Animals

IT'S ALL IN THE WRIST: Stony Brook University's James Napoli, PhD, with a 3D printed copy of the troodontid hand. Photo by John Griffin, Stony Brook University

By Daniel Dunaief

From picking out Stegosaurus flashcards when he was under a year old to dressing as one for Halloween to celebrating birthdays at the American Museum of Natural History, James Napoli has always been fascinated by dinosaurs. His passion recently reached another level.

An illustration of an oviraptorid dinosaur called Citipati. The scene depicts Citipati being startled while resting on a sand dune. The creature raises its arms in a threat display, which reveals its wrists, highlighting the small migrated pisiform carpal (blue X-ray view) bone. Illustration by Henry S. Sharpe

The Setauket native, who is a Research Instructor in the Department of Anatomical Sciences in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, recently published a dinosaur discovery in the prestigious journal Nature. The research focuses on the finding of a bone called the pisiform that is considered important for flight.

“Flight or near flight behaviors in dinosaurs only appears in lineages after the pisiform has moved in,” said Napoli. “This is suggestive that this may have been one of the last key evolutionary innovations that dinosaurs need to try to fly.”

A complicated behavior, flight requires some sophisticated changes in an animal’s skeleton from a creature that ran around on the ground and captures food to do “this other bonkers thing and stay up in the air,” said Alan Turner, Professor and Chair in the Department of Anatomical Sciences. 

“Where this paper shines and falls into this Nature worthy category is that it helps solves one of the important problems in life” regarding when the structural changes necessary to automate folding the wrist occurred to put a dinosaur on the path to flight.

An impulse

While Napoli’s interest in dinosaurs stems from an early age, his particular focus on this bone in theropods developed in the last year of his PhD research at the American Museum of Natural History.

“This was entirely a chance discovery,” said Napoli. He had been looking intently at the bones in the forearm of a Citipadi, which is a close relative of the oviraptor, and suspected that a pisiform or ulnare was present.

He noted it in his work, suggesting it looked like a carpal bone. He found another museum specimen in a field jacket, which is a plaster protective covering, from a site in the Gobi Desert in 1993.

When the prep team carefully opened it the way an orthopedist might remove the plaster of Paris from a cast, he “immediately saw a completely articulated forearm and hand and, in the wrist, [he] could see the pisiform was there,” Napoli recalled. “It was just amazing. My jaw dropped.”

A fortunate confirming piece to this anatomical find also occurred by coincidence.

James Napoli under a T Rex at the Museum of the Rockies. Photo by Eric Metz

Napoli was speaking about another fossil with Alexander Ruebenstahl, a close friend who was a PhD student at Yale University. Ruebenstahl was processing a CT scan of a dinosaur hand from another theropod that he couldn’t identify and sent the pictures to Napoli.

“When I looked at them, I couldn’t believe that I was seeing another pisiform,” said Napoli. He had discovered two different bird like dinosaurs with the same important bone.

Ruebenstahl, Napoli and Matteo Fabbri from Johns Hopkins University came up with a plan for the paper. An “amazing CT data wizard” Ruebenstahl processed the data sets.

The CT scans told the researchers almost everything they needed to confirm this bone. The final piece came from looking at research on bird embryonic development, which showed them that the suspected migrated pisiforms were similar to those seen in bird embryos. This indicated that the theropod fossils made an evolutionary transformation that is mirrored in bird development.

Turner suggested that these discoveries sometimes lead to similar findings once researchers know where to look.

“The evidence has been sitting there [until] someone realizes it,” said Turner. Once a researcher finds a needle in a haystack, other scientists can go into these other haystacks and make similar discoveries. “You don’t know what to look for, until you do.”

Returning to his roots

Turner isn’t just a colleague and chair of the department, but also served as a mentor. When Napoli attended Brown University as an undergraduate, he volunteered in Turner’s lab, where he learned the art of CT scanning.

James Napoli. Photo from Kalani Williams

“It’s quite the completion of the circle,” said Turner, who recalled how “eager and hard working’ Napoli had been when they first starting working together. “It’s really good to see the hard work he put in is starting to bear fruit” with these high-profile papers.

Turner appreciates the opportunity to provide support for Napoli and added that professional development “takes a village.”

