Nebraska Family Offers $2,000 Reward For Missing Pets

What makes a family offer a $2,000 reward for missing pets? A lot of love.​

A Grand Island family is asking people all across the state to help find their two dogs, who have been missing for months. And their desperation has led to them now overing a four-figure reward - something uncommon in the area for missing pets. 
 
Randy and Maureen Mendyk of Grand Island say they haven't given up hope, despite having lost their pets three months ago.  
 
Roadie, a three-legged male German shepherd and Jett, a female Brittany spaniel have been missing for ten weeks.
 
“On October 11, our family went out to church and breakfast.  The dogs were in the backyard.  They pushed through loose picket in our fence and got a couple-hour lead on us,” Mendyk said. “We immediately went looking for them. From that day on there has not been a day where we have not ran an ad in the paper or have gone out looking for them.”
 
In the first seven weeks of their absence, there have been eight sightings of this canine duo.
 
“The pattern from the sightings indicates that they are travelling in big circles. At one point they were in Chapman, Nebraska.  They were last seen outside of Grand Island. It is likely that they are following the river.”
 
The Mendyk family has also hired Karin TarQwyn, a nationally recognized K9 private investigator out of Omaha, to help with search.
 
There have been two organized search teams in Grand Island that has come out to look for them. Randy Mendyk has also attempted an aerial search with a friend.
 
“I’m getting a second job to cover the cost of trying to find our dogs,” Mendyk said.
 
Throughout the search, the Mendyk family has posted hundreds of flyers, purchased commercial airtime, started a GoFundMe page, contacted veterinarian clinics and shelters across the state, created a Facebook page called “Bring Them Home” and have tapped into social media groups in every county of Nebraska.
 
“Our three-legged shepherd was a rescue and he is very dear to us.  The Brittany was extremely bonded with my husband, she was his hunting dog,” Mendyk said. “It’s been devastating for our family. They are deeply loved family members to us, and that is why we will continue searching for them.”

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