The heartbreaking search for missing siblings Lily Sullivan, 6, and her brother Jack, 4, took a jaw-dropping turn this week after bombshell revelations about the performance of search dogs deployed just hours after the kids vanished back in May.

Insiders close to the investigation tell us that despite being rushed to the rural Pictou County property on Gairloch Road within the critical first window, the highly trained canines failed to detect a single scent trail belonging to Lily or Jack – not in the family’s yard, not in the dense surrounding woods, and not even near a blanket believed to have been one of the children’s favorites.

“This is blowing minds in the search community,” one veteran K-9 handler, speaking on condition of anonymity, dished to us. “Kids that age playing outside or even stepping onto a driveway leave behind scent particles that linger for days. These dogs are pros – they sniff out trails in way tougher conditions. No hit at all? That’s not just odd; it’s screaming something’s off.”

Early reports had teased that one dog briefly alerted on the driveway, sparking hope of a lead. But now, analysts are pouring cold water on that, insisting it was likely just leftover “residual scent” from the tots’ routine treks to the school bus stop earlier in the week – nothing fresh from the morning they supposedly wandered off.

The big question rattling everyone: If the dogs are right, were Lily and Jack even outside that fateful May 2 morning, as their family insisted?

RCMP bigwigs aren’t spilling much, but sources say this dog flop has cranked up the heat on the probe, forcing cops to rethink the whole “wandered away” narrative that’s been the official line from day one.

The Sullivan kids – described as bubbly Lily with her light brown hair and hazel eyes, often in pink Barbie gear, and little Jack with his dark blonde locks – were last accounted for at their remote home shared with mom Malehya Brooks-Murray, stepdad Daniel Martell, and a baby sister. Family claims the pair slipped out just after 10 a.m. while playing, vanishing into the thick brush and steep ravines that swallow the property.

But six months in, with zero traces found despite massive grid searches covering 8.5 square kilometers, drones, choppers, and over 160 volunteers, this scent snag is fueling wild speculation.

“People are talking,” a local in nearby New Glasgow whispered. “No scent means maybe they never left the house – or worse, something happened inside.”

The family’s been under the microscope from the jump. Court docs unsealed over the summer spilled tea on polygraphs for mom and stepdad – both reportedly passed, with no signs of deception. Cops dug deep into phone records, bank statements, and even highway cams checking if the kids got whisked out of province. Nada pointed to foul play early on, but insiders say the dog results have reopened “all scenarios.”

Stepdad Martell has been vocal, begging for border checks and airport monitoring in case of abduction. Mom Brooks-Murray kept quiet on police advice but recently broke silence through a volunteer group, pleading for tips.

Paternal grandma Belynda Gray ain’t holding back: “My heart tells me these babies are gone.” She’s been pounding the pavement herself, scouring woods and pushing for more action.

The RCMP’s Northeast Nova Major Crime Unit is still grinding, with over 860 tips sifted, 80 interviews done, and 8,000-plus videos reviewed. They roped in cadaver dogs from Alberta and B.C. back in September – those pooches turned up zilch on human remains, but that was for decomposition scents, not live trails.

Now, with this tracking dog debacle front and center, pressure’s mounting. Nova Scotia upped the ante with a $150,000 reward for solid intel back in June. Crime Stoppers is blowing up with anonymous lines.

Online, the case is exploding. True crime YouTubers like Sunny Austin are live-streaming deep dives, pulling in global viewers dissecting every rumor. Reddit threads timeline the chaos, from a pink blanket fragment found in trash to boot prints that led nowhere.

Witnesses spilled to cops about hearing a vehicle revving back and forth in the dead of night before the disappearance – but surveillance cams showed squat.

“Everything’s been searched,” Martell told reporters last month. “I don’t believe they are in the woods.”

As winter creeps in on Nova Scotia’s rugged terrain, hope’s fading fast. Volunteers with Please Bring Me Home jumped in mid-October, vowing fresh eyes.

RCMP spox Cpl. Sandy Matharu insists: “We’re committed to doing what is necessary to locate Lilly and Jack. This may take longer than we all hoped.”

But with dogs drawing blanks on the most basic trails, folks are asking: What really happened inside that house?

The province’s premier Tim Houston called it a “nightmare” early on, urging prayers. Now, six months later, those prayers are louder than ever.

Anyone with info – no matter how small – hit up Northeast Nova RCMP Major Crime at 902-896-5060 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

This one’s got Canada gripped. Will the dogs’ silence crack the case wide open? Or bury it deeper?

Stay locked – more twists coming.