Roxy the dog gets new home, lease on life after being abandoned

VALHALLA, N.Y. -- A dog found with sores on her body and hair matted over her eyes and ears has a new lease on life after being cleaned up and adopted.

Animal care workers say it is one of the worst cases of neglect they've ever seen, and there is video of the person who abandoned the pooch.

Roxy is a healthy-looking dog today, but she was barely recognizable through overgrown fur just a few weeks ago.

Rocco Foglia found the purebred schnauzer tied to a bench outside Valhalla Animal Hospital.

"You could barely tell whether it was a dog, cat, looked like a big fuzzball," he said. "It's just disgusting. Absolutely criminal."

Surveillance video shows a minivan pulling into the parking lot around 6:30 a.m., and a woman opening the passenger side door and taking the dog out on her leash.

The SPCA and a groomer were contacted, and there was additional concern over the area around the dog's neck where a battery-powered bark collar had been attached.

"It was in horrific pain because this had zapped it so many times that there was no skin left," groomer Katrina Wright said. "It was just raw and bleeding."

Roxy's coat was so severely matted that she had to be sedated while a veterinarian shaved away several pounds of fur.

"This was probably the worst neglected case that I have personally seen," vet John Credaroli said

But the story ends happy, with Sue Ranellone adopting the dog and naming her.

"Whoever did it, I can't understand why, because she's the best dog," she said. "She sits. She stays when you say stay. She never makes a mistake in the house. She's a great dog."

Authorities have several leads they are following as to the woman's identity, but no one has been taken into custody and no charges have been filed.