SF couple desperate to find mini Australian shepherd missing from Monterey

MONTEREY, Calif. (KGO) -- A Bay Area couple is continuing the search for their 3-year-old mini Australian shepherd, Luca, a month after he disappeared shortly after being dropped off with a pet sitter in Monterey.

"The first 24 hours felt brutal. I was like, it can't get longer than that," said Megan Kao, Luca's owner.

Kao and Michael Zuccarino said they left the dog with a pet sitter while they went exploring. Within 10 minutes of dropping him off, they received a call saying Luca had run away.

"We're like, what?" Kao said. "And we came back. And within five minutes, he's totally gone. And he said he ran up the hill and just disappeared, he's obviously faster than any human can chase."

Luca was last seen near Laguna Seca Golf Course on June 26. Since then, his owners and other family members have remained in the area in hopes of finding him.

"For the first week, I slept on the golf course. So I mean, we've been here bookending it motels," Zuccarino said. "There's been just the generosity from the community in this area has been incredible. Giving us places to stay or or just, like, sleeping in the car overnight. Like, whatever we can do to be here in case someone sees something or responds."

The couple said they have tried numerous methods to locate Luca, including posting on Nextdoor and offering a reward. Their efforts have attracted support from community members who have joined the search.

"He's a big part of their life. Like if you have a dog, you know what that feels like? You have to find them. He's still out there. I know he is," said Alicia Simpson, who has been helping search for Luca.

Rob Scott, another volunteer assisting in the effort, said the story motivated him to get involved.

"In this community, I do a lot of work with trying to find cats and dogs that get lost and do it all the time, every day," Scott said. "And, that story came across, and I felt so badly about the dog being gone."

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Kao and Zuccarino believe Luca has been difficult to locate because he is in a deep state of fear and is hiding, even from familiar voices. They also believe he has not returned to the pet sitter's home, which they described as the "last place of separation," because he may be avoiding the area due to trauma.

The owners are asking anyone who believes they have spotted Luca not to chase him or call out his name.

"First thing you should do is pull your phone and snap a picture or video so the owner can know if it's theirs or not," Zuccarino said. "And then go find a place to report it."

Kao said family members are taking turns staying in the Monterey area, splitting time among herself, her husband and her parents to continue the search.

Anyone who sees Luca can report the sighting through the family's Nextdoor page or the SPCA. The family is also offering a reward for Luca's safe return. You can also follow their search here,