Doctor Provides Creature Comforts

For more than 20 years, John Charos has been a caretaker for the furry – and scaly – friends of Alley Pond Environmental Center.

"It was a natural fit," Charos said of volunteering his veterinary services at the center, located at 228-06 Northern Blvd. in Douglaston, for the past two decades. "We've had the prairie dogs, iguanas, local eastern box turtles that are on the protected list - and there aren't a lot of veterinarians who do that kind of work."

Charos said he was eager to take on the job back in the late 1980s.

Dozens of exotic animals call Alley Pond home, from chinchillas and snakes to ferrets and bearded dragons. The doctor, who also acts as a board member for the center, cares for them all.

Charos operates six clinics close to Alley Pond. Therefore, staff members from the center can bring sick or wounded animals from the Douglaston site to the nearby clinics, two of which are located in Bayside and Great Neck.

"Recently, we just had a snake brought in that had been attacked by another snake and was being ingested," the doctor said. "They were able to get the snake out of the other snake. He had a pretty good gash on the neck that we're treating and he's still in the hospital right now."

Charos said his clinics also provide preventative care by taking cultures from the animals to make sure they are not carrying diseases that could be transferred to people, especially children who visit to the center to take classes and interact with the animals.

"Probably, about 50,000 children come through here a year," Charos said. "It's just a great educational service that's provided."
           

The doctor said this is part of the reason why he finds the work so meaningful.           

"Some of these kids are coming from the city and they've never seen a park," he said. "Or, they've never really been up close to one of these animals and it makes them think twice about helping when they see one injured."
           

The center never purchases any of the creatures, most of whom are brought in by people who have found the animals but cannot care for them.
           

Charos said the varying types of animals for which he cares makes for a unique work environment.

"Pretty much anything is a possibility," he said.