The disappearance of murdered Canberra woman Tara Costigan's much-loved pet dog Honey has caused further heartbreak to her family, who are pleading for help to find her.
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Ms Costigan's aunt Maria Costigan adopted Honey, a two-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, after her niece was allegedly murdered by her partner in late February.
Mrs Costigan let Honey and her own dog Coco off the leash during a walk in a Bonython paddock on June 1, just as she had many times before.
Coco returned after a run around, but Honey didn't come back.
The pet dog hasn't been seen since and now the Costigan family has offered a reward to anyone who can help track her down.
"Honey's just become a big part of our lives," Mrs Costigan said.
"For me to lose her now, I sort of feel like I've let Tara down."
Ms Costigan bought Honey as a six-week-old puppy more than two years ago and the dog quickly bonded with her three pet cats.
"Tara really looked after all her animals, she always made sure their immunisations were up to date and they were well-fed."
"She spent a lot of time cuddled up to Tara, especially when Tara was pregnant she was always cuddling up to her.
"She was definitely a big part of Tara's life."
Mrs Costigan said the animal was "depressed" in the weeks after her owner's death and went off food but had slowly adjusted to her new life.
"I'm lost without her and it's like losing someone in the family," Mrs Costigan said.
"Obviously she's always going to have that connection to Tara so it's always going to be harder as well."
Mrs Costigan said the dog was microchipped and wore a blue collar with her name and the family's phone number engraved on it, which she hoped would help identify her.
Honey was tan in colour with a white chest and black muzzle. She had a distinctive blue-black spot the size of a 10 cent piece on her tongue.
"She's a really mellow dog, very gentle," Mrs Costigan said.
Family members have spent hours driving through streets in the area and posted flyers throughout nearby suburbs and on social media in an effort to find the dog.
"We're just hoping someone has seen her or takes her to the vet because all my details will come up and she'll come back to me."
Anyone with information about Honey can phone Maria Costigan: 0431 927 056.
