The Hopatcong Police Department's search dog underwent life-saving surgery after his owner found him dying at his home on Nov. 22.

Now borough children are pitching in to help Rosco.

The Hopatcong Cub Scouts Pack 194 will host a bowling fundraiser from 6 to 10 p.m. Jan. 7 at Circle Lanes in Ledgewood. Proceeds will go toward The Rosco Fund and the Hopatcong Pound Project, which plans to renovate the borough's animal shelter in 2012.

Rosco suffered from bloat, or when a excessive gas causes a dog's stomach to expand, Hopatcong Police Detective Mike Luciani said. Luciani has owned 7-year-old Rosco almost his entire life, which could have come to an end had the dog not undergone the six-hour surgery, Luciani said. Doctors at the Newton Animal Hospital told Luciani before the surgery that Rosco had about a 25-percent chance at living through the operation, the detective said.

"I could have lost him," he said. "I almost lost him that day."

Hopatcong is paying Rosco's veterinarian bills associated with the surgery, which cost about $6,000, Luciani said. Rosco might not be back on the job until February, Luciani said. Rosco and Luciani often make appearances for youth organizations, and Luciani said he's humbled that a group wants to give back.

"More or less, they're showing their appreciation," Luciani said.

A scent-sniffing dog, Rosco is often used to track humans. His best-known find came in June 2008 when he tracked down an elderly woman who had been missing for three days in Stokes State Forest in Branchville.

Luciani said Rosco is one of three police bloodhounds in the county alongside  Vernon and the Sussex County Sheriff's Office. Rosco is often called in by the state police, Luciani said.