A dog found in an abandoned Long Island home was brought in to an animal shelter with fur so thick and matted that the dog was barely able to walk, and authorities are searching for the person responsible for the animal's neglect.

The Shih Tzu-type dog, weighing about 11 pounds and estimated to be about 5 or 6 years old, was turned in to the Town of Babylon Animal Shelter on July 17, SPCA officials say.

The man who brought the dog in said he found it in a house he knew to be abandoned, on South 7th Street in Lindenhurst. Neighbors in the area told authorities that the last tenants had moved out nearly a year ago.


Shelter officials said it was the worst case of matting they'd ever seen on a dog, which has been nicknamed Ziggy. Nearly 4 pounds of knotted fur were shaved off, and the dog's overgrown nails were clipped.

Ziggy will also have to go through extensive physical therapy to learn how to walk correctly again, officials say. The NY Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center in Farmingdale is providing the service pro bono.

Anyone with information on the neglect of the dog is asked to contact the Suffolk County SPCA at 631-382-7722.
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