Nonviolence is the highest moral virtue

“Ahimsa paramo dharma” is the guiding principle of Humane Long Island, infusing every action, campaign, and decision with a commitment to nonviolence and compassion for all living beings. 

Ahimsa: Nonviolence as action

Ahimsa paramo dharma—a principle attributed to Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, and later popularized by Mahatma Gandhi—loosely translates to “nonviolence is the highest moral virtue.” In Sanskrit, ahimsa means non-injury toward all living beings. Paramo conveys the ultimate or supreme, while dharma refers to duty, righteousness, and the moral law that guides right action.

Ahimsa is more than a philosophical ideal—it is active compassion, expressed through the least harm in thought, word, and deed. At Humane Long Island, we extend this principle beyond personal choices to systemic change. Our work is rooted in strategic activism designed to reduce suffering on a broad scale.

Warriors for peace

Inspired by Mahavira—whose name means “Great Warrior”—Humane Long Island is far from a conventional animal rights organization. We are strategic campaigners whose victories demonstrate the power of targeted, compassionate action:

  • Shut down unlicensed slaughterhouses, sham sanctuaries, and roadside zoos in New York City, Aquebogue, Holtsville, Huntington, Manorville, and beyond

  • Stopped a proposed slaughterhouse in Islip, blocked the expansion of a notorious aquarium chain into Oyster Bay, and closed Sloth Encounters in Hauppauge

  • Ended illegal petting zoos, rodeos, and backyard slaughter operations

  • Halted massacres of thousands of Canada geese and white-tailed deer

  • Eliminated wild-animal acts, circuses, and exploitative performances from New York City to Greenport

  • Won stronger state and local animal-protection laws that safeguard animals for the long term

We do not approach animal exploiters with pride or anger, but rather as humane educators with thoughts of consequentialism. We recognize that a person’s every action is the result of the disposition they were born with—whether one calls that a soul, a jiva, or simply their genetics—and from the experiences, environmental influences, or karmas that shape them. Those who exploit animals are not wicked people to be feared or loathed; but rather, they are broken people who need to be loved and healed.

Our philosophy manifests in hands-on campaigns:

Humane Long Island proves that compassion is not passive—it is a force for real-world change.

The future of Sanctuaries

Humane Long Island is not your typical sanctuary. Using a transitional sanctuary model, we rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome hundreds of animals every year—far more than organizations that provide lifelong residence.

What sets us apart:

  • Exponential impact: We perform direct rescue and triage instead of keeping them indefinitely.

  • Comprehensive care: We specialize in waterfowl, peafowl, pheasants, and species often overlooked by shelters. 

  • Foster network: Animals move from our triage center into trusted foster homes while awaiting permanent placement.

  • Investigations: We conduct undercover operations to expose animal abuse, illegal wildlife trade, and neglect.

  • Targeted campaigns: We shut down shut down exploitative operations, influence policy, and protect animals on a systemic level.

“We don’t just save lives—we create stories that inspire systemic change.”

Where We Are Now

We currently operate from a cabin on 0.5 acres of the 140-acre Dorothy P. Flint 4-H Camp in Riverhead, which houses:

  • A vegan boutique

  • A triage and rehabilitation center for rescued animals

  • Rescue vehicles and watercraft for farmed and exotic animal rescue operations

Where We Are Headed

We are now fundraising for a permanent sanctuary property that will allow us to:

  • Expand rescue operations

  • Launch an Activist Education Center for workshops, trainings, and community events

  • Promote Ahimsa in action, teaching compassion and systemic advocacy for animals

Your support can help create a future where compassion is not just a belief, but a lived movement.

To contribute, visit our donation page or contact [email protected] to discuss donations of land or property. Together, we can save lives, challenge systemic abuse, and build a more humane Long Island and a more compassionate world. 

