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As of midnight on August 24th, 2021, Andrew Cuomo will no longer be the governor of New York.
With his departure from the Governor’s Mansion imminent, the Albany Times Union reports that Cuomo has been asking staffers if they would be interested in taking his dog, Captain, off his hands.
The Siberian Shepherd-Malamute mix has been with the disgraced politician since at least 2018.
Cuomo’s Spokesman Denies The Claims
(Picture Credit: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi denied the story, categorizing it as “untrue” while ripping the newspaper in the process.
“Someone offered to watch [Captain] for a few days while the transition was ongoing, but for that to be weaponized and morph from a game of telephone into the pages of your paper is absurd — now excuse us, we’re preparing for a major storm,” he said.
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However, a source within the State Police said that “he tried giving the dog to the (a mansion employee),” but the employee returned Captain shortly thereafter. “The dog walks him, he don’t walk the dog,” the source said.
The source also claimed that Captain had nipped at several State Police officers and staff members while Cuomo “would just laugh.”
Cuomo Faces Backlash
The problem for the Cuomo team with this dog story — on his last day as governor — is that the fervent denials from his office follow other past denials of things that were true.https://t.co/zLqGkUL2cN
— Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) August 23, 2021
Although Cuomo’s team denied the report, The New York Times political reporter Shane Goldmacher suggests that may no longer work for Cuomo considering the other allegations he’s facing.
As expected, Cuomo took political fire from both sides. “In case you needed any more proof that Andrew Cuomo was a narcissistic sociopath, he just abandoned his dog at the Governor’s Mansion,” Rep. Claudia Tenney (D-NY) tweeted. “I’d be happy to adopt Captain into my #cutenesspack!”
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) didn’t hold back in criticisms of Cuomo. “Our family had to say good bye to our beloved pup Nala earlier this year. We were devastated then and still are. Not only the Worst Governor in America,” she wrote on Twitter. “The Worst Dog Owner in America. You can tell people’s character by how they treat their animals.”
If anyone you know is considering giving up their dog, please let them know that they must go through proper channels to make sure the dog goes to a good home.
Also, DogTime has a complete guide on how to deal with major issues that cause people to return dogs to the shelter or give them up. Check it out here, and spread the word!
Who do you believe in this story? Was Cuomo trying to get rid of his dog, or were the reports exaggerated? Let us know what you think in the comments!
