still missing as of July 2018 from JACKSON HEIGHTS, QUEENS -- It took one visit to a Queens rescue shelter for the Kotsaftis family to fall in love with Tiger, and one freak accident for them to lose him just a week later.
The Jackson Heights family has spent months combing the streets of Queens for their beloved pooch, a 30-pound brindle Jindo who they adopted from Korean K9 Rescue in Long Island City. His tan fur and dark brown stripes practically picked the dog's name out for him.
Ted Kotsaftis told Patch his wife was taking Tiger on his nightly walk when his leash broke and startled him. When she and other bystanders tried to approach and catch the pooch, he got frightened and took off.
"We have not seen him since," Kotsaftis said. "I'm sure I've trespassed in everyone's backyard and alleyway trying to find him."
The days since then have been tough on the family, who just days before Tiger's escape talked in disbelief about how strongly they'd come to love the dog after just a week together.
"I've never been so proud to walk a dog," Kotsaftis said.
Tiger was the last pooch the family expected to take home when they walked into an adoption event at Korean K9 Rescue. Kotsaftis and his wife wanted a small dog that wouldn't shed, but their 8-year-old son, William, saw Tiger and had other ideas.
"We were hesitant at first but my son was relentless, so we took him for a walk and just fell in love," he said. "He's goofy and playful and he sheds all over the house. He's the best."
They were exactly the type of family Gina Boehler, Korean K9's founder and director, hoped to find for Tiger, who had a rough life before he came to the shelter from Korea three months ago.
The pooch, like so many others at Korean K9, was rescued from a dog meat farm and brought to the Queens shelter for adoption.
"We had him for two and a half months before he was adopted," Boehler told Patch. "He was fearful at first, but we rehabilitated him and by the time we finished he absolutely loved people. That's why we gave him to a family."
Boehler said it's still not uncommon for such rescue dogs to get easily frightened and bolt while adjusting to the city. She and her team have worked tirelessly with the Kotsaftis to locate Tiger since he disappeared, covering the neighborhood with lost dogs flyers, working with a trained dog tracker and recruiting volunteers to keep their eyes peeled.
Kotsaftis said the community support has helped make an awful week bearable.
"There have been so many nice people willing t0 help and donate their time," he said. "It reminds you that there are still good people in this world."
Tiger was last seen in the family's neighborhood near 34th Avenue and 72nd Street the night he bolted, Boehler said. There have been no more spottings since then, but she and the family remain confident the pooch is still alive and has found a hideout spot.
"Given his background, I'm very confident that he can sustain himself," she said. "These dogs survive months with little to no food or water. These dogs are really, really tough."
If you think you've spotted Tiger in your neighborhood, Boehler warned not to approach or chase him and to call her at 347-466-0333.
"If you chase him he can run into traffic," she said. "It has to be done by one of us - somebody that knows him and that can lure him."
The family is offering a $1,000 reward for the dog, and asks the public to call them at 917-518-3232 with any tips or information.
"We think he's out there somewhere surviving and we're trying hard to keep our hope alive," Kotsaftis said. "We'd love to have a happy ending to this story."
