The story of Roxi the 4-year-old American bullmastiff first made headlines earlier this month when she was found tied to a light pole along the Southern State Parkway, but four weeks later, her tale of woe has a happy ending.

“The gentle giant” stole the hearts of John and Sandy Reeve, the owners of J&S Reeve Cottages, who, out of a list of nearly 80 interested applicants looking to adopt Roxi, were chosen to be her new dog parents, the couple said. 

“She’s fitting in beautifully,” Ms. Reeve said. “It feels so good to know she is comfortable with us — there’s not a bit of problem at all.”

At roughly 5:30 a.m. on July 1, state troopers responded to multiple calls of a white female mastiff tied to a light pole by a leash near Exit 21 on the westbound side of Southern State Parkway in Uniondale. 

Roxi was found with a dog bowl filled with food and a note that read: “This is Roxi, a trained American bullmastiff. She is four-years-old. She has been fed and given a flea bath, she may still have issues with them. See that she gets good care.” She was taken to the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter for evaluation.

The couple recalled the moment they saw Roxi’s story broadcast on the local news.

The Reeves are experienced dog owners — specifically fond of mastiffs — and previously had one named Hannah, who unfortunately died a couple of years ago at just 13 months old. Before Hannah was their other late mastiff Montana, who came “in a little box” from the namesake state.

Mr. Reeve recalled how Montana would walk around the J&S Reeve Cottages property and watch him from the porch as he mowed the grass and conducted other maintenance. Then came Hannah, whose name was inspired by the popular Disney Channel character and sitcom, “Hannah Montana.” 

The couple hadn’t owned a dog since Hannah’s death, but the moment they saw Roxi on television, Mr. Reeve said he and his wife agreed she was a “clone” of the puppy they lost and felt compelled to adopt her. 

“I’m telling you, it was divine intervention,” Ms. Reeve said. “It’s the same dog — it’s almost like she was reincarnated.”

Once they got in contact with the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter about adoption, they were first told due to the overwhelming number of people wanting to adopt Roxi, the shelter was no longer accepting applications.

However, once the shelter heard their story about Hannah and their love for mastiffs, they were given a chance to apply.

As the applicant numbers began to dwindle, the Reeves went from being placed on the very bottom of the list to making it to the top five candidates.

Ms. Reeve said thanks to a generous donor, the animal shelter director told her that Roxi received a $700 gift certificate to splurge on anything she wants from the Spoiled Bitch Dog Boutique in Smithtown. 

For anyone looking for a canine companion, Ms. Reeve said she would advise pet lovers to visit their local animal shelter and see which four-legged friends connect to them the most.

“I would encourage them to go to the shelter, look at the dogs and let the dog pick you,” she said. “I think that’s what happened, I think [Roxi] picked us.”