Hudson & Murphy Learn Some New Words on the Road

Shade - Something that since we're on a NNE/ENE trajectory, are almost always in search of. Kinda cute - all I have to say is 'shade' and they know right where we're going.

In the Tent - Started out as a normal part of our daily routine but since I have no other way of punishment, it's now their 'doghouse' or 'penalty box'. Though small (and stinky) we love our tent but no one likes to get sent there all alone.

Off-the-Street - My command for the dogs to get off the road. Usually exclamatory and always followed by...

@#!$% - A broad term I use when, you know, we're nearly wiped out by the guy on the cell phone or the little old lady with a glasses prescription that dates back to the Reagan years.

Snuggle, snuggle - Hudson on left, Murphy on right. Sometimes Hudson on right, Murphy on left. Then there's Hudson and Murphy both on right. Whichever way, this is how our day ends and begins.

Dear Texas Department of Transportation

Dear Sir or Madame

Presently I am traveling from Austin to Boston on foot with my two trusty canine companions, Hudson and Murphy and while we are most grateful for the glorious scenery the great state of Texas has to offer, the rolling hills and dales, the wildflowers in full bloom, and the blackberries just now ripening on the vines, I'm sorry to report that there is a particularly dreadful and dangerous stretch of road which demands your attention.

The road in question is highway 79 between Buffalo and Palestine and more specifically, I am referring to the series of bridges with corseted shoulders of, oh, about three feet wide that span more than half the length of a football field. May I direct your attention to Exhibit 1A?

I assure you, sir or madame, I am not wont to complain nor am I easily terrified but when you've got a super-sized semi blazing at you at seventy miles an hour less than two feet away and on the other side, only a knee high guardrail separating you from a twenty foot drop into the muddy marshlands of east Texas, it can be, ah, a little daunting. There really wasn't much we could do other than hold on to the railing, throw out a hail Mary, and hope.

You must really be wondering right now how we fared? We made it through okay, thank you most thoughtful sir or madame, though I have discovered that body hair can turn gray, too, and in places you wouldn't imagine.

I realize the time and expense of widening the existing bridges would be considerable but should another member of my family be affected by cancer, we may just have to make the return trip from Boston to Austin one day. Here are some suggestions: Hire boat people. You can probably get em cheap maybe a couple of bucks a day and gondolas can't set you back too much.

Also, that stretch of Hwy 79 has lots of hairpin curves with tree branches cropping out over the road and overgrown brush and brambles severely limiting visibility. And with traffic whipping around those curves at breakneck speeds, you're kinda forced to use the easement which with waist high weeds isn't so easy. Please see Exhibit 1B. I don't mean to sound whiney, patient sir or madame, but doing some landscape maintenance sure would be swell.

Very truly

Your Big Dog (And Hudson and Murphy, too!!)

Buddy Braveheart – Part II – Final Destination

“And all for love, and nothing for reward.” -- The Faerie Queene – Edmund Spencer

Today’s entry is the kind of success story we all like to read. While Buddy is, thankfully, not a dog effected by cancer, he nevertheless has his own special problem. But thanks to the hard work of many people, Buddy has found a place to call home – forever.

On Thursday, I had the pleasure of talking with Margot McClelland, the young woman who adopted Buddy. Margot is a junior at Texas A&M University with a major in Agricultural and Life Sciences and a minor in Wildlife and Fishery Sciences, and was kind enough to take time out of her busy exam schedule to speak with me.

Margot has had Buddy a little over 2 months and, while she’s in College Station, he came to her through Great Pyrenees Rescue based in Houston. (http://www.gprescuesociety.org) She thinks Buddy is about two years old, so they have many good years ahead of them.

In addition to Buddy, she also has a Maltese named Aspen who she’s had for 3 years. She told me Aspen is a laid back little guy, but she felt Aspen had been lonely since her sister and her two dogs (a Lab and a Yorkie) had moved out. But now he has Buddy for company, and, despite their considerable size differences, they get along well.

I asked her what it is like to own a blind dog. What advice would she give somebody who is thinking of adopting a special needs dog?

For me it’s great. But then, I’m a huge animal lover. It’s fun! It’s really interesting … he always does something every day that keeps me laughing and smiling. But to own a blind dog, patience has to be number one. And at the same time [a person] has to be able to take on a big responsibility. You have to be mature. You have to be understanding of [the dog’s] needs and you have to be able to love them unconditionally because that’s really all they want; all they look for.

It’s so interesting – it’s as if Buddy knows that I saved him. He’s so appreciative. There is no greater reward than having a feeling like that.

Did it take very long for him to acclimate to his new surroundings?

