Dog Receives Unemployment Letter Approving $360 a Week

A dog named Ryder received an unemployment letter approving him for $360 a week in benefits until his owner got to the bottom of it.

The letter to "Michael Ryder," which said the named person had worked at Detroit-area restaurant chain, actually combined the dog's name, Ryder, with his owner's name, Michael Haddock.

Haddock is an attorney who lives on the other side of the state in Saugatuck, The Associated Press reported.

WZZM-TV reports that Haddock received a benefits letter addressed to "Michael Ryder" from Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency. The station says Haddock contacted the agency about the letter.

The agency says its computer system sent the letter, but the claim later was flagged as suspicious and denied.

Investigations administrator Tim Kolar wrote in a tongue-in-cheek email that he knows "first-hand it is rare for 'man's best friend' to contribute financially to the household and that will continue in this instance."

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