UPDATE: The dog is alive and on a rabies hold at the Animal Care Centers of New York, according to a spokesperson for the agency. Law-enforcement sources previously provided incorrect information that the dog was euthanized.<\/p>\n
—-<\/p>\n
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 A dog suspected of fatally mauling a 59-year-old man at a home in New Dorp remains alive while authorities determine his fate. <\/p>\n
The large breed male dog is on a rabies hold at the Animal Care Centers of New York, according to spokeswoman Katy Hansen.<\/p>\n
The centers are waiting for instructions from the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene about next steps for the dog, the spokeswoman said.<\/p>\n
She was unable to provide information about the breed and name of the dog, which previously was referred to as a pit bull by law enforcement.<\/p>\n
Law-enforcement sources previously provided incorrect information that the dog was euthanized.<\/p>\n
The cause and manner of Frank Monte\u2019s death are pending further study, according to a statement Tuesday from the medical examiner. <\/p>\n
Monte was dead when officers responded to a 911 call around 4 p.m. on Sunday at 608 New Dorp Lane, police said.<\/p>\n
The victim lived on Mill Road, about a half mile from where he died, according to police.<\/p>\n
The investigation continued on Tuesday into the circumstances surrounding the death. No arrests have been made, according to a spokesman for the NYPD.<\/p>\n
The pit bull caused multiple severe bite wounds on Monte\u2019s body, police said.<\/p>\n
An NYPD Emergency Services Unit removed the dog from the home and transported it to Animal Care Centers of NYC, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.<\/p>\n
A separate law enforcement source told the Advance\/SILive.com on Monday that Monte was playing with the dog when it \u201cturned on him.\u201d<\/p>\n
That source said other people inside the house witnessed the attack and called 911. <\/p>\n
Police confirmed that no one else except Monte was bitten by the dog.<\/p>\n
Was \u2018getting life together\u2019<\/p>\n
Monte, who had several prior brushes with the law, had been sober for several months at the time of his death, according to the man\u2019s partner, a 62-year-old woman who was interviewed by the Daily News.<\/p>\n