For Napoli, that village included his parents John and Amalia Napoli, who were dedicated to helping James and his two sisters with their cognitive development even before they were born.

Amalia, who was a musician when James was born, played music for him and engaged in word activities. Once he was born, she provided flashcards in different areas, such as science and history.

“He was always interested in the natural world like animals,” she said. “We always joked that if anyone was ever born to a career, it was him.”

She would put the flashcards out and would ask him to find a triceratops. He would either point or, at times, would move over and sit on the card.

Passionate about science herself, Amalia started her own scientific training after her youngest daughter entered school. Amalia earned a master’s and PhD and is now completing her postdoctoral research in the Neurobiology and Behavior.

Amalia and her son were both earning their PhDs at the same time. James would call his mother when he was walking back to his apartment to exchange stories about what happened that day in their work.

Conducting PhD research can be “isolating because most people just don’t have the experience to empathize with the ways in which it can be particularly stressful or challenging,” James Napoli explained. “It helped both of us to have such a close confidant who had that kind of lived experience” during the challenges and the triumphs.

A mother’s pride

As a fellow scientist, the maternal Napoli can appreciate the excitement that comes from publishing research in Nature. “It’s a tremendous boost to his career,” she said. “High-profile papers have a big impact on how you’re perceived in the scientific community.” And, of course, “I’m so proud,” she added. “I’ve been posting it” everywhere.

When the Napoli progeny found out Nature accepted his paper, he celebrated with his mother and one of his sisters at a steakhouse in the area. 

The former musician, who works on the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders and will be a lecturer in the fall, appreciates how people see the Napoli scientists from different perspectives. Some think of her as “James’s mom” while others see him as “Amalia’s son.”

Additional questions

As for the Nature results, James Napoli and Turner see this discovery as inspiration for future research.

“The little pisiform we’re seeing doesn’t have that complex and well-defined anatomy,” said Napoli. “It’s best interpreted based on these two lines of evidence as a transitional step. It hasn’t become anatomically complicated.”

Napoli is already planning to search for ways evolution tinkered with the bone as he seeks a clearer answer about when these simpler parts transitioned to a more modern design. He suggested the work he and his colleagues did on this study provides “evidence that dinosaurs with a pisiform are the dinosaurs that start to experiment evolutionarily with flight.”

A Common Tern. Photo by Carl Safina

By John L. Turner

PART ONE:

With the alarm clock going off at 4:45 a.m., the morning came early, too early for my normal schedule to be honest! But I rose quickly, although creakily, because today was to be something special as shortly I was to pick up Carl Safina, the well-known writer, conservationist, friend, and neighbor and drive east to Orient Point where we’d take a boat ride to visit a most special island off Long Island’s North Fork.

A Common Tern. Photo by Carl Safina

The special island? You might reasonably think Plum Island given the extent to which it has been in the news lately as conservationists have been trying to permanently protect it, but no. Our destination was Great Gull Island (GGI), a 17-acre island owned by the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) a little east of Plum, where each spring and summer tens of thousands of Common and Roseate Terns arrive, court, breed, and raise their young amidst the concrete remains of Fort Michie, a fort built during the Spanish-American War. 

Joined by a few dozen other colleagues, we were there to participate in a biennial count to determine the number of nesting Common Terns. You might reasonably question why we were counting terns on an island named after gulls. Well, Michael Harwood in his short but fine book The View from Great Gull explains: “The birds that get the most attention here are the terns. Fisherman call them ‘mackerel gulls’; the terns arrive in the spring at about the same time as the mackerel do, and often when big food fish-such as mackerel, striped bass, and bluefish-are feeding near the surface on schools of baitfish, so will the terns, from above, tipping off the fisherman to where the fishing will be good. It is from the mackerel gulls that Great Gull Island gets its name.”    

After a one-half hour ride in which we cruised by the southern side of Plum Island, enjoying the features of this island — the parade grounds, the barracks of Fort Terry, and the bluffs and boulders of the shoreline — we pulled up slowly to the dock at GGI. Island staff were waiting for us, adorned in the traditional GGI outfit — a white, full body Tyvek suit and a soft hat adorned with a flowery sprig on top. Both items of attire were in response to the nesting terns that we were about to count — the Tyvek to deal with the bird poop that was invariably to be deposited on us by the agitated birds and the hat to deflect their aggression in a way that protects my head and their bills. 

