Reward Offered For Deaf Dog Still Missing In Greenport

GREENPORT, NY — A deaf dog named Cosmo who has been missing since Oct. 2 has still not been found, and his family is desperate for any word.

A reward has been offered for his safe return, said Bonnie Bracken.

A search and rescue dog, Winston, was brought to her property on Oct. 12, Bracken said. "He only picked up scent in my backyard and the campgrounds behind me. There was no scent of decomposition, so that’s the only good news."

Otherwise, she said, there has been word, and her family has been sick with fear and worry.

Bracken said both she and her husband are battered and exhausted from searching. They got poison ivy and a rash from foraging furiously through the woods and brush to find their beloved family pet. Her daughter went back to work after a week of searching.

"It’s so sad. He is chipped, but as I understand, that’s only good if he sees a vet. We don’t know what else to to. We’d like to thank you and everyone who has reached out to help with this. We can’t thank you all enough," Bracken said.

She added: "We are heartbroken, to say the least. And to think that anyone could have taken him is just unimaginable. How or why would anyone do that? And wouldn’t everyone report a lost dog?"

As rain fell incessantly in recent days, Bracken cried. The thought of her precious dog being out alone in the rain fills her with despair.

"My kids and husband think someone took him," she said. "No one has seen him at all. He's not the type to wander in woods. He'd be on anyone's doorstep, if he even wandered. It's just not likely."

Meanwhile, the Greenport community has joined forces to help the Bracken family in searching for Cosmo by sharing messages on social media in an attempt to bring him home safely.

Of Cosmo, Bracken said, "He is a loyal old guy, a family-oriented old 'puppy.'"

Cosmo, Bracken added, has never left his yard. "All of our friends and neighbors can verify that. We train our dogs, always."

Cosmo was last seen on Oct. 2 at 8:30 p.m. in the Cedarfields area of Greenport when she let him out, Bracken said.

"An hour later he was gone," she said. "He is deaf and does know hand signals. He has back leg issues from a past surgery so he will not travel or leave my property unless he was confused; his eyesight may be limited," Bracken said. "He means the world to my family and granddaughter. We are all heartbroken."

Bracken said, with two dogs, three cats, a bunny, a bird and 11 chickens, her animals are family.
"This is so upsetting," she said.

If you see Cosmo, call 516-383-9731 or 516-480-4332, or email Bbracken@optonline.net.