Michigan Couple Spends a Full Year Befriending Dog Lost in the UP

A Northern Michigan couple spent a full year befriending and saving a rescue dog that had been lost while in the care of another couple in the Upper Peninsula.

Sound confusing? It will all make perfect sense in a moment.

Dog Gets Lost in the UP

In the summer of 2022, a couple from Southfield lost their 'Sweet Barley' while they were camping at Tahquamenon Falls.

They made several trips back to the UP to find Barley but had no luck. They posted a picture of the pooch on Facebook, noting that he was skittish and likely to run if approached.

Eventually, that couple gave up on their search and reluctantly relinquished ownership of Barley, according to WXYZ-TV.

Barley Goes Viral in the UP

Although the Southfield couple had given up on finding the dog, their Facebook posts went viral - making Barley a celebrity in the Upper Peninsula.

The posts caught the attention of Deanna and Denny Suggitt, animal lovers from Sault Ste. Marie. The couple then made it their mission to find and help Barley.

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They enlisted the help of the online community who would post pictures whenever they spotted the pup. The Suggitts eventually tracked him down in the Brimley area, which is between Sault Ste. Marie and Tahquamenon Falls where the dog was originally lost.

Befriending a Rescue

Twice a day, Deanna made the trip to leave food for Barley.

"She was boiling him liver and hot dogs and put it on a bed of pedigree dry food every morning and every afternoon," said Denny. "We had to leave at a certain time to take it out to him."

Eventually, the Suggitts were able to gain a little of the dog's trust. He evaded several traps but exactly 14 months after he had gone missing, they were able to lure him into a cage. Barley then spent 10 days a the Chippewa County Animal Shelter.

This week, the Suggitts were able to bring Barley home. They know they have some work to do, but Denny noted that they hope to make Barley's life normal again.

"We’re going to get him home and try to make him realize that he’s a dog and he can have fun and he can play and it’s okay."