Community Comes Together To Find Dog Lost On Bitterly Cold Night

GREENPORT, NY — A lost dog in Greenport went missing on a bitterly cold night, but the warmth of a caring East End community brought him home safely.

Leon, a tri-color American Foxhound, was adopted just three weeks ago, a rescue from North Carolina found at the Southampton Animal Shelter in Hampton Bays, Victoria Filonenko said. She and her husband Sonny Rock and son Andreas, 11, brought their new four-footed friend to their home on Main Street in Greenport.

On Thursday night, Victoria said, Leon somehow got out through the fence, likely to chase a rabbit — and that was when a long night of fear and hours of searching began.

"I never expected Leon to survive last night," Sonny said. Sonny began looking for Leon at 6:45 p.m. and was out into the wee hours of the brutally cold night, when fierce winds and chilling temps left him fearful for Leon's ability to make it through. "He's not good with traffic, with the wind. He was really spooked."

Once, Leon was right behind Sonny, but when the security lights at their house went on, he took off again. Their son Andreas saw Leon running through a neighbor's yard.

Sonny spent hours in the frigid pre-dawn hours, searching the cemetery, the woods, the area near the skate park.

Someone suggested posted news of Leon's disappearance on the "Let's Talk Village of Greenport" Facebook page, Sonny said, and it was then that everything "exploded," with scores of concerned neighbors and friends heading out to help.

An app called "Shadow" also helped him to see who was out looking and where they were located, he said.

Victoria said she, too, was concerned but Andreas, their son, said, "Mom, you've got to have hope."

Victoria and Sonny both spoke with the shelter in Southampton, and staffers came out in person to Greenport, bringing Leon's favorite canine friend.

And that's when the magic happened: Leon was found, cold and hungry, but safe.

Sonny actually learned that their dog had been found on the Facebook page when another woman posted the happy news. He'd come out of the woods to greet the other dog.

Leon, he said, was excited to see him, and when he brought him home, his wife and son rejoiced, he said.

Sonny wrote another post on the "Let's Talk Village of Greenport" page, thanking everyone who'd helped for their kindness and support. "We were frantic," he said, terribly worried with no sleep. But thanks to an army of angels, he said, Leon was safe at home, "in his bed, warm, with a full belly and snoring comfortably," he said.

The worst part was knowing that their precious dog, already spoiled with love after just three weeks, was out alone on such a cold, dark night. "But somehow he found a place to survive back there in the woods," Sonny said.

And when he saw his dog again, Sonny, a self-professed "big guy, 6-feet, 2-inches and 250 lbs.," felt his heart melt. "I was just overwhelmed with relief, with love," he said.

For Sonny, a professional drummer who spends months out on the road, knowing he's got the support of a tight-knit community means everything.

And even though he was trying to prepare himself, should he be faced with the worst, Sonny learned in the dark of night that sometimes the outpouring of hometown spirit can be a beacon.

Victoria and Sonny want to thank everyone who helped them bring Leon home. "I wish I could hug them all in one great big pile," Sonny said. "I feel like I'm indebted somehow. It was just remarkable."

Victoria agreed. "The wind was howling and I didn't think he was going to make it. But he's home, thanks to all the help and support. It was just amazing."