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Long Island Animal Rescuer John DeBacker Goes Where Others Can’t to Save Animals in Danger
By Samantha Vogel
Long Island Daily News
LONG ISLAND, N.Y. — When an animal is trapped, injured or stranded in a place most people wouldn’t know how to reach, one Long Island name has become familiar in the animal-rescue community:
John DeBacker.
From frightened cats on busy roadways to animals trapped in unusual and dangerous situations, DeBacker has spent years answering calls for help across Long Island.
His rescues don’t always happen inside the controlled environment of an animal shelter.
Sometimes they happen alongside highways.
Sometimes underneath cars.
Sometimes high in trees.
And sometimes they happen on active railroad tracks.
A Mission to Save Animals
DeBacker, a Long Island native, has been involved in animal rescue for years and serves as vice president of Long Island Cat/Kitten Solution, a nonprofit organization involved in cat rescue and Trap-Neuter-Return efforts.
Although cats are at the center of much of his work, DeBacker’s rescue efforts have extended to other animals as well.
His work has attracted attention because many of the calls involve animals in situations requiring quick thinking, persistence and cooperation with police, firefighters, veterinarians, other rescuers and members of the public.
A Cat Stranded on the LIRR Tracks
One of DeBacker’s notable 2026 rescues unfolded on the Long Island Rail Road.
An orange cat was spotted on the tracks between Lindenhurst and Babylon.
With trains passing through the area, getting close to the frightened animal presented an obvious danger.
MTA Police responded, and railroad power was temporarily shut off so rescuers could safely approach.
With officers helping keep the cat’s attention, DeBacker approached from behind and used a net to secure him.
The rescue was successful.
The cat, later named Garfield, had suffered serious injuries and was taken for veterinary treatment.
It was another example of what can happen when concerned residents, authorities and experienced animal rescuers work together.
Answering Calls in All Kinds of Conditions
DeBacker’s work doesn’t stop when conditions become uncomfortable.
During the bitter winter weather of 2026, he responded to help a kitten found outside in Bay Shore after surviving dangerously cold temperatures.
He has also responded to cats trapped underneath vehicles, animals caught in dangerous situations and community cats needing assistance.
In another case, a kitten survived a five-mile trip lodged inside the undercarriage of a vehicle traveling from Melville to Huntington.
After attempts to reach the kitten were unsuccessful, a mechanic helped dismantle portions of the vehicle so DeBacker could finally remove the tiny animal.
The kitten survived and went into foster care.
More Than Cats
Although many Long Islanders know DeBacker for his work with cats and kittens, he has stepped in for other animals as well.
In Ronkonkoma, he responded after a homeowner discovered an injured squirrel caught in a foot-hold trap.
In another rescue, DeBacker worked with police to help a possum stranded along Sunrise Highway in Bohemia.
And in May 2026, DeBacker joined local residents in Seaford to help rescue 11 ducklings trapped in a storm drain, ultimately helping reunite them with their mother.
For rescuers, the species isn’t necessarily what matters.
An animal is in trouble, and somebody needs to help.
Rescue Is About More Than Dramatic Saves
The highway and railroad rescues may attract the cameras, but there is another side to animal rescue that receives far less attention.
It is the daily work of addressing Long Island’s homeless and community-cat population.
That means trapping.
Spaying and neutering.
Finding veterinary care.
Locating foster homes.
Finding adopters.
Feeding animals.
Responding to calls.
And doing it again the next day.
DeBacker has repeatedly emphasized the importance of spaying and neutering cats.
For Long Island’s community-cat population, Trap-Neuter-Return, or TNR, remains an important tool for preventing additional litters and reducing the cycle of cats and kittens being born outdoors.
Long Island’s Rescuers Need the Community
People like John DeBacker may be the ones climbing, crawling, trapping and physically carrying animals to safety.
But animal rescue requires an entire network.
It requires the person who notices an injured animal and makes the call.
It requires police officers willing to stop traffic.
It requires firefighters and other emergency personnel who lend their equipment and expertise.
It requires veterinarians who treat injured animals.
It requires shelters and rescue organizations.
It requires donors who help cover expenses.
And perhaps most importantly, it requires fosters and adopters willing to provide somewhere for rescued animals to go next.
Saving an animal from immediate danger is only the first part of the story.
The next question is:
Where does that animal go?
A Long Island Daily News Shout-Out
At Long Island Daily News, we believe the people quietly doing this work throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties deserve recognition.
So today, we’re giving a special shout-out to John DeBacker and the rescuers, volunteers, foster families, veterinarians, police officers, firefighters and ordinary Long Islanders who step forward when an animal needs help.
Animal rescue isn’t always glamorous.
Sometimes it’s dirty.
Sometimes it’s heartbreaking.
Sometimes it means hours of waiting for a frightened animal to finally enter a trap.
And sometimes it means stopping what you’re doing because somewhere on Long Island, an animal is in trouble.
Those efforts deserve to be recognized.
Thank you, John DeBacker, for being one of the people willing to answer those calls.
And thank you to every Long Island animal rescuer whose name may never appear in a newspaper.
Your work matters, too.
Help Us Recognize Long Island’s Animal Heroes
Long Island Daily News wants to continue highlighting the people making a difference for animals throughout our communities.
Do you know an extraordinary Long Island animal rescuer, trapper, foster parent, shelter volunteer, veterinarian or wildlife rehabilitator who deserves recognition?
Tell us their story.
We want to shine a light on the people who spend their days — and often their nights — helping animals who cannot help themselves.
🐾 Rescue. Foster. Adopt. Volunteer. Donate. Share.
Together, Long Island can save more lives.
By Samantha Vogel
Long Island Daily News
The recent LIRR rescue and DeBacker’s broader rescue history are documented by CBS New York and other Long Island reporting.
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