How ahimsa has shaped our leadership

John Di Leonardo

John Di Leonardo

Founder, Executive Director & Anthrozoologist

John has always been driven to protect others. As a child, he stood up to schoolyard bullies; as a teenager, he confronted violent gangs. But with time, he realized that the largest problems in the world could not be solved with fists—and that violence only perpetuates more violence. He disbanded his own gang of vigilantes and redirected his energy toward healing—studying counseling and school psychology to help neurologically diverse children when intervention matters most.

At Siena College, John discovered Jainism, and his worldview shifted. Until then, he believed the common myths that meat was necessary for survival. Encountering a community that had lived without harming animals for thousands of years—some so committed to ahimsa they waited for berries to fall naturally—deeply humbled him. The day he learned about Jainism, he saw the chicken on his plate as an individual, not food. He never ate meat again.

Within a year, he learned the realities of modern animal agriculture—calves abducted from their mothers, male chicks killed at birth—and knew he could not participate in that violence. Soon after, an email from PETA calling for protests against the Ringling Bros. Circus galvanized him. For Spring Break, he made a small vow—an Anuvrat—to peacefully protest outside Nassau Coliseum. That vow grew into a larger one: to see the end of Ringling’s animal exploitation in his lifetime.

John kept that vow. He became an anthrozoologist at the world’s largest animal rights organization and led the final Ringling Bros. protest at Nassau Coliseum before the circus collapsed—all before turning 30.

He continued taking small but consequential vows, leading campaigns that help to:

  • End SeaWorld’s orca-breeding program and circus-style dolphin shows

  • Persuade major Iditarod sponsors—including ExxonMobil and Fiat-Chrysler—to pull $500,000 annually from the dog-sled race

  • Shut down Cole Bros. Circus

  • Block slaughterhouses and predatory aquarium chains on Long Island

  • Found Humane Long Island, his most ambitious effort yet

John deepened his study of nonviolence by earning a graduate certificate in Jain Studies from the International School of Jain Studies in India and received the inaugural Gandhi Award from the Compassion Awards.

He speaks regularly across the South Asian American community at events such as:

  • The 2025 JAINA Convention

  • Shanti Fund’s 2025 Mahavir Jayanti celebration

  • ANUVIBHA’s 2024 International Conference on Peace and Nonviolent Action

  • JJC USA’s 2023 Connect-Con

  • Vegan Vision’s 2022 Deepawali Celebration

John has published in Sramana, contributed to Young Jains Magazine and A Lotus in the Mud, and writes a weekly column on Acharya Tulsi’s Anuvrat Movement for The South Asian Times.

Through every chapter of his journey, John lives a simple truth: small, consistent acts of compassion can transform lives, communities, and entire systems.

Juliana Di Leonardo

Juliana Di Leonardo

Vice President, Board Member

Juliana has been deeply attuned to human and animal suffering, as well as environmental degradation, since childhood. As a young adult, she joined John’s protests against Ringling Bros. and Cole Bros. circuses, even before Humane Long Island was founded. In 2013, when John was in Detroit and unable to lead a protest, Juliana organized and led her own demonstration against Piccadilly Circus. Its planned next stop in West Hempstead was ultimately canceled due to fears of backlash.

Her activism took on new depth in 2014 while studying ahimsa at Yoga Darshana in Babylon. There, she was introduced to Hinduism, became a yoga instructor, and adopted a vegetarian lifestyle. The following year, her journey led her to Jainism, and she embraced veganism.

Juliana’s advocacy for animals exploited by the fashion industry has garnered national recognition. She was featured in the 2021 documentary The Face of Fashion is Fear, appearing body-painted to represent the suffering caused by the down feather industry. Her work was further honored by PETA with a “Hero for Coyotes Award” following Canada Goose’s decision to go fur-free. Juliana also appears in the revealing documentary Real Fur and contributes regularly to The South Asian Times, sharing her insights on animal protection, environmental stewardship, and compassionate living.

Today, Juliana is a 500 RYT-certified yoga instructor and the owner of Ahimsa Arts LLC, where she teaches yoga, dance, and kindness. A portion of the proceeds from her work directly supports Humane Long Island, allowing her to continue her lifelong commitment to compassion in action.