Malnourished, caged wallaby found in New York garage

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- SPCA officers in New York discovered a malnourished wallaby being kept in a garage in an East Rockaway home on Tuesday.

The Nassau County SPCA received a tip about the illegal animal, which was discovered in poor condition in the home belonging to animal exhibitor Larry Wallach, according to WPIX.

Officials opened an investigation into the incident but Wallach was not available to speak and neighbors had not seen him in weeks.

Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals spokesman, Gary Rogers, said the wallaby was kept inside a cold, fenced-in trailer inside the garage and was found at less than half the weight of an average wallaby, The Long Island Herald reported.

"He looked very small and thin to us, and that's why we called the vet to go there," he said.

SPCA officers fed the wallaby lettuce while they waited for a veterinarian to arrive and is being cared for at Mineola Animal Hospital.

It is unknown how long the wallaby was living in Wallach's garage. He had been contacted by the United States Department of Agriculture in 2008 and 2009 and had previously housed a wallaby in an area with inadequate space.