A 270-pound, 6-foot-tall statue of a dog wearing a purple jacket and top hat with a cigar in its mouth has gone missing from outside a dog grooming shop on Long Island.
The statue, known as Winston, has been a fixture outside the Woofer Wash store on Nassau Boulevard for several years, employees say.
He went missing one evening between 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. about 10 days ago, store employee Melissa Delaney said.
The dog was a special attraction for local children, and signified to customers whether the shop was open. If he was out there, the store was in business.
"If Winston was standing on the corner, people always knew our shop was open and they were welcome to stop in," Delaney said.
Nassau County police are investigating.
