MICHIGAN MONSTERS: Dogman legend continues to howl across state

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) -- Could a species that's half man and half dog be roaming the Michigan wilderness?

Each week in May, Newschannel 3 is taking a look at mythical creatures that could be roaming around Michigan in a special series of reports called "Michigan Monsters."

This week we're taking a look at the Michigan Dogman.

In 1987, the song "Legend of the Dogman" hit the airwaves.

It describes sightings and close encounters with a dog-human hybrid in northern Michigan.

The song was written and performed by Steve Cook of WTCM Radio in Traverse City.

"I came up with the creature of the Dogman, a half man, a half dog, and developed it into a poem. It was kind of an amalgamation of all these creatures I'd heard as a kid and heard stories about," Cook said.

It was first played on April Fools' Day as a joke song.

"And then we started to get calls from people saying 'That's no joke, that's a real thing. That actually happened. People have seen this thing'," Cook said.

Dogman fever heated up, as authorities investigated an attempted break in at a cabin as the work of this creature.

"The only footprints they could find were of a dog. The sheriff's deputy believes to this day that it was the Dogman," Cook said.

Cook later discovered that stories of dogmen date back thousands of years.

Eyewitness reports indicate the creatures have a mix of human and dog-like features, and are covered in black or gray fur.

Dogmen have been seen all over Michigan, sticking close to the woods, going from all fours to walking on two legs.

"I'm a skeptic because of the way this all began. I watched it evolve over the years. But I do believe there are things out there that we can't explain," Cook said.

Over the years the song has raised thousands of dollars for animal rescue charities.

Cook has become the keeper of the legend, hosting a website and Facebook page.

There have been several books, movies, and TV shows about the Dogman.

In 2007, a film surfaced, believed to be an old home movie that showed a Dogman attack.

It had a lot of people convinced.

However it turned out to be a hoax, and Cook was pulling the strings once again.

After nearly 30 years, the Dogman legend is going strong, scaring people around the world.

"WSM in Nashville plays it every Halloween. Armed forces radio in Germany and Japan play it every Halloween. It's got a worldwide following now," Cook said.

Next week, Newschannel 3 is examining a creature that's special to a small town in West Michigan.