On a regular and constant schedule, Donald W. Antal, age 71, of Third Street in the Village of Sodus Point pours pounds of bird feed throughout his yard. Bird feeders are one thing, but Antal also pours feed on baking sheets and spreads them throughout his ward, including right up to the property line with the road.
Needless to say, the birds and other critters love the endless food and attention. Needless to say the neighbors and Village of Sodus, along with police don’t.
Antal was been warned, cited and arrested three times in the past weeks, opting to ignore the rule of law and continue in his quest to attract scores of wildlife. The result is obvious bird excrement. He refuses to stop.
Neighbors have complained to the Village Board and numerous pictures and videos of Antal and the results of his bird obsession have been circulated.
“I have tons of photos that neighbors have been sending. Don Antal has a good heart for animals but this has become almost hoarding.
The DEC actually provided information about the unhealthiness for the animals he’s feeding especially in the spring, summer and fall. I personally delivered the information to Mr Antal and asked that he stop for the summer in a letter. His car was home and his keys were in the door so I left it between the doors. The neighbors have all approached him but he continues to over feed all the creatures. At one point the road was covered with corn and poo which the neighbors clean up constantly. There are so many birds they can hardly sit in their yards. Rodents are everywhere. It really has become a health issue for both the people and the birds/animals”, said Sodus Point Village Board member Laurie Verbridge.
The homes on Third Street in the Village of Sodus Point are small and close together, making the nuisance more of a problem in the otherwise quiet neighborhood.
There is still another issue in Antal’s feeding frenzy. According to the Wayne county Public Health Department, on May 5th of this year the CDC (Center for Disease Control) has confirmed the presence of the N1 subtype of the U.S. case of human Avian influenza A(H5) by genetic sequencing. New York cases of the Bird flu have become a major concern in both wild and domesticated bird flocks.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office reported Antal’s arrest on Friday (6/10) at 9 p.m. in the Village of Sodus Point following an investigation into an animal complaint.
Antal was charged with his third local code violation.
Mr. Antal repeatedly violated the local code by having 23 feeder trays containing bird seed and peanuts in his front lawn. The local code for the Village of Sodus Point is 2 feeders per household and they have to be elevated at least five feet off of the ground.
Antal has stubbornly defied the orders and arrests and was issued an appearance ticket to appear at the Sodus Town Court to answer to the three current charges.
