NYPD brings out its pup-sicles
Not everyone freezing their tails off in Times Square was doing it by choice.
The NYPD brought a contingent of police dogs to the Crossroads of the World as part of its New Year’s Eve security presence — but didn’t put them in winter coats.
The Post spotted three German shepherds and a Belgian Malinois trotting alongside their human partners as the midafternoon mercury hovered around 15 degrees with a wind chill of 1 degree.
One K-9 — a German shorthaired pointer named Sully — looked miserable sitting on his haunches and shivering at 47th Street and Seventh Avenue.
At one point, the poor pooch, wearing only a ballistic vest that left much of his torso exposed, tried to snuggle for warmth against the legs of a stranger.
“I think he’d rather be home,” said Sully’s uniformed partner, who was bundled in bulky layers against the subfreezing weather.
Lawyer Karen Copeland, who bills herself as the city’s “pet attorney,” was outraged.
“Dogs can’t speak for themselves to complain of discomfort, but they feel pain and suffer in the cold, as humans do,” she said.
“I know the NYPD takes good care of its dogs, so I see no excuse for failing to provide for a warm coat in frigid conditions.”
Several Twitter users scolded the NYPD after it posted a photo of two dogs in Times Square.
“The dogs need coats,” wrote one user, @MrsMocs.
The NYPD wouldn’t reveal how many dogs were assigned to patrol Times Square, saying, “We don’t discuss staffing levels.”
A spokesperson added, “The handlers are responsible for the care [and] well-being of their canine partners.”