A concerned neighbor noticed a dog left outside on the narrow ledge of an apartment building on the Upper West Side this weekend.
Advertisement
Deanne Romano said she was visiting a friend’s apartment on Saturday when she noticed the dog on the ledge at 5 West 86th Street. “It’s not protected. I’m surprised it’s even allowed,” Romano told ILTUWS.
Romano, a certified dog trainer and animal behavior consultant, initially thought the dog was a statue because it was standing motionless. “It looked very scared,” she said, noting the ledge was likely only one foot wide and estimating that the dog was on the 13th floor.
Romano said she called 911 around 3:20 p.m. and was told they would “put it in the system.” Two hours later, she called again before contacting 311, which responded via email, “The NYPD is responding, and will contact the owner, and look to bring the dog inside, and make sure it is not in distress.”
Free Upper West Side News, Delivered To Your Inbox
Frustrated, Romano decided to take matters into her own hands and approached the building’s doorman, whom she said was discourteous. She believes this issue is ongoing, as the doorman appeared agitated and remarked, “They won’t do anything.” His reaction led her to suspect that others had raised similar concerns before.
Advertisement
“This is really a case of neglect and endangerment,” said Romano. When asked what message she would give the dog’s owner and the building owner, she replied, “Block access to the terrace. The same people that don’t care can’t be treating that dog right.”
As of writing, the dog is no longer visible on the building’s ledge, we were told.
Romano hopes the dog is still alive. “It might have fallen, for all I know,” she said.
The 311 service request Romano filed on November 23 was updated to state, “The Police Department responded to the complaint and took action to fix the condition.”
Have a news tip? Send it to us here!
Good on Ms Romano for trying. What a despicable pet owner.
Dog looks fine. Don’t bother the police with dumb stuff like this.
lol alright dude
Honestly, if you were out on that ledge, I’d be cool with it. Give it a try, Steve! Hope the dog was rescued from that untenable situation. Steve, close your computer. Forever.
The dig did not require a rescue and it’s fine. It probably does that a lot, looks like an old dog. Don’t worry so much. It’s not even a ledge there’s an obvious parapet there.
Lolol. Sure. It’s perfectly safe.
Dolt.
agreed. there is a high ledge to keep the dog cozy there, and probably even a source of water. that dog probably believes it is the luckiest dog in the building. as for ‘picking up after your dog’ goes, its optional for the owner, making life easier for them, too.
This is animal abuse.
This makes me so sad. You can see the dog is elderly, he looks so dejected. It seems the owners are guilty of animal cruelty and should be arrested.
Why is any human defending the horrific behavior of
the dog owner.
Pets are companions , who love unconditionally.
Unfortunately , this elderly pet ‘s trust has been betrayed
Shame on the owner & anyone who thinks this treatment is ok.