COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A lost stuffed animal is back with its owner after being left behind at Detroit Metro Airport earlier this month.
One day, 11-month-old Ray Brodbeck will discover just how many frequent flier miles her beloved cow, Austin, had to clock so they could be reunited.
“You could even tell in the video when she got it back, she lights up,” Alexa Brodbeck said. “He’s more well traveled than I am.”
Alexa and Ray Brodbeck live near Toledo. Mary Joyce lives in Commerce Township. They were on the same flight from Detroit to Nashville when Austin the cow was left behind.
“I knew exactly what she felt because I mean, my kids have lost favorite toys before,” Mary Joyce said.
Mary Joyce is a mother of seven and flies several times a week for work. She decided to start documenting Austin’s journey, hoping she’d find his owner. Even pilots noticed.
“He’s like, ‘What with the cow?’ And I told him. Then he’s like, ‘Well. Cool.’ And I said, ‘Well, hey, while we’re here can we take some pictures in the cockpit?’ It kind of just rolled from there,” Mary Joyce said.
Her creative social media posts started getting a lot of attention. Alexa Brodbeck saw the post and recognized the stuffed animal immediately.
“I was with my husband and I said, ‘Oh my God, it’s Austin,’” Alexa Brodbeck said.
She reached out to Mary Joyce immediately. Mary Joyce mailed the stuffed animal back to its rightful owners.
Read: Detroit Metro Airport reunites lost stuffed animal with owner