By Hank Russell
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly was joined by Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin and New York State Police Captain Timothy Gleason at a press conference at the Hempstead Town Animal Shelter in Wantagh on July 3 to give a status update of Roxi, the Mastiff who was found tied to a light pole near the Southern State Parkway. She said she will work with law enforcement to bring the individual responsible to justice.
On July 1 at 5:30 a.m., Troopers Marvin Guerra and James DeMartino spotted Roxi tied to a light pole by her leash near Exit 21 of the westbound Southern State Parkway. They also found a dog bowl with a note. The note read, “This is ‘Roxi,’ a trained American bull mastiff. She is four years old. She has been feed [sic] and given a flea bath. She may still have issues with them. See that she gets good care.”
According to the town, the dog had fleas and was underweight. She was not microchipped. In addition, the owner has not been identified yet. In the meantime, Roxi has been made available for adoption.
“Roxi’s story is heartbreaking,” Clavin said. “We are proud to be able to care for Roxi at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter while she awaits a forever home with a loving family.”
Donnelly said leaving an animal on the Southern State Parkway — “arguably one of our most traveled and treacherous highways on Long Island” — is “no place to abandon a four-year-old animal, and leaving a note with well-wishes just doesn’t cut it.”
Gleason echoed Donnelly’s sentiments. “If you are not able to handle a dog, then there are other alternatives,” he said.
He said it was a good thing that Roxi was still on her leash when the troopers found her. “If she broke her leash, she could have run out onto the parkway,” he said. “She could have not only endangered herself, but the motorists as well.”
Donnelly urged those to bring animals they can no longer care for to either a shelter or a veterinarian. “Any of these options are better than tying a defenseless creature to a pole on a highway,” she said.
Donnelly said her office will work together with the New York State Police to provide whatever support they can to find the individual responsible for abandoning Roxi. Anyone who believes they have information that can help identify Roxi’s owner may call the State Police at (631) 756-3300, or the Nassau DA’s office at (516) 571-7755. All calls will remain anonymous.