Raven Ruckus named Michigan Gas Utilities’ next safe digging ‘ambassadog’

Quoth the Raven — evermore!

It’s not the words of Edgar Allan Poe — it’s a new messenger reminding you to call 811 and know what’s below. Raven Ruckus, a 1-year-old dog from Petersburg, has been named as Michigan Gas Utilities’ (MGU) next safe digging “ambassadog.”

MGU customers and dog lovers alike cast hundreds of votes to choose the next canine communicator-in-chief that will remind everyone to call 811 at least three days before digging. As the top vote-getter, Raven Ruckus will spend the next year reminding people across Michigan to call 811 before they dig.

A dog with black hair and sandy dirt on its nose.

A black dog with its tongue out while sitting on a wooden dock near a lake.

A dog with black hair digging a hole in the sand on a beach near a lake.

A dog with black hair looking up while sitting on a lawn with leaves in fall.

From a midnight dreary to an un-fur-gettable family member

Raven Ruckus’ flight to the title of top dog began with a gloomy start. She was surrendered to an animal shelter in Mississippi and then transferred to another shelter in Tennessee. She was eventually brought to Michigan on the “Love Train” — an effort by Ann Arbor’s Humane Society of Huron Valley to bring in animals from struggling rescues and shelters.

Raven Ruckus’ dog mom fell in love, surprising her husband and children by adopting her in April 2023. When’s she’s not digging, the Wheaten Terrier mix loves to go on hikes with her human brother or team up with her human sister in dog competitions through their local 4-H program. Raven Ruckus also is training to be a therapy dog – her dog mom hopes she can someday brighten the spirits of the patients at the hospital where she works.

Look for Raven Ruckus as MGU’s “ambassadog” throughout 2024. Stay safe by calling 811 at least three days before you dig — and quoth the Raven “evermore.”

About 811

Digging can be dangerous if you don’t call 811 at least three days in advance. Whether you’re planting a garden or installing a fence, it’s important to have the location of underground utilities marked to keep you and your family safe. Notifying MISS DIG 811 is easy, it’s free and it’s the law.