler, an attorney representing Islip. "We're coming back on April 18 to report back to make sure the animals don't [return] and to make sure [Wallach is] still in compliance."

The location of the removed animals, including the sloths that were a main feature of Wallach's business, was not mentioned in court.

Steven Politi, an attorney representing Wallach, said his client's business may be "shuttered," but "he'll be back."

"The only issue that the court is concerned with is whether or not they operate their business in compliance with all of the town code legislation. The goal of this is to bring [the business] into compliance," Politi said.

The Town of Islip requested in February that the Suffolk County Supreme Court hold Wallach in criminal contempt. In court records, town attorneys argue Wallach should be jailed for violating on at least three separate occasions court orders to halt pet sales, making him liable for up to $150,000 in fines.

On Thursday, Santorelli said the motion for contempt remains open. The case is due back in court on April 18.

John Di Leonardo, executive director at Humane Long Island, an animal advocacy nonprofit, has been following the case. Even though the business has been shut down, he said he's still concerned for the animals' welfare.

"We're grateful for the progress, but there's still a lot more work to be done," said Di Leonardo, a longtime critic of Sloth Encounters.

Wallach opened his Veterans Memorial Highway business in June 2022, charging $50 an hour to hold, feed and pet sloths.

The town has argued that the certificate of occupancy for Sloth Encounters is specifically designated for a pool supply store. An Islip fire marshal issued notices of violation to Wallach in July 2022 for uncovered electrical panels, lack of carbon monoxide alarms, lack of portable fire extinguishers, and the change of use of the building.

When the fire marshal returned in August that year, the fire code violations had been addressed but the premises otherwise remained unchanged, prompting the town to issue Wallach appearance tickets, according to court records.

Islip Town also ticketed the business in August 2022 for possession of wild animals.

To enforce the violations, Islip attorneys last September began the process of seeking a permanent injunction. Santorelli granted a temporary restraining order on Sept. 15, 2022, that restricted Sloth Encounters from "publicly exhibiting, possessing or harboring wild animals in any location within the Town of Islip," according to court documents.

In March 2023, Santorelli upgraded the restraining order to a preliminary injunction.

He ordered the business to halt pet sales in July 2023.

By Brianne Ledda

brianne.ledda@newsday.com@brianne_ledda

Brianne Ledda covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. She previously covered Southold and Greenport for The Suffolk Times and is a graduate of Stony Brook University.