3 Years Later, Valiant Efforts To Find Gigi, LI Vet's Missing Dog, Ongoing: 'The Search Will Always Continue'

MATTITUCK, NY — Wednesday, July 15 marked exactly three year since Gigi, a North Fork veteran's missing service dog, disappeared, uniting a community together in a fierce quest to bring her home.

And in the 1,095 days, or 26,280 long hours, that have followed, there has not been a single minute, an aching second, that her bereft family has stopped hoping and praying that Gigi will come home.

But three years later, and despite the offer of a $15,000 reward, Gigi's heartbroken family is still mourning her loss, living with a hole in their lives that no time can fill.

And yet, they will never give up.

"The search will always continue," Kathleen Stewart DiSilvio told Patch this week. "They are so many people that continue to send us possible leads on Gigi. Honestly, we want her home and just pray she is loved and with a family that takes care of her."

She added: "We have a huge support crew always on the lookout for her — and that helps us keep the faith."

Kathleen Stewart DiSilvio said Gigi is a black Labrador Retriever. She was last seen on Saturday, July 15, 2023 on Marratooka Lane in Mattituck.

Her husband Michael, a combat who served with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY — he later served at Fort Drum in Jefferson County, NY — battles anxiety and PTSD, she said. Their entire family has been wreathed in grief since the day Gigi disappeared.

Describing that day, Stewart DiSilvio said she had gone with her daughter and a friend to the beach just down the road about 4 p.m. Gigi, she said, went missing around the same time.

There have been indications that Gigi was not lost, but stolen — taken, Stewart DiSilvio said. Two separate witnesses, she said, told her family that a man was seen on Marratooka Lane "trying to corral" two dogs. The DiSilvio family has two dogs but on that day, only one came home.

Gigi was never seen again.

This week, Missing Angels - Long Island described, on Facebook, the years of searching — and vowed that the quest to find Gigi will continue.

"If you have obtained a female, black English Labrador after July 15, 2023, please have the dog's entire body scanned for a chip," the group wrote. "We ask all animal hospitals and veterinarians to do the same, if one comes into your place of business."

Not one day goes by without their checking posts, searching groups — as well those in different states, Missing Angels - Long Island said.

"Every tip we receive is followed up on," the group said. "Thank you to those that continue to send them in. Keep them coming. With all the prayers, shares and the grace of God, we still pray for her safe return. May the person(s) that has information, eventually do the right thing."

The group thanked all who have sent in information on dogs matching Gigi's description. "Unfortunately, they did not appear to be her."

Missing Angels - Long Island continued: "Please continue to reach out by phone or text with tips. You will still stay anonymous if you choose and will still receive the reward if you have any information that will lead to her safe return. Please keep an eye out as you visit farms, vineyards and anything on the Island. . . She may have been taken out of the area or even out of state."

Despite the years of despair, one thing is certain, Missing Angels - Long Island said: "We will not be ever giving up on her return — and we need you to do the same." And, to Gigi, they sent a message: "We need you to stay safe and well until the day you can return home. We are never giving up."

In the long and heart-aching months that followed Gigi's disappearance, hundreds and hundreds of "missing" posters were plastered across the North Fork; and Stewart DiSilvio says videos have shown an unidentified man removing them, more than once.

That's why, she said, she and her family believe, deep inside, that Gigi is still out there, waiting to go home to her devastated family.

"Nothing adds up," she said. "Nothing makes sense. Something is just off."

Gigi, Stewart DiSilvio said, has always been more than just a pet — she's a member of the family. It took a full year before her family decided upon Gigi, their forever dog, and brought her home, she said.

"She is everything to our family," she said. "It's very hard to put into words because she is more than just a pet. She is also a family member — and service dog for my husband."

The loss her family feels is achingly real.

"Not knowing is the worst thing," she said. "I love her so much; I can't live without knowing that she's okay. We just want her home."

She added: "So many people say, 'She's a dog, you'll get over it.' But they don't understand, she's a part of our family. Dogs are always happy to see you. They love you, no matter what."

After the first year without Gigi, Stewart DiSilvio says she was reminded of the song from "Rent", "Seasons of Love," that talks about the number of minutes in a year. Despite the long hours and minutes and seconds, Stewart DiSilvio said she and her family's sadness is as fresh as it was, that first day.

They've spent much time poring over the many, many photos and videos they'd taken of Gigi, so tiny when they brought her home. "We relive every moment," she said.

The pain, she said, is palpable, still. Stewart DiSilvio said, when shopping, she often still reaches for two pairs of flip flops, knowing Gigi would always chew on one — so she bought spares.

The grief has been exacerbated by the prank calls the family received, by people pretending to have found Gigi, who then just laughed and hung up.

On the flip side, though, the entire DiSilvio family thanked the scores of people who've come forward, from near and far, to help bring Gigi home, pledging funds to help, organizing searches, having posters printed, and offering love and support during the darkest of hours.

But despite the outpouring of concern, there are the long, dark hours, the nights when questions make it impossible to find peace.

"The void is there," Stewart DiSilvio said. "Gigi was by my side, all day long. She slept in my bed every night. I never realized how big a queen-sized bed was, until she wasn't there."

Even after the long three years, the faint whisper of hope still flickers.

"In my heart, I do believe she's out there, looking at these same stars, " Stewart DiSilvio said. "I pray that someone who knows something, or who has her, will do the right thing and return her to us. That's all we have."

If you see Gigi, call or text 516-443-4902.