MANORVILLE, N.Y. (1010 WINS) -- Long Island pet owners thought their dogs were being cared for after they boarded them for the holiday weekend—only to find out they’d been left alone in a storefront.
Nassau County police said 21 dogs were found “in various stages of neglect” at a storefront in Manorville on Saturday morning.
Officers discovered the dogs as they responded to a report of sick animals at 144 Shore Rd., which is used as a business for boarding dogs.
Officers discovered the dogs as they responded to a report of sick animals at 144 Shore Rd., which is used as a business for boarding dogs.Sophia Hall
The dogs had been left without food, water or a place to go to the bathroom, according to police. They were taken to the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, where many were still being cared for on Monday.
One woman said her dog Peanut was among those found in the nondescript storefront. “Heartbreaking,” she said. “I just wish I could’ve been there to give him a hug and reassure him.”
Pet owners said the woman accused of leaving the dogs is a trusted boarder. Charges have not been filed against her in the Nassau case, but police said she was arrested on animal neglect charges two weeks ago in Pennsylvania for allegedly having more than 40 animals stuffed in a van. One of them died, police said.
The dogs had been left without food, water or a place to go to the bathroom, according to police. They were taken to the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, where many were still being cared for on Monday.Sophia Hall
Another pet owner, Jennifer, said her 9-year-old Shih Tzu named Oreo suffers from anxiety and stomach issues, and was without his meds. She was in Seattle with her daughter when she got word of what happened. She said she didn’t drop Oreo off at the building where he was discovered.
“I wish she had called me, I could’ve got someone to pick up the dog,” she said. “That’s not where I dropped him off. Moving him was something important to tell me.”
