Michigan community helps Florida family reunite with missing dog

ST. IGNACE, Mich. (WLUC/Gray News) - A Florida family has been reunited with their dog thanks in part to the support of Upper Michigan residents.

Florida residents Meagan Glesser and her father Tom Glesser were on their way to a summer property in the Upper Peninsula, when their beloved family dog, Izzy, decided to make the trek a little more adventurous. The father and daughter had just crossed the Mackinac Bridge into the U.P., when Izzy made a surprise escape from their vehicle.

Izzy jumped out of the car, crossing lanes of traffic on I-75 before being hit by a car and running into the woods in the St. Ignace area.

“My first instinct was to call out her name and that’s when an SUV going about 35 miles an hour ran into her,” Meagan Glesser said.

The pup remained missing for two days while they waited outside by the highway, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

Their search for Izzy circulated on Facebook, garnering the help of animal search groups like Moore’s Lost K9 Search and Recovery and Michigan Lost and Found Pet Network.

In addition, nearly 40 Yoopers ventured to St. Ignace to bring the family food and blankets and help them look for Izzy.

“I was stunned. I’ve been an airline pilot for 37 years and was a Navy pilot for 10 years before that. Of all the places I’ve been, I’ve never been in a community like this in St. Ignace that just exploded in helping,” Tom Glesser said.

On Tuesday, a woman called to says she thought she had spotted Izzy in a section of woods along the highway. The Glessers drove to the location, where Meagan laid in the grass near Izzy and coaxed her until she came to her name.

Izzy is now safe with her family.

Meagan Glesser said she will never forget the help from a community of strangers.

“I turned to my dad and said, ‘I really want to move here now because it’s just unheard of, this kind of support,’” said Meagan. “We’re so thankful to everyone who helped us find our dog. She’s just a dog but it was a really traumatic event that I will never forget, I learned a lot.”

They will be holding a gathering this Saturday at Bridge View Park in St. Ignace to personally thank everyone involved in finding Izzy.

Copyright 2022 WLUC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.