Investigation of Animal Sacrifice in Middle Island by Long Island SPCA

A Long Island animal protection group has announced a $2,000 reward for information on a suspected animal sacrifice in Middle Island. A man walking his dog near the entrance of Union Cemetery on Rt. 25 near Church Lane on Wednesday found a bag containing a beheaded chicken and chunks of coconut, according to the Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Suffolk County SPCA detectives responded to the cemetery and later found the skeletal remains of a goat’s head, candles, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. The organization stated, “These findings are indicative of animal sacrifice which involves the killing and offering of an animal as part of a religious ritual.” This discovery came after similar findings in October and August this year. On October 17, Suffolk County SPCA detectives discovered the remains of a decapitated chicken, a black rooster, and a white dove placed in a circular pattern inside Union Cemetery. In August, detectives found two decapitated chickens in front of a headstone at Old Baptist Cemetery in Coram. No arrests have been made. The nonprofit group called the findings “a barbaric act of animal cruelty.” Anyone with information regarding the mutilated animals is urged to call the Suffolk County SCPA at 631-382-7722.