INWOOD — A dog that was found by police tied up in front of an Inwood grocery store has been reunited with its owner thanks to the news spreading on social media.
Officers from the 34th Precinct found the pup, which appeared to be a Sheltie, tied to a pole in front of 72 Nagle Ave. on Tuesday afternoon, according to a post on the precinct’s Facebook page.
The store’s owner said the dog had been there for a few hours, so the officers brought her to the precinct, the post said. The dog was eventually taken to the city’s Manhattan animal shelter at 326 110th St. per NYPD procedure, the precinct said.
The precinct posted a picture of the pup, asking if anyone was missing the dog, and photo was shared more than 1,400 times in 24 hours.
Some commenters said they recognized the dog from the neighborhood, but did not know how to contact the owner.
However, a woman who saw the dog’s picture in a community Facebook group made the connection when she spotted the owner posting fliers about a lost dog. She then notified the owner that the dog had been taken to the city shelter, according to her comments.
The owner, who declined to give her name, told DNAinfo that she had been reunited with her pup.
“I do have my dog back thanks to the community,” she said.
The owner declined to comment on the conditions under which she and the dog became separated, but said she was appreciative of neighbors’ help.
“It was a miracle,” she said.
The 34th Precinct is the first NYPD command to have its own Facebook page, which launched last week.
“We’re happy that the new Facebook page was able to reunite this dog with its owner,” said the precinct's Deputy Inspector Chris Morello.
A spokeswoman for Animal Care and Control also confirmed that the dog had been reunited with its owner.
She encouraged anyone who has lost a pet to start their search by filing a lost pet report with Animal Care and Control so that the shelter has the information on file.
