Gentle Mastiff rescued while waiting for owners who abandoned him to return

By Martha

A mastiff was found abandoned along side of a road in Franklin, NY

A loveable Mastiff was found abandoned along a remote road with bowls of food and water next to him. Julia VanSteenburg, a Delaware County animal control officer, found the dog by the roadside in Franklin (close by to Oneonta) on Friday. He had two bowls, water and a bag of kibble by his side.

Officer VanSteenburg said when she first approached the large dog, he was initially nervous. "He growled at me at first, but he warmed up quickly. He’s not neutered, and he had no collar or ID tags." She added, "He just stayed on the road like he expected whoever brought him there was coming back to get him. He really didn’t want to leave that spot."

She took the dog to the Delaware Valley Humane Society in Sidney where he will be held for 10 days while authorities try and find his owner. Karen Crawford, the manager of the Delaware Valley Humane Society in Sidney told CNYnews.com, "The dog is definitely a gentle giant. He is having some anxiety problems probably due to the fact that he was abandoned by the side of the road by his owner. But he is friendly and loveable. Because the animal officer brought the dog in herself we must hold it for ten days while the hunt is on for the dog’s owner and to find out why this dog was left by the side of a remote road."

A price sticker on one of the bowls and was traced back to a Marshall's store in Kingston (Ulster County) by Officer VanSteenburg. The town is 80 miles from where the dog was found. “I figured maybe it was somebody from the Kingston area that travels up this way. It's sad because he’s a beautiful dog," said Officer VanSteenburg adding,"This dog pulled at my heartstrings."

She notified police and left word with the Ulster County SPCA and will be contacting veterinarians and shelters in the Kingston area to see if anyone recognizes the dog. The case is being treated as an animal cruelty investigation. ”If nothing else, these people need to be read the riot act,” said VanSteenburg.

The bridle-colored, unneutered Mastiff was found on Frank Slawson Road near state Route 28 in Franklin, NY (Delaware County) on Friday December 7, 2012.

Anyone with information about the Mastiff or his owner are asked to call state police in Sidney at 607-561-7400 or contact Officer Julia VanSteenburg at (607) 369-3498.

Related:

Abandoned, loyal Mastiff rescued from roadside now looking for a forever home

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Comments on this Article

poor poor baby, good thing someone found her. i pray she finds a forever home

@Janeen Utley ...I so agree with you with regards to the education. There is education on drugs, alcohol, birth control, HIV Aids etc ....pets are part of our daily lives, EDUCATE children from a young age how to handle and care for pets and they will make the right choices regarding owning a pet in their adult lives.

My mom has been nearly evicted for not being able to pay her rent before, she's had her car re-po'd, but she has always, always found a way to purchase food for her cat. Pets are part of the family and you just do what you must! I'd never, ever let anything happen to my 2 dogs. Just never. I don't understand why people get dogs only to let them go or treat them badly. I really don't.

I have no words... I looke at my pups and through my worst, I looked to my pups for strength and reminders.why.i work so hard to.give them all they deserve especially trips.to.the park.. Wow.. I cannot fathom how anyone could just abandon this dog.

I have tears also. How inhumane. I pray this sweetheart gets a great forever home, with people/person that will love this dog. It always tears my heart apart that people do this.

I am so disappointed in people... only people do things like this...

I don't necessarily assume that the person that left the food and water was the person that left the dog. I carry food for my dog in my van and definitely would leave it for a stray dog I couldn't catch. Then all it would take is calling 911 to report him and giving a bad location because you weren't familiar with the area. Either a Sheriff deputy or a State Trooper gets dispatched to the area reported, finds nothing and continues about his business. The good samaritan believes that he's helped the dog. The original abandoner has taken care" of the problem and doesn't care. The real owner could be yet another person who is either missing the dog or has died or gone into a nursing home. I wouldn't be surprised that it's the last scenario. Some relative is "taking care" of aunt PIA not because she cares but because there's something in it for her and as soon as Aunt PIA is out of the way she's going to get rid of anything that she can. The cheapest way is to take the dog for a ride and leave it.

