MANORHAVEN, N.Y. — On Saturday night, police responded to a 911 call reporting sick animals at a commercial building on Shore Road. Officers entered the premises and found 21 dogs in various stages of neglect, according to the Town of North Hempstead Animal Control.
The dogs were promptly removed by animal‑control officials and taken to a local shelter for assessment and care. The investigation remains ongoing.
Animal‑advocate raises concerns
Animal advocate Marie Etheridge said she visited the storefront after becoming worried about her former foster dog, Eska, who was being boarded there. “We arrived and the lights were off. The store was vacant and there was a bunch of dogs barking at the door in distress,” Etheridge told Eyewitness News.
Etheridge said she immediately suspected a problem, noting that owner Selma Kizil told her the dogs had been present throughout the day but no employees were on site. “The conditions those dogs were left in are consistent with weeks of neglect,” Etheridge added.
Owner disputes neglect claims
Kizil, founder of Charlie’s Rescue and manager of Jou Jou & Jorgie’s Doggy Day Care, rejected the allegations. “They’re all cared for. They’re not neglected,” she said.
Kizil told Eyewitness News she was out of town for two weeks when the 911 call was made. She said employees moved the animals to the Manorhaven location on Friday and that she believed they were being cared for. “Apparently, he didn’t do the right thing. There was no water, no food, and no one went out,” Kizil said, referring to the alleged conditions.
She also argued that media coverage painted an unfair picture. “On the media, it looks so evil. I did not leave them neglected and abandoned. I took care of their veterinary. I buy their food,” Kizil said.
Previous Pennsylvania case
The Manorhaven incident follows Kizil’s recent arraignment in Pennsylvania, where she faced separate charges related to the transportation of 45 animals in a U‑Haul. Authorities in that case alleged the animals were kept in inhumane conditions, including without access to water, and that one dog required euthanasia. Kizil has pleaded not guilty to those charges, and no charges have been filed in connection with the 21 dogs found in Manorhaven.
Community response
Etheridge expressed hope that authorities will take the matter seriously and said she wants her former foster dog, Eska, returned. “I just really hope that the authorities take this seriously, and I want Eska back,” she said.
The Town of North Hempstead Animal Control continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the dogs’ care and will determine whether any violations of local animal‑welfare ordinances occurred.
Original reporting: Brookhaven News – ABC7 New York — read the source article.