We quickly put on the necessary attire and walked past the large sign indicating AMNH ownership, soon flushing many nesting ground nesting terns as we made it over to headquarters for instructions on how to properly census the nesting birds. The island was divided into four areas — one for each group which contained five to six individuals.  We used Survey 1,2,3 installed on our cell phones to record the data — the number of eggs and the location of the nest. Once the data was added we placed a popsicle stick near the nest to confirm it had been counted and to avoid it being inadvertently counted again. We made good progress and took a break to eat. 

At lunch I enjoyed watching a nearby Common Tern land with a sand eel to feed its mate. Surprisingly, the tern didn’t immediately offer it over, as if it was conflicted whether to give the fish over or eat it. After a several second back and forth it offered up the fish which its mate immediately swallowed.  Lunch finished, we continued counting and learned later after all the tallies were added had collectively counted 11,172 Common Tern nests!

The number of eggs per nest varied as did their coloration. We found two nests with four eggs, more with three eggs and the most with two. We also found a number of nests with one egg, a sign the adult hadn’t finished yet with egg laying. We also found a number of eggs that were cracked open with the contents eaten, the likely work of Black-Crowned Night-Herons. The eggs were splotched with dark markings on an earth tone background — common in ground nesting birds — with the background color varying from dark tan and brown to olive.  What I did not expect to see were a few eggs that were light blue, similar to those laid by Robins! 

Disturbingly, during the census participants found five dead adult birds; I came across one — it looked like it was sleeping while incubating its eggs, so her demise will lead to further death as the chicks developing in the incubated eggs will never hatch. Fortunately, there was a toxicologist on the island, concerned about the possibility of avian influenza which is devastating many bird populations around the world and especially sea bird species. She inspected the five  and based on preliminary results think the birds starved to death. Having high metabolic rates birds live life on the edge – tie together a few days of inclimate weather in which birds have trouble feeding at a time of year females have much higher caloric demands to produce eggs and you can imagine the challenge. 

*See Part II of ‘Great Gull Island’ in next month’s Nature Matters column.

A resident of Setauket, author John L. Turner is a naturalist, conservation co-chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, and Conservation Policy Advocate for the Seatuck Environmental Association.

Adopt Drago!

Introducing the adorable new puppy on the block Drago—a velvet blue brindle bulldozer of love up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter. He’s not a Russian boxing opponent… but like the ending of Rocky IV, this puppy is guaranteed to bring people together, cheering and applauding his absolute pure puppy heart!

Drago is a five month old, male, Bully Mix who’s equal parts cuddle bug and canine comedian. This happy-go-lucky pup greets every person and animal like a long-lost friend at a surprise party. His current hobbies include: loving everyone he meets, wagging his whole body at the speed of light, professional zoomie artist and will accompany you to the bathroom as if he is your personal security detail.

At just a few months old, Drago has already mastered the art of housebreaking, which is pretty impressive considering he’s still working on mastering the concept of the wiggle bum. We’re joking… he wiggles his bootie just perfectly! He’s a growing boy, weighing in at a cuddly 35 lbs now, but we expect him to fill out to become an 80 lbs lap dog loaded with pure joy and snuggles.

Drago is fully housebroken, great with kids, cats, dogs, and probably even your weird neighbor. He is currently practicing for his future as a professional couch hippo and sunbathing land seal and looking for a home that matches his high-energy lifestyle.

If your family’s ready to laugh more, move more, and experience unconditional love in its goofiest form, come meet Drago. He’s not just a dog—he’s a whole personality.

If you are interested in meeting Drago, please fill out an application and schedule a date/time to properly interact with him in a domestic setting, which includes a Meet and Greet Room, the dog runs, and a Dog Walk trail.

The Town of Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter, 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only). For more information, call 631-360-7575.

Photo by Lori and Steve Biegler, LSB Photography

Join the Long Island Game Farm, 489 Chapman Blvd., Manorville for a Capybara Pool Reveal Party on Friday, July 18 at 2 p.m., celebrating the grand opening of a brand-new Capybara exhibit featuring a custom-designed pool built by Allen Schule and his team at Sound Shore Ponds, a division of the internationally acclaimed Aquascape.

