Non-Local Family Goes Viral For Lost Dog Search In Leelanau County
By Craig Manning | Aug. 27, 2025
An out-of-town family lost their dog in Leelanau County while vacationing in the area over the weekend – and have garnered viral attention in their efforts to get him back.
Johnny Kinzinger of Dexter, Michigan is offering a $1,000 reward “for helpful return” of his dog, a mini German shepherd/Australian shepherd mix named Tony. Kinzinger and his family were visiting northern Michigan over the weekend, and Tony “was accidentally left behind at a farmstand” in Leelanau County during their visit.
According to Kinzinger’s fliers and social media posts, Tony was left at Buzzy’s Produce, a farmstand located near the intersection of M-72 and South Maple City Road, on Friday, August 22. Tony is described as a medium-sized brown and black dog with a short tail and an orange collar. He is microchipped and has been neutered.
Since Tony went missing, Kinzinger’s posts have been shared hundreds of times on social media, leading to dozens of tips from Leelanau County residents about dog sighting throughout the area. Tony was spotted near Glen’s Landfill on Friday evening and around East Kasson Road on Saturday. Kinzinger wrote on Facebook that there were “no reports on Sun. 8/24 or Mon. 8/25.” The latest flier says that Tony’s “last confirmed sighting” was on Tuesday, but doesn’t say where.
Kinzinger is asking locals to help find Tony by putting up trail cameras that could help identify his location. Anyone who sees a dog that might be Tony is encouraged to drop a pin on Google Maps and text it to Kinzinger’s phone number so he can share the information “with our hired dog tracking and recovery experts.”
Other information is included in the latest flier, which is pictured above.
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