The Michigan Dogman

In 1887, folklore recounts the alleged sighting of the Michigan Dogman in Wexford County, Michigan, United States. Described as a seven-foot tall, bipedal canine-like creature with striking blue or amber eyes, it possesses a human-like torso and emits a chilling howl akin to a human scream. Legends associate the Michigan Dogman with a recurring ten-year cycle, coinciding with years ending in 7. Reports of sightings have emerged across various Michigan locations, predominantly within the northwestern quadrant of the Lower Peninsula. In 1987, the legend gained considerable traction when disc jockey Steve Cook from WTCM-FM composed a song detailing the creature and its alleged encounters. According to Dogman believers, the mere act of clapping can prompt the creature to flee.

Up until the latter part of the twentieth century, the existence of this creature remained largely unknown to the modern world, its presence reportedly stretching back to the time of the Odawa tribes inhabiting the Manistee River area. However, documented sources confirming sightings prior to 1987 are notably lacking. Comparable creature reports emerged from Allegan County in the 1950s, and from Manistee and Cross Village in 1967. In her book “The Beast of Bray Road,” Linda S. Godfrey draws connections between the Manistee sightings and a similar creature sighted in Wisconsin, known as the Beast of Bray Road.