Nassau SPCA offers $5,000 reward in case of puppy thrown from car in Uniondale

A puppy was thrown from a moving car Saturday night in Uniondale and the Nassau County SPCA is offering a $5,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest in the case.

Officials said the 5-month-old female puppy was so traumatized that it initially would not let anyone approach it to help, but said the dog survived the incident without major injuries.

The dog, subsequently nicknamed Bandit, was thrown from what was described as a dark-colored two-door sedan with tinted windows at about 7:45 p.m. Saturday night on Bedford Avenue, officials said.

The dog is a mix of Labrador, pit bull and perhaps bulldog, said veterinarian Ned Horowitz, owner of Massapequa Pet Vet, where Bandit was being treated.

Horowitz said the dog is “very apprehensive” when approached by people and likely suffered “some sort of abuse.”

SPCA Det. Robert Sowers said there might be a home lined up for Bandit.

“The Nassau County SPCA is disgusted with the callous behavior exhibited by this person or persons,” Sowers said in a statement Tuesday, adding: “We are offering this reward with the hope that someone will come forward and identify whoever threw this puppy from the moving vehicle so that they can be held accountable.”

Officials are asking anyone with information about the incident to call Sowers at 516-843-7722, the SPCA at 516-843-7722 or email crueltystoppers@ncspca.us or news@ncspca.us. All calls will remain confidential.

Another dog was thrown from a vehicle and abandoned last month. The whippet mix was thrown from a green Jeep Cherokee on Jerusalem Hollow Road in Moriches. The dog was struck by another car and injured, but has since made a full recovery.

On Tuesday, the Suffolk County SPCA raised the reward for any information leading to an arrest in the case from $2,000 to $4,000 as a result of contributions from the organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, according to SPCA Chief Roy Gross.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”