About Humane Long Island

John Di Leonardo is the founder and executive director of Humane Long Island. He holds a Master of Science in Anthrozoology from Canisius University, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Siena College, and a graduate certificate in Jain Studies from the International School of Jain Studies in India. John is a New York State Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator and formerly a “Nuisance” Wildlife Control Operator. He founded Humane Long Island’s international Duck Defenders program and serves on the steering committee for the National Canada Goose Protection Coalition.

Prior to founding Humane Long Island, John served as Senior Manager of Grassroots Campaigns and Animals in Entertainment Campaigns for PETA, the world’s largest animal rights organization. During his tenure, he spearheaded landmark victories, including the closure of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus after 146 years, the Iditarod dogsled race cutting its purse by half a million dollars, and SeaWorld ending its orca breeding program and circus-style dolphin shows. John also restructured PETA’s international grassroots efforts into a dedicated Grassroots Campaigns division, equipping activists across North America with tools and training for effective advocacy, and overseeing the Grassroots Protests, Action Team, and Vegan Mentor Program.

Earlier in his career, John managed day programs for people with developmental disabilities on Long Island and operated the Horseless eCarriage, a humane alternative to New York City’s horse-drawn carriage industry.

John’s contributions to animal welfare and advocacy have earned him recognition from the New York State Humane Association, Humane World for Animals, PETA, In Defense of Animals, and the Suffolk County SPCA. He has also been honored with the Compassion Awards’ inaugural Gandhi Award and the National Goose Protection Coalition’s inaugural Golden Goose Award, as well as appearing as Mr. February in Rescue Men USA’s 2016 Calendar.

Read more about John in the Long Island Herald and Newsday’s Faces of Long Island, or on his curriculum vitae. 

Juliana Di Leonardo is Vice President of Humane Long Island and a leader of our animal rescue response and animal care teams. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts with a minor in Education from Dowling College and a New York State Wildlife Rehabilitator’s License from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Juliana is also the owner and head instructor of Ahimsa Arts, where she teaches yoga, ballroom dance, and kindness to students of all ages.

Whether leading humane education yoga classes, preparing presentations for schools and congregations, or rescuing injured and abandoned birds with her bare hands, Juliana combines creativity, compassion, and relentless dedication. Her efforts have strengthened Humane Long Island’s humane education programs and expanded our animal rescue operations exponentially.

A recognized advocate for animals exploited by the fashion industry, Juliana was featured in the 2021 documentary The Face of Fashion is Fear, appearing body-painted as a victim of the cruel down feather industry. PETA honored her with a “Hero for Coyotes Award” following Canada Goose’s decision to go fur-free. She also appears in the eye-opening documentary Real Fur and is a regular contributor to The South Asian Times, writing about animal protection, environmental stewardship, and compassionate living.

As a leader of Duck Defenders’ New York response team, Juliana and John were featured in an episode of A&E’s Rescue Cam, rescuing a goose with fireworks duct-taped to its body.

Read more about Juliana in Newsday‘s Faces of Long Island. 

Bonnie S. Klapper is an American lawyer who was a federal prosecutor in both New York and California for 25 years.

She is in private practice, specializing in the defense of extraditables. She is a member of the bar in the States of New York, California, and the District of Columbia and has been admitted to Federal District Court in New York, California, Florida, Texas and the District of Columbia.

In 2018, Bonnie became a vegan, limited her private practice and decided to devote her legal skills to animal liberation and animal rights organizations as well as assisting individual activists. She provides legal counsel to numerous animal rights organizations, including Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade and Animal Activism Collective, and represents individual activists charged with crimes relating to their activism.  She is on the Board and helps run the campaigns at several animal-related nonprofits,  including Black Sheep Sanctuary in Mexico and Santuario Namigni in Colombia.  Bonnie is the co-founder of the nonprofit Run 2 the Rescue, a dog rescue that saves dogs from the Asian dog meat trade.

Bonnie is honored to be on the Board of Humane Long Island and believes deeply in its mission.