Judi Gharst, a Bay County pet-reunion organizer, has spent 192 hours searching for her 9-year-old beagle mix, Ozzy, who ran away on Thanksgiving Day near the Econfina dog hunt area on Strickland Road off Highway 20. Pets often go missing during holidays due to loud noises from celebrations or fireworks that trigger a fear response, prompting them to run away.

Gharst, founder and admin of Helping Animals in the 850, said the search has been personal and relentless: she has focused her efforts on finding the single dog that left when a door opened on a hunting-area vehicle.

“When he let a couple of the other dogs out of the dog box, Ozzy jumped out, and we haven’t seen him since,” Gharst said, describing the moment Ozzy disappeared. She said Ozzy wears a regular collar with a metal plate that lists her husband’s name, phone number and address. “He does have a collar on, a regular collar. With a metal plate that has my husband’s name, phone number, and address. And I can’t figure out… this is day 8… and I don’t know where he is,” she added. The ASPCA has reported that a significant share of lost pets go missing after being frightened by loud noises such as fireworks or celebrations, with some estimates around 1 in 5.

Ozzy is described as a tracking dog but also “a couch potato” who sleeps under the covers and is friendly with people. “He’s a really good tracking dog. But he is also a couch potato. And he sleeps under the covers. He’s sweet, he’s just as sweet as can be. He will go to anybody,” Gharst said, offering that description to help people recognize him. Given his demeanor, Gharst hopes that someone will feel compelled to reach out if they encounter him.

Gharst has posted the missing-dog notices and used the Facebook pages she helped create to reunite other pets in the area, and she is offering a $1,000 reward for Ozzy’s return. The posts and local outreach have been centered on the rural stretches of Strickland Road and nearby access points to the Econfina dog hunt area. When local residents see a lost animal, they are encouraged to check for identification tags or microchips and to report the find to Animal Control to improve the chances of reunification.

Volunteers and neighbors have scoured wooded edges, ditches and roadsides while sharing photos and descriptions through online groups. Online resources such as Petreleaf and the ASPCA offer general guidance on search tactics and outreach that Gharst and others have referenced in community posts. Some animal welfare organizations and surveys report that a majority of lost pets are eventually reunited with their owners, a statistic that gives Gharst hope as she continues her efforts.

The appeal has drawn attention within the local network that Gharst helped build to reunite lost pets across Bay County. Neighbors have circulated flyers and shared social posts that include Ozzy’s photo and the collar details she described.

The search continues along the rural corridors near Highway 20. Gharst’s account centers the timing and place of the disappearance and the personal details about Ozzy’s temperament and identifying collar in hopes someone will spot him and contact her directly.

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Original reporting: view the original article.