This festive event will include engaging presentations from Allen Schule, Long Island Game Farm Educators, and enthusiastic Zoo Campers currently attending the Game Farm’s summer camp. A special presentation for the day will be Adalia Haas, a local Girl Scout, who will unveil her Gold Award project—a thoughtfully crafted shade structure designed especially for the capybaras’ comfort.

Guests are invited to enjoy refreshments following the presentations, and, of course, meet the Game Farm’s newest (and possibly cutest) residents.

Come celebrate innovation, community, and conservation—capybara-style!

ABOUT LONG ISLAND GAME FARM

Long Island Game Farm Wildlife Park and Children’s Zoo was founded in 1970 by Stanley and Diane Novak. As the largest combined children’s zoo and wildlife park on Long Island, they offer families a natural environment where they can learn about wildlife and animals through education and entertainment. A member of American Association of Zookeepers and Zoological Association of America, the farm is located at 489 Chapman Boulevard, Manorville, New York 11949. For more information, visit longislandgamefarm.com, email[email protected], or call 631.878.6644. Find Long Island Game Farm on Instagram and Facebook at @longislandgamefarm.

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR WILDLIFE SUSTAINABILITY

The mission of the Foundation for Wildlife Sustainability, Inc. is to connect people with wildlife and the natural environment through awareness activities and engaging experiences, and to support the work of the Long Island Game Farm. For more information, visit wildlifesustainability.org, or contact executive director Tricia Snyder at [email protected].

Spice

Welcome to the 43rd edition of Paw Prints, a monthly column for animal lovers dedicated to helping shelter pets find their furever home.

Picasso

Meet Picasso

When portrayed in paintings, dogs often symbolize faith and loyalty. Fittingly, this perfect work of art is Picasso, a one year old Chihuahua mix. Recently arriving at Little Shelter in Huntington, he’s already made quite an impression with his good-natured disposition and friendly demeanor. As handsome as can be with his brush stroked dappled coat, sparkling eyes, and sporty bow tie, he would be the ideal “plus one” for any and all activities you may have in mind. With an artist’s eye, he can already imagine how beautiful his forever home will be and just needs you to complete the picture. Stop by today….Picasso can’t wait to meet you! 631-368-8770

Norman

Meet Norman Rockwell

Handsome Norman was dropped off at the Smithtown Animal Shelter as a stray back in March and never claimed. Approximately 2 years old and weighing in at 55 pounds, this guy is all fun all of the time! He needs a little help focusing on his training, but he wants to please you and play all day long. He is very smart and would do best in a home that can provide an active life. 631-360-7575

Max

Meet Max

Clocking in at 92 pounds, Max, a three year old Labrador mix, may well be derived from the famed gladiator “Maximus”. This gentle giant at Little Shelter in Huntington still considers himself a lap dog, exhibits a sweet demeanor, and prefers a stuffed toy over screen time. Having mastered “sit” and a firm handshake, he’s ready for any challenge you throw his way….like a ball! Labradors are known to be even tempered, outgoing, intelligent, and kind…a description that fits Max well. Looking for a home that preferably has experience with large breed dogs due to his strength and size, Max promises that the most room he’ll occupy is in your heart. If this good boy sounds like the ideal match for you, stop by to meet him today! 631-368-8770

Spice

Meet Spice

Meet Spice, a vibrant and energetic 2-year-old girl who’s ready to spice up your life! This fun-loving pup at the Brookhaven Animal Shelter is a true wild child, always ready for an adventure and a good time. If you’re looking for a dog who loves to run, play, and chase, Spice is your girl! She adores stuffies and tennis balls, and she’ll happily entertain herself with her playful antics. Spice has lived with another dog before, but she prefers to be the only dog in the home, where she can have all the attention and toys to herself. 

Due to her high energy and resource guarding, Spice would thrive in a home with children aged 12 and up who can respect her boundaries. While she may be a bit of a handful at first, Spice is incredibly sweet once she settles in and trusts you. She’s a special girl with a unique personality, and she’s looking for a special home to call her own. Could that be yours? 631-451-6955

Maya

Meet Maya

This lovable domestic short-haired beauty has been waiting at the Smithtown Animal Shelter for her knight in shining armor since February! 