The scum that left him will have no remorse after all they did leave food and water..........leaving supplies they would have justified themselves.....as they say-----The more humans I meet the more I love my dogs.

This made me tear up...and @Cindy Howard I would do the exact same! ha

I am So Thankful The Officer found this Gentle Giant!! It just breaks my Heart that he was just left there, the water bowls , & a Bag of Kibble ?? Come On! The Dog can't feed himself !!& even then, Who Leaves a Pet on the side of the road???? So Cruel!! I wonder if they would also leave their child on side of street,its the SAME Thing!!!!!!!!!!Do people need to be Educated on What's Right & Wrong while Owning a Pet????? Maybe We Should Start doing more Classes Starting in Kindergarten up to 12th grades & keep Reinterating it

I don't understand people, even if the dog was taken away from an abusive situation, you don't just leave the dog on the side of the road, that's is wrong on so many levels.............I hope the dog finds a great forever home...............

Your right Sue there is a lot we don't know here. Maybe someone took the dog away from a neighbor because he was barking to much. Maybe it was the owner that showed one last act of kindness in a twisted kind of way. Perhaps it was someone who noticed that the dog had been abandoned, and when they pass by, they bring the dog some food. Maybe it's as you say and someone took the dog from an abusive situation. None of these situations warrant a dog being abandoned to the elements or possible being hit by a car. There are just to many humane options available to people, a friend,a neighbor, a shelter, the local animal control officer. I thought the same thing you did Sue when I read this article, but to my mind, in the end, there is no excuse.

I just don't understand this. Yes it's inhumane to abandon a dog, or any animal, but why go to the trouble of leaving food and water if he/she doesn't care? Something doesn't add up. Could it be someone getting the dog away from an abusive situation?

I just read this in the paper today when I went to Stamford for lunch. I could not believe that someone would do this to their pet, who they have probably shared a home with for years. Sure he's a big boy, but if you don't want him, I'm sure SOMEONE would have loved to have him rather than you abandoning him along the road. I certainly hope they find who did this. There should be more than just the riot act read, there should be charges brought. Even if a person is having financial problems, this is NOT an option to ease costs!!! I don't know the "reasons" (ahem...excuses) behind this abandonment, but I'm sure I won't feel sorry for anyone who has done this kind of thing. Left alone and scared and probably wondering what he'd done wrong....and it's FREAKING COLD out there, too! (a**hole!) I hope this big guy is getting some much needed loves and belly rubs and I'm wishing him a new, CARING home for Christmas! (doggie kisses to you, big fella)

Beautiful dog. He's colored similar to my mastiff mix. I wish I was in a position to take on another dog as he's only an hour and a quarter from me.

Some days these upset me so much-we need tough penalties for people who do this and ban them from owning animals!

Just blows me away that someone could leave their dog like that! Beautiful Dog, so happy someone found him and that he will hopefully get a good home!!!!!

This is one of the cruelest acts a person can do to a dog. The dog is always going to think the person is going to come right back. Dogs don’t possess the same devious minds we humans do, they take us at our word, and all too often, they are destroyed by that trust, by that vulnerability. Another thing about dogs, they will usually find something about even the cruelest of masters to love. Dogs that have just been beaten within an inch of their lives, will still crawl to the person and lick the hands that beat them. My own thinking, those who exploit that fragile state for their own benefit are despicable louts, unworthy of being called human beings because they don’t have normal human traits, such as kindness, trustworthy, honest, empathetic, and are instead, cruel, selfish, greedy, unsympathetic, harsh and mean. Actually, it may be for the best that they left this dog out for someone else to find and care for. It will likely end up in a far better home in the long run.

How can anyone abadon a beautiful dog.... It also pulled on my heartstrings..... If I was closer I would take it in.... if the owners are not found... I hope he gets to find a better home where his new owners know not to abadon him ever again, and to give him a good home better than his last one. I hope the old owner who abadoned him is read his or her riot act.... and be charged with cruelty. *sighs* no dog is to be abadoned! How unforgiving!! I am just glad the officer found him and brought him in rather than leave him to die. *sighs*.... what a horrible horrible situation!

I would leave my husband along side the road before i would leave my pets they are loyal companions

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