East Hampton Woman Searches Desperately for Lost Dog, Yogi Bob, Missing 3 Weeks

Exactly three weeks ago, on January 7, Yogi Bob, a three-year-old Yorkie blend, was out walking in East Hampton when he went missing.

And for his heartbroken owner, Dominique Garstin, the days have been filled with fear as she’s searched desperately to find her beloved pet, even hiring search and rescue tracking dogs to try and bring him home.

So far, despite sightings, Yogi Bob is still lost.

At first, Garstin believed Yogi Bob had been taken by someone working in the area. But now, sightings around the town, and the tracking dogs, have led her on a trail that has ignited hope.

The night Yogi Bob went missing began like any other night.

“We always go for the same walk,” she said. That night, Garstin, 32, was with her father and their other two dogs on Georgica Close, a peninsula. When they get to the peninsula they typically take the dogs off leash, she said.

That night, they saw an interior light on in a parked car and went down to the driveway to alert the homeowners.

In that short three-minute window, Yogi Bob had disappeared.

“We called, and the two big dogs came, but the little one didn’t,” she said. “I knew right away that something was wrong. I had a weird feeling.”

Yogi Bob, a “savvy” pup, has traveled to Europe and the Dominican Republic with Garstin, and has even paddle-boarded with her.

Frantic, Garstin searched for the dog she says is a beloved companion to her son, 15 months. “He’s a member of our family,” she said.

Out until 1:30 a.m. calling his name, Yogi Bob was nowhere to be found.

Garstin turned to social media, spreading posts with his photo and information far and wide. She’s reached out to the local shelters, too — and calls have been coming in.

One, a truck driver, said he saw Yogi Bob’s photo on Facebook and realized he’d seen him the night Yogi Bob went missing, about 1:30 a.m. on Montauk Highway.

“He’s been on the move,” she said.

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Another witness saw Yogi Bob being chased by a fox, Garstin said.

The tracking dogs from Ohio confirmed that the intrepid Yogi Bob had made it all the way to Bridgehampton.

Next, a caller said they’d seen Yogi Bob near Winston’s in East Hampton; the tracking dogs confirmed that it had, indeed, been Yogi Bob. He’d darted across Montauk Highway and was south of the highway in East Hampton village.

Most recently, last Friday, Yogi Bob was spotted in the long-term parking lot in East Hampton Village, giving Garstin reason to keep hope alive as she searches for her cherished pet.

The sightings, she said, have helped her to “piece together” the clues and let her know that “he’s out there, alive. Just having that knowledge gave us a huge amount of comfort.

Reflecting on her dog, Garstin said he was named after Yogi the Bear and Bob Marley, for his energy.

Despite his small, five-pound size, Yogi Bob is smart. However, Garstin said, he’s likely terrified.

That’s why, should anyone see him, she begs that they not try to catch him or approach him, but instead, give the exact location and keep him in their line of vision until Garstin gets there. “The same things that make him a great survivor make him very difficult to catch,” she said.

Yogi Bob sometimes hops with a bit of a limp, but nothing slows him down. “He’s just the most adventurous, loyal little guy,’ she said. When her baby was born, Yogi Bob sat perched on her shoulder, cuddled up next to them while she fed her son. “He’s such a family guy. He’s a family member.”

Known for his antics, such as sitting in the golf cart, and traveling the world, Garstin said, “He’s like a cartoon character — the adventures of Yogi Bob.”

But for now, Garstin just wants her little adventurer home, and implores the public to keep their eyes peeled.

“ All we can hope is that someone recognizes him and gets him back home to us. I am calling on all my angels and praying for a miracle,” Garstin said.

If you see Yogi Bob, call or text 914-575-9739.