Newsday and the Associated Press report:

4:15 AM EST, February 15, 2008
NEW YORK

A neglected poodle that was found unable to stand under the weight of her matted, filthy fur is headed for a new home.

A retired couple is adopting the 6-year-old dog, known as Miss Bea. Grandson Sal Mellone says the poodle will get "a lot of attention" with the couple, Gabriele and Giovanna Sorci of Dingmans Ferry, Pa.

Animal rescuers said last week they found Miss Bea in an East Harlem closet, weighed down by three pounds of gnarled, dirty fur on her roughly 6-pound frame. Her former owner faces animal cruelty charges.

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Senior Vice President Gail Buchwald says the agency's staff has grown so fond of the dog that "it's going to be bittersweet to see her go."