[UPDATED BELOW] Yesterday photos of Coffee the dog's human popped up, and now he's been tracked down. NBC New York found Norbert Fernandez at his home in Queens with his family, and Coffee. Perhaps prepared for the inevitable visit from the press, what was identified by some as a shock collar had been replaced by a cooling ice-pack collar.
As for Fernandez, he claims to be a professional dog trainer who rescued Coffee from the streets and trained her to hold the pipe in her mouth. He told them, "All I do is train dogs and people are starting to hate on me—they're surprised of all the tricks my dog can do." Like sit still in a hot parking lot collecting change for him for hours on end? (He says the pup usually collects around $75 per game for him.)
Despite his claims, onlookers still believe Coffee is being mistreated by being forced to wear a shock collar while on the clock, and some say she's not even given water. Well, at least one thing is clear: Coffee still has her teeth!
UPDATE: The ASPCA now tells us, "This afternoon, an officer and a veterinarian from the ASPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement department examined Coffee at her owner’s home. It was determined that she bore no signs of abuse or neglect. The ASPCA will continue to monitor this situation and be prepared to take action, in the event that any New York State animal cruelty laws are being violated."
