Port said it was November 7th when his wife, Bin Cheng, accidentally left a gate to their building's roof on Columbia Street open.
He said their dog, Buddy, often went to the bathroom on the roof but only while he was being supervised.
I'm sure their neighbors aren't happy to hear that their roof is being used as a toilet because they're too lazy to take their dog for a walk.
But on this day he said Buddy got past the open gate, climbed out of a doggie door on the roof and jumped to his death.
“This dog may have actually jumped off the building thinking he could run around and find me or something,” he said.
Port said that's because the couple was in Louisiana for a week prior to Buddy’s death.
He said he was still there while recovering from surgery days after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer when buddy died.
Cheng, who is originally from China, was arrested this past Thursday for the Jack Russell Terrier's death and faces a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge.
“I cannot believe,” Cheng said. “I cannot believe. I'm so sad,” she said.
Albany Police Department Spokesman Steve Smith said it happened just before 5 pm.
“A person who was in the area of Columbia Street and James Street where that building is located and called the police and said a dog had just fallen from the roof,” Smith said.
“I go check his body, yea, he already gone,” Cheng said. “But still warm. I touch, still, still warm,” she said.
Smith also said the couple was warned about having buddy on the roof before.
“I don't think that anyone thinks that they intentionally let their dog fall off the roof,” Smith said. “But we were called there several times. We advised them to not let the dog on the roof,” he said.
WARNED ONCE BEFORE
Port said he spoke to animal control officers about buddy being on the roof once more than a year ago.
But he said Buddy's death was a tragedy not a crime.
“Somebody in the DA's office should be demoted over this,” Port said. “It's insane. It goes too far,” he said.
It's negligence, just as if it were your child who plummeted off the roof to their death.
The couple says they haven't been able to get buddy's remains to give him a proper funeral.
Port says the charge could put his wife's business and her application for citizenship in jeopardy.
Cheng is due in court Tuesday morning.
(WNYT - Dec 18, 2016)
