Nassau Woman Gets Jail For Abandoning Abused Dog

A woman from Hempstead was sentenced to six months in jail and a 10 year probation from owning any animals after she abandoned an injured dog, Niño, outside of a veterinary clinic in 2015.

Tamara Copeland, 58, pleaded guilty on May 22 to one count of abandonment of animals, a misdemeanor.

"This defendant abandoned a helpless dog suffering from horrible injuries that appeared to be the result of long-term abuse and neglect," said District Attorney Madeline Singas. "The people of Nassau County have big hearts and tips from the public helped us solve this tragic case. Thanks to skilled veterinarians and our Animal Crimes investigators and prosecutors, Niño recovered from his injuries to live out his final days in a loving home."

Around 9 a.m. on Oct. 13, 2015, an employee of a veterinary clinic at 28 Main St. in Hempstead found a poodle-mix dog with open wounds and bloody bandages laying on a small bed right outside the entryway. The clinic contacted Town of Hempstead Animal Control, which responded and took the dog to a shelter where it was examined and treated. The case was immediately referred to the DA's office by animal control.

The DA secured multiple surveillance videos from that morning, including one video of two women walking on Main Street, one pushing a cart. The woman pushing the cart, Copeland, briefly left the frame and returned without the cart and holding what appeared to be a wrapped package. Copeland dropped the package in front of the animal clinic and then hastily walked away and out of the screen.

The video was distributed to the media and Copeland was identified through a tip and arrested by DA investigators less than 24 hours after the video’s release.

The dog had an implanted identification chip and was owned by a Uniondale woman and went missing from her yard more than three years ago. The owner did not match the description of the people depicted in the video and was never the subject of an investigation. The dog was given to the owner as a birthday present by her daughter in April 2000.

When found, Niño was suffering from broken ribs, bacterial infections, skin lesions, trauma and other injuries of unknown origin. After he received stabilizing medical care at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, Niño was transferred to the Long Island Veterinary Specialists in Plainview.

Niño recuperated and has since passed away of old age.

Photo: Nassau County District Attorney's office