Officer Lindsey Wood, a dedicated 19-year veteran of the SPCA, was checking a Facebook lost and found page Monday afternoon when she stumbled upon an unusual post. A woman was shocked when she discovered a 4-foot iguana perched in a tree in her backyard! Officer Wood responded, advising the woman that iguanas cannot thrive in our environment and suggested she call the SPCA for assistance.
Almost immediately, the homeowner called SPCA dispatch, and SPCA Officers Wood and Maleskis embarked on a mission to the Clifford Heights neighborhood in Amherst. Upon their arrival, they spotted the iguana luxuriating on a powerline. Aware of the potential hazards associated with powerlines, they promptly contacted National Grid US for guidance. Jeff Wagner from National Grid came out and kindly offered his expertise and reassured the officers that the iguana was situated on the phone lines, posing no immediate danger.
Encouraged by this information, they decided to attempt a rescue operation. It required an hour of hard work, and Officers Wood and Maleskis, accompanied by Mr. Wagner, successfully retrieved the iguana and secured it in a carrier!
Once safely retrieved, the SPCA officers brought the iguana to Dr. Hess at Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center. Dr. Hess conducted a thorough examination, revealing that the iguana, now named Clifford, was in good health and had not sustained any injuries. He is currently recuperating comfortably at the SPCA after his grand outdoor escapade.
The SPCA and Clifford extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone for their help in getting our new friend into safe hands! Their contributions exemplify the compassionate spirit of the SPCA! #SPCACompassionInAction
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SPCA officers as a result of cruelty investigations, and speaking with the officers emphasizes the importance of the work being done. Visions of nighttime raids, doors being kicked in, and on-the-scene chaos compete with the reality of the investigation and the emotions experienced by cruelty officers when abused animals in appalling conditions are finally found…animals that can be saved by the SPCA, and especially animals who are past the point of being saved.
“On February 3, the SPCA received a call from Homeland Security Investigations,” Wood explained. “That morning, officers had executed a warrant for narcotics at a Marion St. residence, and while they were there, they saw three dogs unproperly cared for, malnourished, with scarring.” As HSI officers arrested five people at the property, SPCA officers worked to obtain their own search warrant, allowing them to enter the property to check on the dogs.
headed to the CBAS and found two dogs there that fit the description of the dogs HSI officers originally found on February 3. The dogs, like the dog rescued from the location, were also in poor condition, emaciated, and severely neglected. HSI officers confirmed that the two dogs were, in fact, the dogs they saw on Marion St.
you’ll notice a thin, thread-like spike (for lack of a better word!) at the tip of the eagle’s wings. Barbara Haney tells us that is indicative of the eagle’s status as a first-year eagle born sometime this calendar year, probably February or March. According to the National Eagle Center website, bald eagles fledge at approximately 10 – 14 weeks, which tells us he has not been out of the nest for long.
After receiving the call from Masiello, SPCA Serving Erie County Animal Rescue Team Officers Jennifer Maleskis and Tyler Robertson arrived at the location, retrieved the young bird, and rushed him to the SPCA’s Wildlife Department hospital, where they were met by Wildlife Director Barbara Haney and, within the hour, SPCA Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Karen Slote.
Dr. Slote was able to provide an initial examination and determined the bird, a first-year bald eagle, has a fractured femur. Further assessment and radiographs this afternoon confirmed a severe fracture.
the supportive care, fluids, and medications it is receiving at the SPCA, Haney says, “…then it’s our hope that, once he is strong and stable, Cornell will accept the bird for surgery. The surgical team at Cornell is much better-suited for this sort of surgery…they perform it much more frequently…and they have the equipment and the pins and the other necessities large enough and strong enough for this extremely large animal.”
This eagle is not the first cared for by the SPCA Serving Erie County Wildlife Department. “Eagles have made quite a comeback in the last 30 years or so,” Haney said, “and we’re starting to see them in all parts of Western New York, the City of Buffalo included. It’s possible this bird became disoriented for what could be one of several reasons, possibly even due to his reflection in the window of the high building, or he may have been in a territorial scuffle with a peregrine falcon, as hypothesized by our contacts at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.”
The SPCA wishes to thank Buffalo Police Detective Costantino, Buffalo Police Officer O’Brien, and Erie County Crime Analyst Masiello for their cooperation, and for contacting our officers when they found the eagle and saw that it was in distress.