John Di Leonardo received a call about a Long Island bull that escaped slaughter. When police intended to shoot the bull, he intervened, arranging for a sanctuary. The bull, renamed 'Bully Joel', now lives safely in New Jersey. Di Leonardo leads Humane Long Island, saving around 1,200 animals annually, including a wallaby named 'Jackie Legs' rescued from exploitation. He works with authorities to protect animals in peril across Long Island and New York City.
"We were on the phone with the police. They said, 'We're gonna shoot him,' Di Leonardo recalled. 'I yelled, 'No, don't do that! I'll get a sanctuary on the way!'"
"We save about 1,200 animals a year," Di Leonardo said on the grounds of Humane Long Island's Baiting Hollow facility. 'We get animals in every single week.'
"We actually got a call about [Jackie Legs] being exploited in Madison Square Park. There was a guy charging money for pictures," Di Leonardo said.
"Eventually, Di Leonardo teamed up with the NYPD's animal cruelty unit to create an undercover operation, using the volunteer caller as a..."
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