Approximately four years old with a striking brown and tabby coat, Maya came from a home with many other cats, and while her journey hasn’t been the easiest, this resilient little lady is ready to find the forever family she deserves—one that will show her the safety, care, and affection she’s always longed for.

Though she may seem a bit shy at first, patience is the key to unlocking her affectionate and playful personality. Maya loves a good scratch behind the ears, a warm snuggle, and sometimes a little solo time to recharge. She’s sweet, she’s sassy, and she’s sure to bring joy, laughter, and comfort to the lucky home that welcomes her in.

Maya is a great match for most households, including those with other cats, older children, and possibly well-mannered dogs. She has a mild neurological condition, likely Cerebellar Hypoplasia, which affects her coordination and balance—but don’t let that fool you! It’s not painful, not contagious, and certainly doesn’t stop Maya from living her life to the fullest.

Come meet Maya at the Smithtown Animal Shelter and discover just how wonderful life can be with a little more purr-sonality in it! 631-360-757

Rescue is a lifestyle. Adopt, don’t shop.

Check out the next Paw Prints in the issue of August 7.

Paw Prints is generously sponsored by Mark T. Freeley, Esq.

 

An example of splooting. Pixabay photo

By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

The non human animal world is rife with ways to cool off, with some employing familiar approaches, like seeking shade or wading in water, and others using unusual behaviors or benefiting from their different anatomies.

Thorny devil lizards, for example, use a collection of grooves on their skin to absorb water.

Beavers, meanwhile, drop their tails in the water, helping reduce their body temperature by cooling their blood.

Kangaroos lick their forearms. When the saliva evaporates, it reduces the temperature near the surface of their arms, helping them cool down.

Turkey vultures, who often soar through the air without flapping their wings and can look something like a hawk from a distance, use excretion to cool down.

What? Yeah, remember that episode of “Friends” when Monica got stung by a jellyfish? If you do, you probably have an idea where this is going. Turkey vultures urinate on their legs. When the urine evaporates, it cools them down the way sweat does for us or saliva does on the forearms of kangaroos. While this approach is not particularly appealing to us, it presumably helps those scavengers cope with the hotter parts of the day.

Large animals, such as elephants, flap their ears to lower their body temperature. The breeze cools the blood circulating near their ears that the pachyderm then distributes throughout its body.

Elephants, as well as pigs, ducks, geese and other water foul, also use water to cool down (which we also do when we wade into a pool, head to the beach, or run into a lake when the heat becomes intolerable).

Herons and owls, meanwhile, do something called gular fluttering. It’s similar to panting in mammals. Birds rapidly vibrate their throat muscles, causing the area to expand and contract. This causes evaporation from the membranes in the throat and mouth.

When they’re not out searching for nectar, honeybees fan their wings to circulate air and cool down their hives. The fanning also dries nectar into honey.

Horses, meanwhile, sweat to cool themselves off. Having ridden horses in the summer at Smoke Run Farm in Stony Brook, which closed in 2007 but was a part of my summer life for several years, I also remember some of those hot horses enjoying the cool spray from a hose after a ride.

Other animals, like hedgehogs, frogs, crocodiles and lungfish, estivate to cool off. They become dormant. By staying still, they cut down their metabolic rate and energy expenditure, decrease water loss and conserve body fluids and lower their body temperature. This seems like the equivalent of laying on the couch with the remote control, waiting for it to cool off before engaging in any activities. Next time someone demands you get of the couch, tell them you’re estivating.

As for splooting, you’ve seen your dog or cat do it, but you probably don’t know the term.

In fact, the spell check on my computer hates it, but it’s apparently an acceptable word for the way dogs and cats lay on their stomachs, with their legs extended behind them, typically on a cooler surface.

My dog, whose fur needs a trim, is an advanced splooter. Many of my pictures of him have some variation of the Superdog pose. Even though it’s adorable, he often doesn’t want me to pet him while he’s soaking up the cool floor the way I revel in the comfort of a cool pillow.

Dogs have sweat glands, but they don’t serve to cool our best friends. The apocrine glands are all over a dog’s body, contributing to its scent. The merocrine sweat glands, meanwhile, are in the paw pads and nose. In addition to panting, dogs widen the blood vessels in their noses and ears to release heat.

