Superstorm Sandy Dog Bruno Has New Home

BEDFORD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A dog from Long Island that was left homeless after Superstorm Sandy has a new family.

Bruno was adopted Thursday by Melville couple Marc and Karen Siegel.

The 7-year-old Rottweiler has been living at Northwind Kennels in Bedford in Westchester County. He was taken there earlier this month after an emergency shelter in Garden City that was set up by the Nassau County SPCA to help pets displaced by the storm closed.

Bruno was the last unclaimed pet at the temporary shelter. His owner lost his Long Beach home during the storm and was unable to care for him.

Since being moved to Northwind, hundreds of people have applied to adopt Bruno, including the Siegels. The couple had visited Bruno several times while he was at the Nassau County shelter.

Marc Siegel said Bruno was a little standoffish at first, but after meeting with him four or five times, he said Bruno "seemed like a perfect fit" for their family.

Northwind owner Penny Smith-Berk said the Siegels were the right choice.

"Bruno is a very special dog and he will now be going to a very special home," she told CBSNewYork.com. "Marc and Karen are the perfect family for Bruno.""The people at Northwind Kennels have done wonderful work with him in the last two weeks that they've had him and he's doing really well," Marc Siegel told 1010 WINS.

Siegel said they have a huge fenced-in yard for Bruno to play in and thinks the Rottie is going to be very happy in his new home.

"I can't thank everybody at the Nassau County SPCA and again the kennel in Bedford for all the wonderful things they've done working with Bruno and finding him a good home," he said. "People like this who do charitable work, they are not in it to make money, they're in it just for the love of the animals."

Bruno wasn't alone when he came to Northwind. A second Rottweiler from Nassau County, a 13 year old named Mister, was also brought to the kennel and still needs a home.

"Mister is very friendly and needs a family to come forward as badly as Bruno did," Smith-Berk said.

Northwind is a boarding facility that also fosters dozens of pets in need and works with several animal rescue groups.

"This is the first time we've gotten this much attention for taking in a dog in need. Actually, this is something we do all the time because there are many desperate situations where a pet needs a temporary home until its owner can get back on their feet or until a new family can be found," Smith-Berk said. "We rely on donations for all of our rescued pets and we really need support to continue our life-saving work for animals."

If you're interested in adopting Mister or another rescued pet, would like to donate to the kennel's rescue efforts or for more information, visit www.northwindkennelsny.com.