Dog Dying Of Cancer Beaten By Fuel Company Employee, Man Alleges

MIDDLE ISLAND, NY — A Long Island man claims that an employee of a propane company "beat" his dog, who was dying of cancer, last week.

"A propane delivery driver from Paraco Gas. . .decided to assault and severely beat this beautiful dog in my backyard . . .injuring her so badly she was immediately no longer able to walk and resulted in her expedited death last night," the dog Ciera's owner Christopher Malerba wrote on Instagram.

According to Malerba, of Middle Island, his dog was suffering from lymphatic cancer and had been improving until Friday, when the deliveryman from Paraco Gas, which has locations across the Northeast (including one in Riverhead) assaulted and injured his dog.

Malerba said the deliveryman told him that his dog, Ciera, "showed me teeth." Ciera, Malerba said, "has never, ever been aggressive to anyone and other delivery drivers love to see her because she is immediately so fond of them."

Paraco posted a statement Wednesday on its Facebook page that noted there appeared to be "no involvement of Paraco personnel with the loss of Ciera."

In its most recent statement issued Thursday afternoon, Paraco, represented by Epoch 5 Media, wrote: "We take this situation very seriously. We are a family-owned company that cares deeply about its customers and employees. We have reached out to the authorities and will cooperate fully as they investigate this unfortunate situation. In the meantime, we ask for patience until all the facts are known.”

Speaking to Patch in a breaking voice Thursday, Malerba described the heartbreaking last few days in which he has had to say goodbye to Ciera, an almost 4-year old Rhodesian he adopted in March 2014 from a rescue in Tennessee.

When he and his wife divorced, she and Malerba — a paramedic and first responder for the Holtsville Fire Department — agreed to amicably share their two dogs, including their second, Chelsea.

A former New York City Police Department officer, Malerba was run over by a car in 2009 and retired in 2012 due to his injures. The dogs were a lifeline.

"The dogs really helped me rehabilitate from my injuries," he said.

Recently, he learned the devastating news that Ciera had cancer. The decision was made for Ciera to be treated with oral chemo by a vet; the treatment was helping, he said. "She was 85% herself," he said.

Until Friday, when Malerba said he was expecting a propane delivery from Paraco Gas, which has a Riverhead location.

Malerba said the deliveryman pulled into the driveway and his security camera alerted him that he was outside. The man then went into the backyard but did not take the reel off the truck. "He disappeared off to the side of the house for 3, 4, 5 minutes," Malerba said.

Then, he said, the deliveryman left without putting in the propane; Malerba then called the company and told them to send him back.

At that point, Malerba said Chelsea came in through the doggie door. "I asked her, 'Where's your sister?'" he said.

The deliveryman came back, said he'd brought the propane and handed him a receipt.

Then, Malerba said, "Ciera came in from the doorway, limping really badly. She looked at the guy, and turned away and went in the other direction. That's not her. She greets everyone." Ciera barked when she saw the man; she never barked at others and was very friendly, he said.

According to an audio recording that Malerba had of the interaction, he told the deliveryman, who was coming to check the stove, "Come on in. . .They don't bother anyone."

"She was showing teeth before," the deliveryman said.

"Where you here before? Was she limping before? Because she's limping now. She's got cancer. She's going to die in a couple days," Malerba said.

"She was showing teeth before when she came out the dog door. That's why I just . . I just," the deliveryman said.

Malerba said he looked at Ciera after the deliveryman left and saw her joint "was red and the size of a golf ball. She had a laceration going right up the side of her paw and I thought, 'This *********** hit my dog.'"

Ciera, he said, "never hurt a fly.'

Next, he went into his backyard and saw that two of his four lawn chairs had been moved, one about 50 feet away, near the gate.

"He must have moved the chair," either because he thought he needed to protect himself or to hit Ciera with, Malerba said.

Malerba said he called Suffolk County Police, but said he was told that maybe the dog stepped in a hole.

SCPD told Patch that no report had been filed as of Thursday.

According to Roy Gross of the Suffolk County SPCA, "It is under investigation by the Suffolk SPCA, but since it's an active investigation, we cannot discuss any details at this time."

Malerba said he didn't immediately take Ciera to the vet because it was too late on Friday night and the vet wasn't in on Saturday; on Sunday afternoon, he and his former wife decided the time had come to put Ciera to sleep, because she could no longer stand.

Malerba believes the injuries she allegedly sustained due to the deliveryman exacerbated her symptoms, making her stomach swollen and red and causing pain in her legs.

They took her to Dr. Richard Caputo at Rocky Point Animal Hospital; the vet has known him since she was a puppy. "I wanted him to do it," Malerba said, through tears.

When reached by phone on Thursday, the office manager at Rocky Point Animal Hospital said no one at the facility could discuss Ciera's medical records but that they had been sent to Malerba.

According to the report sent to Malerba and shared with Patch, on Monday, Caputo wrote, "She is not doing well, and owners are preparing for euthanasia. (Also owner is concerned that someone who came on his property may have injured Ciera earlier today. I stated that I am unable support or deny this claim, and swelling found in both hocks is medically consistent with her diagnosis of lymphoma.)"

Despite that report, Malerba said: "The photos clearly show uneven legs and injuries. The pictures speak for themselves."

When it was time to say goodbye to his beloved pet, Malerba said, "I listened to her take her very last breath. I kept on telling her I loved her, and she was going to heaven, and not to worry. I kept repeating it, over and over, to make sure that she knew."

Even his other dog, Chelsea, licked Ciera's face and his own tears, he said. When they got home, "Chelsea kept looking for her sister. She wouldn't get on her sister's bed; she lay on the floor because she was afraid her sister would come home and want her bed back."

Grief-stricken and furious at the deliveryman, Malerba said he documented what had happened on Instagram.

"When I called the gas company, the manager laughed on the phone. That infuriated me," he said.

For Malerba, the pain and loss are crippling. "I'm horrified by the whole thing," he said. "I'm still grieving my dog. I'd like to see that man arrested. And Suffolk County animal cruelty laws have to be taken much more seriously."

Photos, video courtesy Christopher Malerba.