The internet also has suggestions for humans to cool off, many of which Long Islanders have learned to employ. We head to beaches, take cool showers or baths, go to the mall or a movie for air conditioning and imbibe cold drinks. Sure, a fan can work, but sometimes, that just blows excessively hot air.

Years ago, I lived in an apartment without air conditioning during a particularly hot summer. I splooted on a cool floor between two fans that were cranked to top speed. I was still thrilled when that summer of sweating and splooting ended.

Sweetbriar Nature Center heads to Stony Brook Village for a Pop-Up Saturday event on Aug. 16. File photo by Serena Carpino

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) has announced the return of Pop-Up Saturdays in Stony Brook Village this summer. This six-part series of family-friendly events will take place every Saturday from July 12 to August 16. Filled with animals, music, art, and magic, these events promise fun for all ages and will be held rain or shine. Pop-Up Saturdays are free to the public and will be located in Stony Brook Village’s Inner Court, near Crazy Beans and the Waterfall Garden. Events are weather permitting.

2025 Pop-Up Saturdays Lineup:

JULY 12 — Magic of Amore from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15pm. Come be dazzled by a magic show from one of New York’s top- rated magicians!; Marty Macaluso Caricature Artist from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Get your caricature drawn by this talented artist.

JULY 19 — Uncle Tony’s Reptile Shack from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m to 3:15 p.m. Come meet snakes, lizards, tortoises, and more at this interactive show; ARF Animal Rescue from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. The ARF Animal rescue will be here with their mobile adoption van along with some furry friends!

JULY 26 — Pixie Dust Storytellers from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Pixie Dust Storytellers brings magical, family-friendly character experiences to events across Long Island.

AUGUST 2 — School of Rock Port Jefferson from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. At School of Rock students learn to rock out on guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, and vocals. They will be here to perform an exciting set; Hope for Cleo Animal Rescue from noon to 3:30 p.m. Hope for Cleo is a nonprofit animal rescue organization hosting a puppy adoption event. Stop by to pet some cute puppies!

AUGUST 9 — Johnny Cuomo  from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.  to 3:15 p.m. Johnny Cuomo is a musician, storyteller, naturalist, teacher and author who has been sharing folk tales with people of all ages for many years.

AUGUST 16 — Sweetbriar Nature Center from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Sweetbriar Nature Center provides natural science education services for Long Island residents of all ages and engaging in native wildlife rehabilitation services.

The 2025 Pop-Up Saturdays are generously sponsored by Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright and the office of Economic Development and Planning and Apple Bank. For more information, visit wmho.org.

Photo courtesy of America's VetDogs

As Independence Day celebrations begin by breaking out the grills, lawn chairs and festive food, America’s VetDogs of Smithtown wants to remind pet owners that fireworks can be scary to your four legged friends and can send them into a panic. With a little planning and the below tips, you can ensure your pets can enjoy the holiday, just as much as you do.

  • Create a safe place for your pet indoors by finding a room or area they are tucked away from loud booms of fireworks, preferably without windows can be helpful. Playing soft music or putting on the TV can help muffle the sounds of fireworks. Draw any blinds or shades to reduce the amount of bright flashes into the room. Remove any items in the room that your pet could chew or ingest, as animals can become destructive when frightened or stressed.
  • Exercise your pet earlier in the day before any planned celebrations. By getting the energy out, they’ll have less to exert if they become anxious during fireworks.
  • Feed your pet their meal an hour or two prior to the firework celebration. This could help them feel relaxed before celebrations begin.
  • Provide appropriate and pet safe distractions by cuddling or playing with them during fireworks. Stuffing a Nylabone or KONG with peanut butter, kibble or pumpkin and freezing it can help divert their attention and focus on licking the toy over the celebrations in the background.
  • Make sure your pet has proper ID. To prevent your pet from going missing, make sure your pet always wears an ID tag with your up-to-date contact information.
  • As a reminder, fireworks can be stressful on veterans suffering from PTSD in your area. Please be considerate of your neighbors by not setting them off late at night or close to their homes.

