NY: Queens cop adopts pit bull puppy he rescued from abandoned building

Thomas Tracy NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Saturday, December 10, 2016, 3:35 PM

It was puppy love at first sight.

A big-hearted Queens cop who helped rescue an emaciated 8-month-old pit bull from an abandoned building has given the abused dog a new home — with him.
Police Officer Joshua Sailor knew there was something special about Mila as soon as a team of Emergency Service Unit cops removed the door the pup was trapped behind at the dilapidated Farmers Blvd. home in Jamaica.
“She ran right up to me,” Sailor, 24, said of the Sept. 30 encounter. “I realized that this dog needed a lot of love and I have a lot of love to give.”
Someone chained Mila to a foot-wide gap between the home’s main door and screen door without any food or water, likely an attempt to keep burglars and squatters away, police say. Neighbors heard the gray-and-white dog barking for days before calling 911.

When cops opened the door, Mila’s nails were bloody from scratching at the door.
“She damaged her nail beds,” Sailor said. “She was so thin you could see her hip bones and her head was so much bigger than her body.”

Sailor, a patrol officer assigned to the 113th Precinct, handed the malnourished dog to the ASPCA. Workers there nursed Mila back to health. When he went to visit the pit bull at the ASPCA’s Animal Recovery Center a week later, the big hazel-eyed pooch sealed the deal.

NYPD's Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad has rescued abused pets

“She came running into the room and ran straight to me, ignoring the treats that they had put out on the floor,” he said. “I’ll admit I got a little choked up. I said, ‘That’s it, she’s coming home with me.’”

For the last two and a half months, the two have been inseparable.

Mila will be celebrated Tuesday at an ASPCA awards luncheon.

“I don’t know who needs who more,” said Sailor, on the force for three and a half years.

He admitted his girlfriend has become a bit jealous of him and Mila.

Sailor will be honored by the ASPCA on Tuesday during an awards luncheon at the agency’s Upper East Side Adoption Center, where 14 cops and assistant district attorneys will be lauded for their roles in the enforcement, investigation and prosecution of animal cruelty cases.

"The ASPCA is proud to recognize Officer Sailor and the other officers and assistant district attorneys we'll be honoring next week. Their extraordinary dedication and compassion have directly benefitted countless animals and demonstrate the importance of helping animals to build a safer and more humane community,” said Howard Lawrence, vice president of the ASPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement Division. “It's inspiring to see Maryann — now Mila — thriving in her new home with Officer Sailor. (She’s) a reminder of how animal cruelty victims can overcome abuse to become loving companions."





http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens-adopts-puppy-rescued-abandoned-building-article-1.2906165