Photo Appears to Show Dog Left Outside in Freezing Cold in Hudson Valley

Local residents were outraged after a viral photo alleged a dog is left outside in the freezing cold all day.

On Monday, Take Me Home Pet Rescue posted a photo of a dog chained up outside a home on Mahoney Road in the Town of Milton.

Officials say the dog does have food, water and shelter but is left outside 24 hours a day in all types of weather.

"People have contacted the owners to ask for the dog with no response! "A neighbor left a handwritten 3 page letter asking them to let her take the dog if not only just for the winter months," Take Me Home Pet Rescue wrote on Facebook.

The neighbor left the note on Nov. 15 and after the letter, a heat lamp was turned on officials say. However, the dog was allegedly left outside during last week's 72-hour snowstorm.

During and after the snowstorm, the door to the kennel was blocked by a piece of wood, officials say.

"The poor thing just sits out there all alone all day and night - waiting for someone to pay attention to him/her," Take Me Home Pet Rescue said. "It was 11° Sunday morning at 8 am and the dog was sitting out there just like the pictures - heartbreaking to say the least!!"

After a photo of the dog went viral, concerned residents drove by the home on Tuesday and noticed police checking on the dog.

In an update to its viral post, Take Me Home Pet Rescue said animal control officers made a visit to the home on Tuesday and when they arrived at the home, the dog was not outside.

Update 11 a.m: Wednesday morning Take Me Home Pet Rescues posting the following update regarding the dog.

We have followed up regarding the dog brought to our attention. We spoke with the owner and met this sweet girl. She has food, water, hay and a heated enclosure as well as an additional dog house in the enclosure and it was warm inside. She also has hay and food and water are provided to her inside the enclosure as well. She is outside during the day but is not left outside at night.

We had a lot of comments about people requesting the address and trying to find the dog and we ask that you do not pursue this any further. Our intentions were for noise to be made to the authorities so the correct actions can be taken. This sweet girl is taken care of but for other animals living outside that is not the case. Thank you for everyone’s concern!