Glowing eyes, long claws, fast as a car, and as tall as nine feet. … Those are some of the ways the Dogman of Michigan has been described.
Sightings of this terrifying creature have been reported since 1887, when some lumberjacks in Wexford County saw something they could hardly believe: a creature they described as having the body of a man and the head of a dog with piercing eyes that were either blue or yellow and a howl like a terrifying scream. Other early reported sightings often came from individuals or small groups that found themselves alone in the woods.
"They talk about this beast coming out of the woods,” Rachel Clark, education specialist for the Archives of Michigan, said “It is very agile. It jumps in front of their car or them. It scratches at their houses or their tents. People have been scared to death by the sightings of the Dogman.”
Since then, sightings and encounters have only grown across Michigan, at least according to social media groups dedicated to the Dogman.
Even though the Dogman hasn’t been officially identified by the state’s department of natural resources, the phenomenon has driven many to talk about the mysterious creatures and share their own experiences including in a podcast hosted by Vic Cundiff called “Dogman Encounters Radio.”
In 2007, Cundiff was hosting a Bigfoot podcast when guests mentioned an encounter with a Dogman. He instantly became interested in learning more about these creatures and in 2014 he began interviewing witnesses about their encounters.
In the past decade, Cundiff himself has interviewed more than 600 people who claimed to have had intense experiences with a Dogman, and, sometimes, Dogmen. Many of them have expressed gratitude to Cundiff for offering a safe space for them to share their own experiences.
“The main thing I do is actually just trying to help traumatized Dogman witnesses,” Cundiff said. “I don’t concern myself with trying to prove their existence.”
Of course, Vic does not recommend trying to find these creatures. But if you happen to encounter the Dogman and have the wherewithal to take a picture, please send it our way.
Learn about the existing evidence for and against the Michigan Dogman in this episode of "On Hand."
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