Sandy the dog weathers storm and is reunited with Rockaway family

A dog named Sandy — who got lost in the superstorm of the same name — has been reunited with his elated Rockaway family.

“We’re really, really happy,” 15-year-old Datya Baron said Sunday as she gave her contented pooch a big hug.

Days after the Daily News featured the missing 11-year-old yellow Lab’s plight, an intrepid independent rescue volunteer tracked down the Barons.

“He’s part of our family and we missed him so much,” said Datya’s dad, Harvey Baron, a New York City Transit electronics specialist.

“He’s part of our family, and not knowing where he was – it was much more traumatic than I’m letting on," Baron said.
The family had been worried for nearly two weeks, ever since their easygoing pooch slipped out the door after the fierce storm blew it open.

“Sometimes he gets out, but he always comes back and I didn’t think there was reason to worry,” he said.

But the loyal, 74-pound dog never returned.

Baron checked with cops and a veterinary hospital, to no avail. Neighbors who have known the affable dog since he was a tiny pup helped Baron and his five children scour the area. But without gas or electricity, their foot search was limited.

One little boy said he followed Sandy’s footprints but lost them when his father wouldn’t let him to cross the street.

“All we could do was wait and wait,” Baron said, noting the recent passing of his wife made losing Sandy all the more unbearable.

In the end, Sandy was found in the lobby at St. Johns Hospital in storm-ravaged Far Rockaway by an NYPD officer who brought him to to a Brooklyn Animal Care & Control Shelter.
A micro-chip identified Sandy’s owner and address, but with no electricity, phone service or mail delivery, the Barons never received word.
Their happy reunion is thanks to animal rescuer Phyllis Taiano, who decided to drive to the address herself Friday night.

“I rang the bell but that didn’t work, so I knocked,” said Taiano, who runs Four Paws Sake rescue.

“Out comes a gentleman and I announced who I was and asked if he had lost his dog; his eyes lit up and he said, ‘Yes, where is he?’ and he began to cry.”

The Barons were eager to fetch Sandy the next morning, but it was the Sabbath — when religious Jews can’t drive.

But early Sunday morning they headed to Brooklyn to fetch Sandy. shelter workers were helpful and eager to snap photos of their happy reunion.

While Sandy the dog is back home again, dozens of other storm-displaced dogs and cats remain on identification hold at ACC shelters.

ACC operations manager Richard Gentles said ACC is waiving return-to-owner fees and extending the period of time animals will be held before they’re in danger of being euthanized. Owners must bring identification to claim their pet.

Owners are encouraged to visit the shelters and look for their animals.

But Taiano fears without more aggressive outreach the animals will not be reunited with their owners in time.

“I’ve offered to take the information of every single one of those animals and go out and find their owners myself,” Taiano said. “I’m waiting for the go ahead.”