No, actually, it’s really remarkable. He came over to my house the first day and within the next couple of hours he pretty much knew the area; he knew where the steps were, where to go outside. Within the first week he knew the house perfectly. He gets around fine. A lot of people don’t even realize he’s blind. Sometimes he walks into a chair or something and they’ll go, ‘Oh, poor thing.’ And I’ll say ‘Oh no, he’s blind.’ ‘But he gets around perfectly.’ ‘I know!’ It’s really remarkable how easily he learned and how it’s just so easy for him to get around.

Since he’s been living with me, it’s really interesting. We go on walks. And little things that I wouldn’t even think about listening to or that I wouldn’t even hear, he hears them. So now that I’ve been around him a lot my hearing has become a lot more acute. He’s made my other senses more acute.

What about his 2 AM playtime?

He does wake up around 2 to 3 in the morning sometimes but he really doesn’t bark. He used to kind of bark and I would get up. But I found that if I’d give him a bone or just put my hand on his back while I’m sleeping or even give him a toy, it just takes him about 20 minutes and he’ll just fall right back to sleep. Also, giving him exercise, taking him for walks through the neighborhood, taking him to the dog park – that also helps calm him down.

I asked her to share a few stories about Buddy.

There are a few funny things. When I say ‘treat’ he goes crazy; he jumps around and jumps around … I give him a treat – sometimes I give him two – he always expects more – I have a soft spot for him so always give him a few more than I should. But his sense of smell is so great. I think he can still smell the scent of the treat in the air. I’ll sit down and he’s still there and he’s still moving his head back and forth – so then he starts biting the air because he thinks my hand is there with the treat. And I tell him ‘Oh Buddy, no, no, there’s no more.’

When I come home he gets so excited. His tail’s wagging everywhere, he’s jumping everywhere. He doesn’t know where he's jumping. And Aspen, he’s small. Buddy’s about 75 pounds and Aspen is about 6 pounds. Buddy gets so excited he just jumps all over Aspen. Aspen gets annoyed, but Buddy couldn’t care less. He's just happy I'm home.

Buddy was used to sleeping on the floor. But my dogs sleep with me on the bed. So I lowered my bed for him. He comes off and on the bed as he pleases. One day I came home after a really long day – exams and school and such. I turned on the TV. Aspen was lying next to me. So Buddy decided to come up on the bed and he lay next to me too. He put his whole head on my chest, next to my face, and he fell asleep there for about an hour and a half. And I was so happy in that moment – I just did not want to move. My arm was falling asleep, but I didn’t care because he was so happy right there.

Dogs are such a huge blessing. They make you complete and they make your life whole. They really do. I cannot see myself without a dog – ever in my life.

Buddy, it looks like you're in for a wonderful life!

Puppy Up!

Erich & His 4 Pack

Buddy Braveheart (Part I)

Folks will know how large your soul is by the way you treat a dog. Charles F. Doran

Luke has asked me to tell you the story of Buddy, known affectionately to his friends as Buddy Braveheart. Here is Part One of his two part story.

Buddy, a Great Pyrenees, was born blind. As most of us know, being born blind isn’t something one grows out of. Yet, his first owners didn’t understand this. Somehow they imagined he’d grow out of his blindness, like he’d grow out of his puppy fur, his puppy teeth, his puppy breath. But Buddy was blind and that was it. You don’t lose blindness like you lose your car keys. So, when it finally dawned on his first owners that Buddy would be blind for life, that he would never see, that his needs were special, he was dumped at an animal shelter in Texarkana. This proves that, while dogs are wise, some people are not. So ended the first chapter in Buddy’s life.

Buddy was again placed for adoption. His handsome face and description were published on the web and soon an older couple came to adopt him. Despite his blindness, they had fallen in love with him and had driven all the way from Arkansas to Texarkana, to make him their own. Buddy was happily whisked away to the land of Razorbacks, Hot Springs, and Bill Clinton. Arkansas, once known as The Bear State (its first official nickname), seemed suited to a big bear of a Pyrenees, and so it looked like Buddy had found his home.

But Buddy had an odd habit. Perhaps it was because he is blind, but Buddy didn’t seem to have an appropriate sense of time. After all, to a blind dog, dark-thirty in the morning is just the same as high noon. And it turned out that 2 AM was Buddy’s favorite time to crank up into play mode. Now, for a night person this arrangement would be ideal. After all, if you’re an insomniac and it’s a choice between an endless string of inane Infomercials or a huge, playful ball of fur on legs, what would you pick? Me too! But the people who adopted him had real jobs. That meant they had to get real sleep, and that meant Buddy would have to curtail his odd schedule. Yet, despite all they did to dissuade him of his strange proclivities, Buddy continued to insist on waking them for his 2 AM playtime. So sadly, they brought him back to Texarkana, hoping he would find someone who liked playing at all hours of the night.

