Brooklyn family searches for missing dog after grooming appointment gone wrong
Lauren Myrthil says she brought two of her dogs to BK Pet Spa for grooming for the first time. But when she returned to pick them up, one of them, a 2-year-old dog named Gio, was missing.
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A Brooklyn family is desperately searching for their missing dog after what was supposed to be a routine grooming appointment in Flatbush.
Lauren Myrthil says she brought two of her dogs to BK Pet Spa for grooming for the first time. But when she returned to pick them up, one of them, a 2-year-old dog named Gio, was missing.
"We walked in. He was like, 'Oh my gosh, I've been calling, I've been calling, I've been calling,'" Myrthil told News 12. "I didn't receive any calls. And he said that the dog had escaped."
According to surveillance video shared by the pet spa, Gio slipped out of the business when a man whom the owners identified as a customer exited through the front door. Video shows Gio following the man outside before running into the street. The customer never returned to the store with the dog.
BK Pet Spa co-owner said the business typically allows dogs to roam free and outside of cages while waiting to be groomed because many owners prefer it.
"A lot of people don't want their dogs in cages while their dogs are getting groomed," the co-owner said. "Since that dog got lost, we're going to figure out how to build more protection so they're farther from the door. We've never lost a dog before."
But Myrthil says the family should have been notified immediately.
"We were two doors down," she said. "If the owner or the pet groomer would have called us straight away when he realized Gio escaped, we would have had that valuable time to be able to catch Gio. This is not something that is replaceable. This is family. This is my dog."
Gio also serves as an emotional support animal for Myrthil's younger sister, who has autism.
While reporting on the story, News 12 witnessed another dog running loose outside the grooming business, with the owner of BK Pet Spa chasing after it. The incident raised additional questions for the family about safety procedures and how often dogs may get loose from the facility.
Five days after Gio disappeared, the search continues.
Anyone who has seen Gio or has information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the family at 516-412-1787. He was last seen near Flatbush and Ditmas avenues in Brooklyn.
