$2K Reward Offered For Puppy Missing In Morris County

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — The search continues for a seventh-month-old puppy, who has been missing since Dec. 8, according to his owner, Nick Sgourakis.

Fraggle, a shepherd mix, was last seen on the night of Dec. 8 after running away while on a walk.

A $2,000 reward is being offered for his safe return.

"As soon as we got outside my apartment, he must have seen something and pulled very hard, pulling the leash right out of my hand and he bolted. I chased after him and once I lost sight of him on Chapin Road in Pine Brook, I ran back to my car and drove to search. He was spotted minutes later across Route 46, behind the Montville post office. Minutes after that, he was seen by a separate person crossing back over Route 46 and coming back in the direction of my apartment," Sgourakis said.

Around 8:30 p.m. that night, a neighbor heading home from church told Sgourakis that she saw Fraggle being picked up by two people in two dark-colored cars, which she felt was weird, but she "didn’t think much of it."

"The following Sunday, she saw my flier and it clicked in her head what had happened. Unfortunately, that’s all the details she could remember. There is no camera footage, but her time frame is spot on," Sgourakis said.

According to Sgourakis, there have been no sightings since.

Sgourakis, who adopted Fraggle from the shelter only days before he went missing, claimed he contacted at least 150 vets in the region and distributed missing leaflets in local malls, grocery stores, and other businesses. He has also created a Facebook page to help bring attention to Fraggle.

Fraggle's health is a key concern for Sgourakis. Fraggle has hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD), which is an orthopedic developmental disorder that can cause limping, pain, and swelling of a dog's joints.

"This results in severe pain and lethargy. He had one bout of it at the shelter before I adopted him. It lasted for 10 days. He needs medical care. This is what drew me to him. I wanted to take care of him," Sgourakis said. "He will need a vet sooner than later."

If found, Sgourakis has asked that you contact him at 973-906-3335 or nicksgour@aol.com.

"I’m so desperate to get my precious boy back," Sgourakis said.