Authorities on Long Island are searching for the person who abandoned a dog along the Southern State Parkway earlier this week.
State troopers responded around 5:30 a.m. Monday near Exit 21 after receiving reports of a dog tied to a light pole.
The dog, a white female English Mastiff, was discovered with a short leash, a food bowl, and a handwritten note.
The note read: “This is Roxi, a trained American bull mastiff. She is four years old. She has been fed and given a flea bath, she may still have issues with them. See that she gets good care.”
Roxi was taken to the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter for evaluation. Acting shelter director Ashley Behrens described her as “a sweet girl who is just trying to adjust to the big change in her life.”
The dog was first spotted by Garden City sanitation worker Ray Quinones on his way to work.
“As I got closer she started to get a little happy, but then as I got even closer, she got nervous and hesitant, so I stayed maybe three or four feet away from her the whole time,” Quinones recalled.
He said Roxi had no microchip, and her leash was so short she could only stand or sit. Quinones quickly contacted police for help.
On Wednesday, State Police and Nassau County District Attorney Ann Donnelly announced that investigators are seeking surveillance video to identify the person responsible.
Meanwhile, community members from Hempstead and across the country have reached out, offering to adopt Roxi and give her a safe home.
“The residents, not only in the town of Hempstead, but across the United States, have reached out saying they want to find a loving home for this dog,” said Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin Jr.
Roxi is expected to be put up for adoption soon. The person who abandoned her could face charges ranging from animal abandonment (a misdemeanor) to animal cruelty (a felony).