For more pet care tips, visit vetdogs.org

Press release submitted by the Friends of Caleb Smith Preserve

Despite the rain, 45 junior anglers participated in the Friends of Caleb Smith Preserve Junior Angler Tournament on Saturday, June 7.

The Friends group hosted two catch-and-release fishing competitions at Caleb Smith State Park Preserve in Smithtown. The first session included 5- to 8-year-olds in the morning, and the second in the afternoon, 9- to 12-year-olds.

Throughout the day, the junior anglers caught a total of 35 fish, according to Tom and Carol Tokosh, who run the Junior Angler Tournament every year. The variety of fish included pumpkinseed sunfish, which is a pan fish, and bass.

Morning winners included Evie Filandro for most fish caught, Asher Rogienski for largest panfish, and Vincent Suarino for largest other fish. In the afternoon, Oliver Aravena received the trophy for most fish caught; Connor Biddle won largest panfish; and Dillian Dubeau won largest other fish.

Despite the weather, Tom Tokosh said, “Planning ahead made an enjoyable time for the Junior Anglers and their families.”

Participants in the tournament borrowed rods from the Friends group or brought their own. Tom Tokosh spent time making sure that the rods and reels were ready for the children to use. Carol Tokosh added fishing is a way to spend quality time together, and many families told her they had a fun day of fishing. At one point in the tournament, she asked a child if they caught a fish, and who said “no.”

“I asked if they were having fun, and the response was ‘yes’ with a smile,” Carol Tokosh said. “Many of the children were participants from previous years. There were many children fishing for the first time, and for others, it was the first fish they ever caught. It was wonderful to see the excitement on a child’s face when they caught a fish, and their families were also excited.”

A fishing rod/reel was raffled after each session, which was donated by Campsite Sports Store. In the morning session, a rod/reel and fishing backpack was donated in memory of Mike D’Agostino, who was one of the co-founders of the Friends of Caleb Smith Preserve as well as one of the founders of the Junior Angler Tournament and photographer for the tournament. In the afternoon session, the Friends group raffled off a fishing backpack, which was donated in memory of Peter Paquette, the past treasurer of the Friends of Caleb Smith Preserve, who was also a judge for the Junior Angler Tournament.

Catherine Hart, founder of Long Island Junior Anglers, brought a few of the new club’s members to the event: Mason (12), Arden (11), Katie (11), Charlie (10) and Henley (5). She described the tournament as “an unforgettable experience for kids and families across Long Island.

“From start to finish, the event was incredibly well-organized and welcoming — thanks to the Friends of Caleb Smith Preserve, who truly go above and beyond to create a fun, educational, and supportive environment for young anglers,” she said, adding that such an event was “about more than just catching fish. They’re about getting kids outside, helping them connect with nature, and building confidence through hands-on learning. For many of our junior anglers,this was a highlight of their summer.”

All participants received goodie bags containing information about fishing and the preserve as well as word search puzzles, a park activity book and other fishing items.

Carol and Tom Tokosh said they were grateful for the Caleb Smith State Park Preserve staff for getting the park ready for the tournament and providing the worms for fishing. “We would also like to thank the volunteers from the Friends of Caleb Smith Preserve, judges, volunteers, Campsite Sports Shop and Bob from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.” The couple added they are already planning for next year’s event. “Until next year, have fun fishing.”

Children under the age of 15 are welcomed to fish at Willow Pond at Caleb Smith Preserve Park from April through October. For more information, call 631-265-1054. 

Photos by Carol Tokosh

METRO photo

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services in conjunction with the Town of Brookhaven will offer free rabies vaccinations for dogs, cats and ferrets on Saturday, June 28, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Brookhaven Animal Shelter located at 300 Horseblock Road in Brookhaven. Although the clinic is available to all Suffolk County residents, the quantity of vaccine is limited and available only while supplies last. All dogs must be on leashes and all cats and ferrets must be in carriers.

New York State and Suffolk County laws require that all dogs, cats, and ferrets be vaccinated against rabies. Vaccinating pets not only provides protection for the animals but also acts as a barrier to keep the rabies virus from spreading between wild animals and people.

“Take the time to protect your beloved pets against rabies. They give us so much joy and love and deserve to be kept safe,” said County Executive Ed Romaine. For more information, call 631-451-6950.