What's The Latest With Secaucus Celebrity Dog Benny?

SECAUCUS, NJ — What's the latest with Benny, the celebrity dog of Secaucus that was chased by police through the center of town last Tuesday?

The dog still remains at the Secaucus Animal Shelter, said shelter director Christine Conte. And as of Wednesday afternoon, a week after he was found, still nobody has come forward to claim this Lab/hound mix.

"Nobody," said Conte Wednesday. "We haven't heard from anyone."

If you want to adopt Benny, get in line. Applications have been coming in all week to take this dog home, although Conte said she could not put a number on how many people have applied.

As readers will recall, this is the dog that someone abandoned in the center of town last Tuesday. And yet, he is "perfectly trained," said Conte last week. "He is the sweetest, sweetest dog. He listens. He sits! He waits for you and he stays. He knows how to do paw. He is the sweetest dog and he would be an ideal pet for a family with even young kids. He comes up to you if you're sitting there and puts his head on you. He snuggles. I cannot say enough how sweet this dog is."

Some people say they've seen this dog being walked on Paterson Plank Road. But witnesses told Secaucus Police they saw the dog left at the bus stop after his "owner" got on the bus, and was told by the driver no dogs allowed on board.

Reports of a loose dog dodging traffic prompted Secaucus Police to entirely shut down Plaza Center at about 12:30 p.m. last Tuesday. Police Officer Christopher Carpenter was able to safely capture Benny before he was hit by a car or a bus.

The dog did not have a collar, tag or chip. He is an intact male, estimated to be about 2 years old. Conte said he looks to be a Lab/hound; "he does like to sniff everything."

Benny is doing well at the town Animal Shelter: The shelter posts photos daily on their Facebook page of Benny sitting, playing with toys and snuggling with shelter staff and volunteers.