Sammie, Dog Reported Stolen From Vet, Home Safe

MASTIC BEACH, NY — A dog reportedly stolen from a vet has been found and returned to her grateful owner in Mastic Beach.

"And here is the news so many have wanted to hear and prayed for," animal advocate Samantha Mullen wrote on Facebook on Saturday. "Sammie has been found in good condition and is safe and in the custody of the authorities. She will be reunited with her family soon. I am shaking, crying, just overwhelmed with emotion. When I got that call this afternoon, I was in disbelief."

In December, a Mastic Beach woman said she was desperate to find her dog, who she believed was stolen from a local vet after being lost in November.

According to Samantha Mack Anderson, her dog Sammie, a 6-month-old, 15. lb. pit bull slipped out of her collar while outside her home on Manhasset Drive in Mastic Beach. Frantic to find her puppy, she posted about her missing dog on social media, she said.

While she was soon thrilled to hear that Sammie had been found by a local woman, when Mack Anderson called Animal Emergency Service in Selden, where the pup had been brought, she was told that someone else had brought what she said was "false paperwork," and claimed her dog.

According to Suffolk County Police, the Mastic Beach woman lost her dog, a female pit bull, on November 17 at 3:30 p.m. She later saw a post on Facebook that the dog had been found and was taken to the Selden Animal Hospital, police said. When she responded to the animal hospital, an employee told her someone else came and picked up the dog, police said.

The report was made on November 18, police said.

On Tuesday, Suffolk County Police confirmed that Sammie had been found: Allenson Estime, 33, of Mastic Blvd. in Mastic, was arrested on January 11 at his home and charged with fifth degree criminal possession of stolen property and second degree obstructing governmental administration; he will be arraigned at a later date, police said.

The CPSP charge was in relation to possessing a dog that had been reported stolen on November 18; the OGA charge was related to his refusal to turn the dog over to police — he attempted to flee the location with the dog, police said.

Officers had gone to the home as part of their investigation, police said.

On Tuesday, a grateful Mack Anderson told Patch: "I got her back yesterday."

Mullen rejoiced: "Almost 20 years of rescue and I was ready to walk because of this case. I could just not bear one more tragic outcome. I've been silently determined to see this through. It was going to be my last time, my last case. I truly was done. The hurt I felt for Sammy could not be described. You know, many say or think, 'Who cares? It's just a dog.' But to us true outreach people, it's so much more."

She added: "I just want to thank everyone for everything they did to help. Our prayers and persistence came through. She is found and safe. This is a blessing and reason to celebrate. I was just at Sammie's house and her family is overjoyed."

Sammie's "mama," she said, was a hero: "That woman never ever gave up. Much respect to you, Samantha. I've never seen anybody do what you did to get your baby back. It was hard to keep the faith; it really was. It's been a crazy couple of months but cheers, girl! Finally!"

A representative of Animal Emergency Service could not comment in December, but referred the call to Suffolk County police, explaining that the investigation is ongoing.

Sammie's loss came as a blow during a time when Mack Anderson's family was already reeling: Her nephew was the toddler critically injured in a Neighborhood Rd. crash in March, she said.

Sammie, Mullen said, is a loving, sweet, playful puppy, and appears to have survived the ordeal and emerged her cheerful self.