Hometown Hearts: Staffers At Local Pizzeria Help Dog In Need

CENTER MORICHES, NY — It's in times of need that community members open their hearts to help friends, neighbors — and even faithful, four-footed companions.

David DeLong turned to Facebook Wednesday to thank the staff of Brothers Four Pizzeria and Restaurant, located on Main Street in Center Moriches, for their caring and help.

"As most of you know and may have seen, my wife and I take our dogs for a walk every single day through town and we play ball with them in Neville Park. Today was no different," DeLong wrote. "After playing ball in the park we continued to walk home when Cody the puppy, who lives to play ball and frisbee, collapsed in front of the diner on Main Street."

Cody, DeLong said, was panting, but at first, it didn't seem as though anything was out of the ordinary. "I chalked it up to it being the first really warm day and thought maybe he ran too much at the park," he said.

After a short rest, DeLong told the pup they were going to forge ahead. "He got up and started to walk, only to collapse again in front of B&B Tackle," he said. "I started to panic, seeing my dog like this."

DeLong laid the dog in the shade on the grass next to Brothers Four Pizzeria, he said. While he usually brings a bottle of water for their walks, on Tuesday, he'd forgotten, so he asked his wife to go inside the pizza place and ask for a cup of water for their dog.

"I didn't have my wallet with me and neither did my wife because it was only a short walk that we do every day. When she came out she had a bowl of water. Cody completely drank the water, rested in the shade a little longer and then got up on his own and wanted to continue on his walk," a grateful DeLong said. "I just want to say thank you to Frank and his employees at Brothers Four for helping my dog today," he said.

While DeLong said it may seem like a minor act of kindness to some, to see his energetic dog collapse had him very worried — and the caring shown by the local business meant everything.

Frank Iorio, owner of Brothers Four, said helping was just something that came naturally. "We do things like that. We don't want to see a dog suffer. We try to do the right thing," Iorio said.

As for Cody, he and the DeLong's other dog Nate made it safely home, "had their treats, drank some more water and are both resting on the couch," DeLong said, adding that next time, he won't forget the bottled water.

Patch photo courtesy DeLong family.