Dogman Symposium: Defiance, Ohio in August

Coming soon, the Dogman Symposium, which is not to be missed! And here's the press release below. Speakers included Ken Gerhard, Lyle Blackburn, David Weatherly, Linda Godfrey, John Tenney Stan Gordon, and me:

Dogman Symposium Press Release

Every dog has its day, including the mysterious, upright canine known as Dogman whose official day will be August 6, 2016, as a group of nationally known investigators, authors and television personalities gathers in Defiance, Ohio, for the first ever Dogman Symposium.

 

Why Ohio? The creature also tagged as a real-life werewolf, wolfman, Beast of Bray Road and a dozen other monstrous monikers is quite at home all around the Buckeye State, according to numerous eyewitnesses. And Defiance is the site of one of the nation’s earliest and best known sightings “flaps,” or clusters, of a creature whose true nature remains unknown. In late July, 1972, at least three people told police they’d seen an extremely hairy, wolf-headed creature wearing a dark shirt and jeans. Two of the witnesses were railroad crewmen, one of whom was struck by a piece of lumber the creature wielded. A motorist contributed the third encounter report. He said the beast ran across the road in front of his car as he drove near downtown Defiance at about 4 a.m. Police suspected a local person in a mask, but witnesses said the seven-to-nine foot creature did not look human to them.

 

It’s harder to explain the many other sightings from more recent times. In November, 2008, two sisters saw a pair of upright, black-furred canines standing near a mobile home park in Mansfield. The creatures ran into a nearby woods on their hind legs, said the sisters, adding that other residents had also seen the creatures. There have been other sightings near Akron, Cleveland, and most parts of the state. The city of Delphos has its own werewolf legend, as well.

 

The phenomenon of wolf-like or dog-like creatures that walk upright is not limited to Ohio, however. Speakers at the Symposium will address history, sightings and theories about world-wide appearances of dogmen, in an effort to raise awareness of how many reports have been made and of the fact that these encounters may occur in people’s back yards as well as in wild or forested areas.

 

The event is open to the public and will feature an impressive roster of speakers:

• Lyle Blackburn: Author and (cryptid) man-beast researcher from Texas, consulting producer and host of Destination America’s – “Monsters and Mysteries in America: The Blackburn Files.”
• Ken Gerhard: World traveling cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard has authored three books on unknown creatures and is currently co-host of the History Channel series – “Missing in Alaska.”
• Linda Godfrey: Author-cryptid researcher who raised initial public awareness of Dogman with The Beast of Bray Road & 16 more books, frequent TV/radio guest on shows like Monsterquest, Hannity.
• Stan Gordon: Researching mysterious events in Pennsylvania since 1959, the author of three books appears frequently on radio and television and is a regular guest on Coast to Coast AM.
• Nick Redfern: Texan researcher Nick Redfern is the best-selling author of 36 books on weird creatures and monsters and has appeared on TV shows such as Fox News and MSNBC’s Countdown.
• John E.L. Tenney: The author of over a dozen books, Mr. Tenney has been interviewed on radio and television worldwide and is co-host of Destination America’s TV show – “Ghost Stalkers.”
• David Weatherly: Paranormal investigator, author and student of shamanic traditions worldwide, David frequently guests on TV and radio shows like Ancient Aliens and Coast to Coast AM.

Dogman Symposium is a family-friendly event that runs from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM (EDT) at the VFW Hall, 201 Clinton St, Defiance, OH 43512. Tickets are available in advance for $20 at www.dogman2016.com, where you can find information on the speakers, directions to the hall, and more. Tickets may also be available at the door for $25, but seating is limited and same-day sales cannot be guaranteed. Food and beverages will be available for purchase on site, as well as vendors offering a variety of Dogman-related books, videos, t-shirts, artwork and jewelry.