'I took it to Captree and threw it in the dumpster': Mineola man admits to dumping puppy

News 12 went to his home to ask him about the charges. Stafyleras invited reporter Shonna Narine inside his Mineola apartment to speak all about them.

News 12 Staff

Mar 23, 2021, 10:41 PM

Updated 1,422 days ago

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A man accused of dumping a 17-week-old puppy named Louie inside a dumpster at Captree Park admitted his wrongdoing to News 12 after his arrest on Monday.
Thami Stafyleras, 44, is charged with abandonment of an animal.
News 12 went to his home to ask him about the charges. Stafyleras invited reporter Shonna Narine inside his Mineola apartment to speak all about them.
He says the puppy belongs to his girlfriend, who left the dog with him for a week while she was back and forth moving her things out of his apartment. Stafyleras says he abandoned the dog because he missed his girlfriend and didn't know if she was coming back. 
"She left me here to die with the dog. She don't want me, she don't want the dog, f--- it, at least maybe the dog will be somewhere safe."
Louie is a 17-month-old Pomsky
Thami admitted to being high when he abandoned the puppy and says he didn't think of the consequences. He says he knew the puppy would be safe at Captree because someone would find him.
"I was this close to taking the dog and f------ choking it and walking it around the hallway and throwing it down the dumpster, but thank God, something in my mind told me to not do that to try and save the dog somehow and I took it to Captree and threw it in the dumpster," he said.
Stafyleras says he's sorry for what he did but there's nothing he can do to change it. He says police issued him a ticket and will need to appear in court at a later date.
The Pomsky puppy was found by a woman at the state park who called 911. Louie is now back with his owner and was unharmed.