She Came for a Chihuahua. Police Ended Up Rescuing 21 Dogs From a Manorhaven Storefront
Margaret Ragusa went from Brentwood to Manorhaven expecting a simple dog pickup. Instead, the Chihuahua she says she bought became part of a much larger animal welfare investigation involving 21 dogs and a storefront on Shore Road.
1. A Chihuahua pickup turned into a very different kind of day
Ragusa said she had been looking for a dog for a long time and traveled to a Shore Road storefront in Manorhaven to collect a Chihuahua she had purchased.
She expected to leave with the puppy. Instead, she found herself waiting as police got involved, and officials made clear that no animals would be leaving the property with anyone that day.
2. The handoff stopped at the door
According to Ragusa, an employee met her at the storefront to bring out the puppy. But after the door was opened, the worker allegedly found dogs being kept in deplorable conditions and called police right away.
Ragusa said she asked whether there was any chance she could still take the dog, especially after making the trip from Brentwood. The answer, she said, was no.
3. Officers removed 21 dogs
Nassau County police said they recovered 21 dogs from the property. Authorities said the animals appeared to be in various stages of neglect.
North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena described conditions that included dogs in cages without water or food, and in feces. For dog lovers, it was the kind of scene that shifts a routine pickup into an urgent rescue effort.
4. The dogs are now at the town shelter while the case is investigated
DeSena said the dogs were removed from the storefront and are being cared for at the town animal shelter. No charges had been filed over the alleged neglect, but officials said an investigation is underway to figure out how the animals ended up in those conditions.
Selma Kazil, who runs the boarding and rescue organization tied to the dogs, denied wrongdoing. She said she was out of state and had left the animals with employees. She also said the dogs had been moved to the Manorhaven property after being forced out of another location. Town officials added that some of the recovered dogs were there for boarding on behalf of owners.
The Manorhaven inquiry is unfolding as Kazil also faces separate charges in Pennsylvania after authorities there allegedly found 45 animals inside a U-Haul truck.
5. Even after all of it, Ragusa still wants the Chihuahua
For Ragusa, the dog at the center of the trip has not faded from view. She said she still hopes to adopt the Chihuahua she believes she bought for more than $500.
In a story filled with hard details about neglect and an ongoing investigation, that small hope remains. The puppy she set out to bring home never left with her, but Ragusa said she definitely still wants the dog.
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