Dog Lost Year Ago At Tahquamenon Falls Campground Finally Caught 50 Miles Away
PARADISE, MI – A dog that went missing at Tahquamenon Falls State Park more than a year ago has finally been located and captured.
Park officials shared the happy news on Friday after a local woman, Deanna Suggitt, and professional dog catcher confirmed they had secured the dog, Barley, after months of effort.
Barley had been missing since he disappeared from the park’s Rivermouth Campground in May 2023.
He was finally caught about 45 to 50 miles from the campground on Thursday, according to park officials.
“We have some amazing news,” a post by the Chippewa County Animal Shelter said. “After a year of feeding and building trust, Deanna Suggitt and Sharon, a professional dog trapper, were able to catch Barley, the dog who was lost at Tahquamenon.”
“Deanna, you are our hero and never once gave up on Barley; through rain, sleet, snow or hail, day after day you fed him knowing one day he’d finally be safe.”
Capturing Barley was difficult because he is skittish and would run from strangers.
The 72-site Rivermouth Campground is located five miles south of Paradise.
Campers enjoy walking along the river among blueberries and wildflowers underneath massive red pines. Bicycling is a popular way to travel around the campground.
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Virginia Woman Hosts Scottie Dog Meetups Drawing Dogs From All Over The World
Four years ago, when Lenora Metts began writing on Facebook using the voice of her 9-year-old Scottie dog Gordon, she had no idea that it would result in a multinational community and yearly get-togethers with Scotties and their owners from around the world.
In 2016, Metts, who has been a proud Scottie owner for 35 years, joined some Facebook groups for adopters of Scottie dogs. She hoped to connect with others like her who had a love for the breed, and she did, but she also encountered people grieving the losses of their beloved pets.
Lenora Metts is seen with her Scotties, Fyfe and Lilibet, in her Glen Allen home. That's the site of her annual “Glamalot” celebration with other Scottie owners.
MIKE KROPF, TIMES-DISPATCH“I noticed that a lot of people were grieving and sad with their dogs’ illnesses and losses, and I felt bad,” Metts said. “So I thought, well, it’ll seem ridiculous if I tell these people I love them, but Gordon and Madge, who were my two Scotties at the time, could.”
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So, Metts began writing to other dog parents on Facebook in hopes of bringing some comfort. She used the voice of her dog, a white Scottie, to write to friends in the group. She would have Gordon call them “aunties or uncles,” which she said seemed ridiculous to her at the time.
“But people caught on pretty soon,” Metts said. “And it became sort of a lexicon; everyone’s an auntie or uncle now. … And so it just kind of became a community.”
Lenora Metts’ dog Fyfe in her home Friday, July 19, 2024.
MIKE KROPF, TIMES-DISPATCHThree years ago, some friends she had made through the group wanted to visit, so she planned what she expected to be a small get-together at her home.
Lenora Metts has organized an international group of Scottish Terrier owners who meet periodically at her home in Glen Allen.
PROVIDED“I thought, great, you know maybe five people will come,” Metts said. “I think we had about 20 the first year.”
That was in 2021. Since then, the annual meetup, which Metts has dubbed “Glamalot,” has attracted up to 35 people from all over the United States, as well as from Canada, Australia, Brazil, England and Scotland.
The meetup received its name from Gordon, the Scottie who started it all.
Metts began to make memes and short stories online about Gordon’s exploits and eventually gave him the title “Glam Laird and Mayor of Glen Allen (Virginia), Gordon.” They also sometimes featured her other Scottie dog, Madge.
“Usually, it’s stuff that happens to me, and I then make it about them,” she explained.
Because of their popularity on Facebook, Metts hopes to soon publish a book filled with Gordon’s escapades. In the past, she has self-published privately for limited release.
Four years ago, Lenora Metts began making memes and short stories online about the exploits of her dog Gordon. She eventually gave him the title “Glam Laird and Mayor of Glen Allen, Gordon.”
Courtesy of Lenora Metts“I started writing books which I would offer for auction to benefit a foundation that helps with Scotties’ medical bills,” she said. “That’s Scotties Rock Foundation.”
Gordon died in 2022 at the age of 11 and was unable to attend the party named in his honor.
When Metts announced his death on Facebook, she said, she was overwhelmed by the response. She received messages, flowers and cards from around the world offering condolences for her loss and telling her how much they loved Gordon.
“People just became infatuated with him,” she said. “I just can’t believe people would drive across the street, much less come to another country, for a little dog they never got to meet.”
She said his impact is something she still cherishes, even two years after his passing.
Lenora Metts' most recent Scottie meetup drew 35 Scotties to her home in Glen Allen.
PROVIDED“To just think that a little dog could transcend all the differences that people have now,” she said. “That people come together just because they love this little character.”
She has since adopted two more Scotties, Lilibet and Fyfe, and is still active in the online Scottie community.
The last Glamalot this June saw an attendance of 30 Scotties. The next Glamalot will be held in September 2025 at Metts’ home in Glen Allen.
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