The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) has threatened to fine an Ocean View family if they don’t remove flyers for their missing dog that’s been placed on various utility poles and signs.

Nicole Peterdozzi, her fiance George Elliott, and the rest of their family were devastated when their Labrador Retriever, Ace went missing from their property on Sunday, Sept. 22. Since then, the family has stopped at nothing to find their missing loved one, creating a Facebook group Race to Find Ace which has since gone viral and even offering a $6,000 reward for his safe return.

After hundreds got involved in the search, helping post flyers and search for Ace, the family is now being told by officials with DelDOT to remove the countless flyers that are posted across Ocean View or face $25 for every violation.

“I don’t think it’s hurting anything at all, and I think everybody else would agree, but they just said they’re not allowed,” she said. “Not allowed on the utility poles, stop signs, yield signs, or anything like that.”

In an interview with WGMD’s Rob Petree, Nicole Peterdozzi explains…

“It’s just so depressing,” Peterdozzi explained in an earlier interview talking about her missing dog. “Everyday you wake up, keep searching, and hoping he’ll be running and trailing on up right through the door like nothing ever happened. It’s hard, it wreaks havoc on everybody. The kids are upset, we’re upset.”

WGMD News reached out to DelDOT’s Director of Community Relations, C.R. McLeod who said the flyers are illegally placed per their sign law and that they would have to be removed.

“The flyers are illegally placed per our sign law. DelDOT has collected 59 signs so far and we have received multiple complaints about them being placed on stop signs and other road signs as well,” McLeod explained. “We have advised that any additional signs be removed from the state’s right of way to avoid any further penalties.”

Anyone who would like to aide in the search or reach out to the family is encouraged to contact Nicole at (302) 542-8344 or George at (302) 218-1577.

You can follow the efforts to find Ace in the Race to Find Ace group on Facebook.