- The stuffed dog has been with its owner for about 21 years and helped her through the loss of her baby brother.
- The family knows the stuffed animal made it to Cape May but does not know where it was lost after that.
- Anyone who may have found it is asked to call or text 989-214-0745.
CAPE MAY, N.J. — A Michigan family is searching for a well-loved stuffed dog that went missing during a recent trip through Cape May and Wildwood.
This one is a longshot, but the sentimental stuffed toy means a lot to the family who left it behind.
The dog belongs to a gril who has had it for nearly her entire life. Her mother, Cassandra, said her daughter carried it everywhere growing up, including through one of the hardest periods of her childhood — the loss of her baby brother.
Ramirez said the stuffed dog became a source of comfort for her daughter after her brother died and remained with her for years afterward. It traveled with her, slept beside her and stayed with her into adulthood, making its disappearance far more than the loss of an old toy.
“Her original one has been through so much with her not only has she held onto and took it everywhere with her for all these years,” Ramirez said. “This stuffed dog helped her through the toughest time a little girl could go through of loosing her baby brother. I’m hoping someone found it and has held onto for roughly a month or so looking for its owner.”
Her daughter traveled from Michigan with her friend, staying in Wildwood and visiting Cape May. The trip also included a hotel stay in Pennsylvania. The family knows the stuffed dog made it to Cape May, but they are not sure where it disappeared after that.
Ramirez believes it may have fallen from the car without anyone noticing. After more than two decades of being carried and washed, the dog has cloudy glass eyes, a soft nose and beads in its feet.
The family has another stuffed dog like it, but it is not the one her daughter grew up with or held onto after losing her brother. Ramirez hopes someone found the original, realized it was well-loved and kept it instead of throwing it away.
Ramirez said her daughter wants to retrace the trip herself to search for it. At her daughter’s request, Shore News Network is not publishing her name.
Anyone who found the stuffed dog in Cape May, Wildwood or somewhere along the family’s route can call or text Cassandra Ramirez at 989-214-0745.