This is quite a story.  My niece Missy Morrison came up for a visit over the weekend.  She lives in the Kingston area and told me about a story that had everybody buzzing down in Ulster County.

A dog was abandoned on Frank Slawson Road in Franklin, NY (Delaware County) on Saturday. Animal Control Officer Julia VanSteenburg was called to the seen after neighbors reported the lone large male mastiff, which was left with only a bowl of water, seemed to have been abandoned.

VanSteenburg took the animal to the Delaware County Humane Society in Sidney and called NYS Police.

In the process VanSteenburg noticed that one of the dishes had a sticker from a Marshall's Department Store. She then called the store's Kingston location and confirmed the bowl had been purchased there.

The next step was calling animal control in Kingston, and an officer there suspected he had picked up the same animal in a similar situation months ago. He sent a photo to VanSteenburg that bared a remarkable resemblance to the one she provided CNYnews.com (above).

Now, police and animal control officers are searching for the owner of the abandoned mastiff, and while they have not found them, VanSteenburg assured they "have a very good lead."

I spoke this morning with Karen Crawford, the manager of the Delaware Valley Humane Society in Sidney.  She told me, "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 lovable. 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."

The dog is a male mastiff, pictured above. Petfinder.com describes a Mastiff as an innately good-natured, calm, easygoing and surprisingly gentle dog. He is a well-mannered house pet, but needs sufficient room to stretch out. This is an extremely loyal breed, and though not excessively demonstrative, he is devoted to his family and good with children.

All humane societies do great work and they are especially busy during the holidays.  I asked Karen what the situation was currently in Sidney.

"Well, Big Chuck, we have a full house right now," she laughed.  "More than 25 dogs and more than 70 cats, including kittens.  So please...send your listeners down here!"

The phone number of the Delaware Valley Humane Society is 607-563-7780.

And God Bless all of these great organizations and "our forlorn furry friend from Franklin" who has no idea how he landed in Sidney!

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