HAVE YOU SEEN OZZY? Lori Bilyou asks that if you see her missing service dog, do not chase him, but rather keep an eye on him and call her at (302) 765-8694. If you can't stay nearby, take a picture instead.

Lori Bilyou lost her dog, Ozzy, and has spent thousands of dollars – and refinanced her house – trying to find him. She put up flyers and posters all over the area.

In the process, she has found eight other lost dogs, returning seven to their homes across northern Delaware.

Ozzy jumped over the house fence Oct. 8 after he had suffered a seizure and became disoriented afterward, Bilyou said.

Bilyou, of Newark, came back from a tour in Afghanistan as a combat photographer for the Army National Guard in 2013 with post-traumatic stress disorder and a brain injury. Ozzy became her service dog while she recovered.

They had been together since 2015. Bilyou worries the seizure may have left him temporarily blind and disoriented, possibly with no memory of home.

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Bilyou's son, Matthew Bilyou, 22, said he didn't realize how much Ozzy helped his mom until he was gone. Bilyou gets frequent migraines, which leave her in bed for sometimes days at a time.

"I thought she didn't need him, but after he left, it got bad," Matthew said. "It was like she was reverting back to the way she was when she first came home."

Bilyou said she stopped counting how much they spent on finding Ozzy when they hit $7,000 about a week ago. In addition to passing out and hanging up flyers, the family set up dog feeding stations with cameras across New Castle County. They have a burner phone they use for the effort affectionately called "The Ozzy Phone."

"I've refinanced my house, if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have enough to spend on finding him," Bilyou said.

Matthew said when the family talked about refinancing the house, it did not seem like they were going overboard.

"We were all willing to do it because we've got to," Matthew said. "It's also because my mom physically needs him. It's a lot of work and money for a dog, but not for a medical necessity."

Bilyou has focused her days on finding Ozzy. She said she stays busy working on the search because she never knows when a migraine will incapacitate her.

"We eat, sleep, breathe this," Bilyou said. "I have canceled most of my doctor's appointments for this."

On Halloween, Bilyou and her family asked residents in 38 neighborhoods to pass out flyers to families while they were handing out candy.

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Family and friends have helped look for Ozzy, and they have made a Facebook page: Bring Ozzy Home.

"People are so dedicated to stick with it," Bilyou said. "Like this one guy said he drove around 45 minutes to find a flyer and call us. He really wanted to help."

The search teams have found eight additional dogs after receiving tips. Bilyou said all but one have been returned to their owners.

"I like to think that Ozzy is collecting up all the strays before he comes home," Bilyou said.

The family asks that those who think they spot a dog they think is Ozzy to snap a photo and send it to the phone number on the Facebook page. They have created a map of called-in sightings, and believe he is heading south near the Bear area.

Bilyou said the search has been all-consuming, to the point that it has put an end to holiday traditions. Bilyou said every Christmas, she makes holiday pajamas for her two sons, even when she was deployed in Afghanistan.

"When I was deployed I took materials and even patterns. There is a picture of me sewing them in a military base, so this is the first time the boys won't have them," Bilyou said.

Matthew said he and his family will continue to search for Ozzy as long as it takes.

"I'm not as optimistic as I was on day two, but no one is giving up hope," Matthew said.

Contact Josephine Peterson at (302) 324-2856 or jhpeterson@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @jopeterson93.

Have you seen Ozzy?

Lori Bilyou asks that if you see her missing service dog, do not chase him, but rather keep an eye on him and call her at (302) 765-8694. If you can't stay nearby, take a picture instead.