NORTH MUSKEGON, Mich. — Skydive Grand Haven needs help. On Monday, the owners' dog and company mascot went missing near North Muskegon Waterfront Sports Park.
“Fuzz is the drop zone dog," says Tony Gwinn, the owner of Skydive Grand Haven. “Anything I’m doing he is pretty much doing.”
This includes always hanging out at Skydive Grand Haven. The 14-year-old Shih Tzu Yorkshire Terrier mix is usually the first to greet customers.
“Fuzz is always running around just hanging out with the people on the ground," says Haley Gwinn, Skydive Grand Haven's Manager. "He does a lot to calm nerves for people who are about to go up on a jump.”
On Monday, Fuzz was sailing with Tony in Muskegon Lake. But the boat got stuck in shallow water, near the North Muskegon Waterfront Sports Park.
“We had a bunch of skydivers running from one side of the boat and front to back trying to get the weight off the keel to get it off the ground," Tony says.
When they finally freed the boat, Tony realized Fuzz wasn't there.
“While we were working on it, he must have jumped off the boat we look for him pretty much everywhere we could," Tony says.
According to Tony, they have searched the area every day for Fuzz, both diving in the water near where the boat was stuck and using an infrared drone.
“My thought is, you know, he saw something he wanted on shore while we're all distracted trying to get the boat off, made a swim for it," Tony says. "I'm reasonably sure he got to shore. He's pretty good swimmer.”
Tony hopes Fuzz walked to a house or was picked up by someone in the parking lot.
“He will jump right in your car. He's not shy... I don't think he's the type of dog to hunker down," Tony says.
The Gwinns are offering a reward to anyone who finds Fuzz: $1,000 and a chance to go skydiving for free.
“We're just hoping to keep as many eyes peeled as possible," Haley says. "We sure do miss him.
Fuzz is microchipped, so if you find him you can take him to any vet or shelter to get scanned.
You can also call Skydive Grand Haven at 616-350-8020 or the Gwinns directly at 616-795-2117 or 616-662-1860.
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