Possible Sighting Sparks Hope In Search For Gigi, Lost 5 Weeks

MATTITUCK, NY — This weekend will mark five long weeks since Gigi, a Long Island veteran's beloved service dog, went missing in Mattituck. But now a possible sighting has sparked a ray of hope.

According to Kathleen Stewart, Gigi is a black Labrador Retriever, just a year and a half old. She was last seen on Saturday, July 15, on Marratooka Lane in Mattituck.

Stewart said on Wednesday, she received a message from a woman who told her that her husband had seen a dog at about 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. that looked just like Gigi "running in the back" of the Raphael winery's location on New York State Route 25 in Peconic.

Gigi, she said, was "heading toward Leslie Road." She added: "Just wanted to give you a head's up. Praying for your pup's safe return."

The woman showed her husband a photo of Gigi and he said it "looked exactly like that dog."

Stewart said the weeks have been long, but her family has never given up hope of bringing sweet Gigi home.

"She is everything to our family," said Stewart. "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."

But the endless search and days without any sightings or leads have taken a toll on the family who's praying desperately for her safe return.

Stewart said her daughter Isla and her friend Juliette made and sold bracelets with Gigi's name on them.

But despite the rays of hope and optimism, grief blankets the family's home; her husband, Stewart said, is also struggling with Gigi's loss, battling anxiety and PTSD. A combat vet, he served with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY; he later served at Fort Drum in Jefferson County, NY.

Although Gigi is her husband's service dog, "now I feel as though she was mine, too," Stewart said.

Gigi was last seen wearing her collar and a Seresto flea and tick collar, Stewart said.

"She is stubborn; however, not frightened of people and gravitates to children," Stewart said.

There was just one sighting, on the day Gigi went missing, near her home, but nothing at all until, possibly, Wednesday.

The outpouring of love, however, has been very much in evidence, Stewart said, with neighbors, strangers, and friends willing to go to great lengths to share Gigi's story, knock on doors, hang flyers, and contact the media. "The word that she's missing is out there," Stewart said. "Everybody knows who Gigi is. We get stopped on the street, and we don't even know how the people know who we are."

There have been several instances, too, when hopes were dashed; once, a local business posted joyfully that Gigi had been found.

"We got flooded with calls, texts and posts that Gigi was found," Stewart said. "There wasn’t a dry eye in the house; however, that turned out to be a misprint or understanding."

Then, in recent weeks, social media was abuzz as a dog lost in the Westhampton-Hampton Bays area looked much like Gigi. "We knew from the pictures, in our hearts, that it wasn't Gigi," but still, they raced over to check, only to find that the dog's owner had been found.

With so few sightings, the Stewart family believes that someone might have found her.

"At this point, we can only hope someone has her and is loving her enough," Stewart wrote on Facebook this week. "Please, keep her happy and healthy. She loves to swim, eat ice cubes, and is not happy unless she sleeps in a bed. She eats two cups in the morning and two more around 5 p.m. to 6 p.m."

Stewart added that Gigi needs to be active and loves all dogs — although she gets a little too excited during the initial meet and greet.

Stewart offered a heartfelt plea: "We love her. She is a service dog for a combat veteran who needs her back. She is more than just a beautiful Labrador. Please return her to us safely, no questions asked. We need her back."

The family is offering a reward for her safe return for anyone who finds Gigi and can provide proof that’s it really her, and that she's safe.

If you see Gigi, call or text 516-443-4902 or 631-377-0846.