Man Starved Dog For Months Before Bringing Him To Shelter: DA

A nurse from Dix Hills was arrested on Wednesday after authorities say he neglected his dog to the point of emaciation.

Paul Matthews, 45, was arraigned Wednesday and charged with overdriving, torturing and injuring animals; failure to provide proper sustenance to an animal and abandonment of animals. He was conditionally released to probation and is due back in court Feb. 22.

“Oakley was severely malnourished and underweight when he was surrendered at the shelter,” District Attorney Madeline Singas said. “Cases like these are especially heartbreaking, because they are very preventable — we hope Oakley makes a full recovery and can be adopted by a loving family very soon.”

Singas said that on Dec. 18, 2017, Matthews surrendered his dog Oakley, a two- to four-year-old German Shepherd mix, to the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter in Wantagh, claiming he found the dog on Jericho Turnpike in Floral Park. An examination during intake revealed that Oakley was severely emaciated and weighed only 57 pounds – approximately 25 pounds underweight.

A stomach x-ray found a blockage caused by drywall and steel debris, and a veterinarian determined the dog had been starved for approximately two to three months by the time he was surrendered at the shelter. Surgery was performed on Oakley to remove the debris.

An investigation by the district attorney's office revealed that Matthews, a registered nurse, had been Oakley’s owner and caregiver for at least two years. Oakley will be placed up for adoption once he fully recovers.

Photos: Nassau County District Attorney's Office