Along comes Diana. Despite having nine dogs of her own, she pulled him from the shelter, just in time, and gave him a home on her 12 acres. Buddy was happy, a good boy, staying close to home. He would stay within the 12 acres as long as Diana was near-by. But the 12 acres weren't totally fenced and Buddy, the loving boy he is, would try to follow Diana when she would leave for work. This too was an unworkable situation, as Diana feared something would befall Buddy should he wander off. So she was forced to find him alternative digs.

Enter Frances DeGelia. Frances, herself proudly owned by three Great Pyrenees (Humphrey, Abbey, and Big Boy), fosters dogs. Through a series of events over the next two weeks, Frances and Diana worked to get Buddy to Frances. Finally plans were set and Diana and Frances connected. Frances drove from Bryan, Texas and Diana drove from Texarkana, meeting at Centerville for the great dog delivery.

Here’s where the six degrees of separation all those who foster dogs know well – Frances knows Elin Phillips (you remember Elin from the last blog). Because Elin too fosters dogs, Buddy found himself living with Elin for about two days. Then Elin got a call from a young lady who had seen Buddy’s mug shot on a special needs web site. Most humans, shuffled from home to home, would be deeply resentful, but not Buddy. He was about to have a real home, at last.

Margot McClelland (you’ll meet her in the next blog), is a Texas A&M student. And she wanted Buddy. But Buddy needed a forever home, so Frances kept track of him, doing home visits. Yet it wasn’t even two weeks before Margot knew it was love. Buddy Braveheart had won her heart. And so he has moved in with Margot. I wonder if he still has 2 AM playtime? After all, students keep odd hours too.

I’ll be talking with Margot in the next couple of days and let you know how Buddy is doing. But it says a lot about the character of these people, Diana, Frances, Elin and now Margot, that they would go to such lengths to find Buddy the right home. And it says a lot about Buddy, that his spirit never faltered. Frances told me Buddy inspired her, thus the name Braveheart. His tail wags all the time, and while he occasionally bumps into things, he just keeps going. His special talent is his ability to listen. He tilts his head (certain to charm anyone) to zone in on where he’s heading.

Buddy’s blindness is congenital. Despite the advances in veterinary medicine, he will never see. His left socket has no eyeball at all – the right eye is the size of a pea. Yet, his life is now good. Despite (or perhaps because of) his blindness, Buddy had the patience and good sense to wait for just the right person to come along.

For a wealth of information on blind and special needs dogs, please visit:
http://www.blinddogs.com/
http://www.petswithdisabilities.org

I'd like to extend special thanks to Frances DeGelia for a great interview for this blog. A bit about Frances and her dogs before this entry ends. Frances (pictured above with Buddy, Margot, and Margot’s other – little – dog) told me of her first Great Pyrenees, Clancy. Clancy died in 2001, and I could tell by the tone in Frances' voice that he would always hold a very special place in her life. But just 10 days before he passed, another Great Pyrenees found her way to Frances. Abbey is Frances’ “Angel Dog,” finding her way to Frances just when she needed her most. Abbey literally walked up to the school and into the classroom where Frances was teaching, and invited herself into her life. Abbey then joined Humphrey, Frances’ first Great Pyrenees rescue. And now they are all joined by Big Boy, another Great Pyrenees, whose case is currently in litigation. Seems Big Boy was removed from a home over cruelty charges and Frances is trying to win permanent custody of him.

Frances has since retired from teaching students, but now reaches people in need with the aid of her dogs. Humphrey is a therapy dog who, as many therapy dogs do, works with tough cases. Frances shared one case in particular. A young woman, perhaps in her mid-thirties, had had a severe stroke, leaving her unresponsive. Nothing the hospital staff could do would elicit even the remotest response from her. A physical therapist approached Humphrey and Frances, asking if they would just visit the girl to see if Humphrey could get her to respond. Well, when they visited it was dinner time and some delicious bar-b-q escaped the tray and rolled under the hospital bed. Naturally, Humphrey took this as a cue to act, and went after the bar-b-q. (While dogs are wise about many things, they are not wise about hospital food, which apparently, despite its many objectionable traits, has a certain canine appeal.) He dove under the bed after the goodies, and the young girl, who had been totally unresponsive towards humans, thought Humphrey’s desire for hospital bar-b-q so funny, she laughed! This young girl, shut away by such a lonely affliction, was still in there after all. It simply took the uncomplicated act of a beautiful dog to bring her laugh to the surface.

One final note. How did Frances come to find out about Luke and The Boys’ journey? Serendipity (which has served The Boys well on their travels). A friend of Frances’ saw Luke and The Boys at a gas station in Hearne, Texas. She approached him for a chat. Next thing, she’s excitedly on the phone to Francis, telling her all about him, the dogs, their mission, their travels, their goal. Frances jumps in and gets involved. She’s made many connections down the road for Luke and The Boys. And just three weeks ago she’d never heard of them.

Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them.

Puppy Up!

Erich & His 4 Pack

Off to School

Today’s guest blogger is Elin Phillips, from Franklin, Texas, an instructor from Franklin ISD who teaches gifted and talented students. She also teaches dogs and miniature donkeys and has trained several as therapy animals. She’s a member of the Delta Society, an international organization dedicated to “improving human health through service and therapy animals.” (http://www.deltasociety.org/society.org/) Additionally, she’s involved in animal rescue and fostering, belongs to Aggieland Pets with a Purpose, and fostered Buddy, a blind Great Pyrenees, whose story you’ll read about in an upcoming blog.

I asked Elin how many animals she currently has and she had to stop and think for a moment. I could hear the wheels turn as she silently counted off all her charges -- last count was 12 miniature donkeys and 8 dogs! She became interested in miniature donkeys about 6 years ago and discovered how remarkably like dogs they were in personality and disposition, making them excellent therapy animals. One of her donkeys in particular, Pino, has been certified as a therapy animal and drew quite a crowd during his training and evaluation. Pino has been a guest at Special Olympics events and nursing homes, and makes the rounds doing hospice work and school events.

How did Elin become involved in 2dogs2000niles and how did she meet Luke? Here’s where the magnetic attraction of dogs comes in. Elin’s friend Frances (we’ll meet her in a later blog too) heard from yet another friend that a young man and his two Great Pyrenees were trekking cross country to spread the word about canine cancer. One thing led to another, magic began to happen (magic is often associated with dogs), and Elin learned The Boys would be coming through Franklin within days. Before she knew it, Elin and the 2dogs2000miles Team had arranged a gathering at her school where Luke and The Boys would be telling their story.

Elin says she was especially impressed with how well Luke conveyed his message to the kids, K through second grade. He easily held their attention, explained his journey, and answered their many questions. And, of course, Hudson and Murphy soaked up all the attention, as it should be. But I’ll let Elin tell you the story herself.

Having Luke, Murphy, and Hudson come through Franklin, Texas was a wonderful and amazing opportunity, not just for an animal lover like me, but for all the community members and school children who came to see the Traveling Trio.

On Sunday, April 6^th, I got a phone call that they would be arriving in Franklin on Tuesday. A rapid chain of events ensued, involving Kathy in Florida, Mark in Cape Cod, me in Franklin, and Luke … well, wherever he was at the moment. Kathy made sure to keep me informed of The Boys’ whereabouts and their ETA into my tiny little town. She also worked continually to check the weather and locate potential places for them to camp.

Meanwhile, Mark worked feverishly to help me coordinate the educational assembly Luke was going to present at my school and helped contact the local media as well. I scrambled to get permission from administrators to have the assembly: when and where to hold it. I also emailed other schools that would be on Luke's route as he made his way into northeast Texas, hoping they would invite him to speak as well. And, while he was continuing his mile by mile trek, Luke formulated in his mind what he was planning on saying to a group of 160 young school kids.

Tuesday, April 8, 2dogs2000miles made their way into town. The three of them created quite a celebrity buzz at the local Mexican restaurant -- photos were taken and autographs were signed!

The next morning Luke, Murphy, and Hudson were at the school, ready to take on a gymnasium full of chatty little students. Luke did an awesome job of explaining information related to the dogs, their gear, their journey, and answered all the questions the kids threw at him. Even the teachers had quite a few questions. In the meantime, Hudson and Murphy happily lay on the gym floor during the entire 30 minute talk -- although Hudson really wanted to personally greet each student. At the end, every child walked by and petted both dogs -- Hudson eagerly anticipating each and every pat, Murphy calmly and quietly taking it all in.

Since their departure from little ol' Franklin, Texas, I've had people stop me in the store or at school to tell me they saw the threesome somewhere down highway 79 or to express their gratitude for Luke's efforts.

I kept my eyes and ears open for several days...just in case Luke and The Boys needed something. But just as they had appeared, the highway slowly swept them away again. I plan on tracking them on the 2dogs2000miles website and keep up with their experiences. And when their pilgrimage is through, I'll celebrate along with all the others who supported Luke, Hudson, Murphy, and 2dogs2000miles.

A very special thanks to Elin Phillips for this blog and for all her help in getting Luke’s message out. And thank you Franklin, Texas, for your hospitality.

Puppy Up!

Erich & His 4 Pack

A New Dog In Town

I've been sniffing around the 2dogs2000miles blog for a while now -- a writer without a good cause to write about. But as Fate (a small town in Texas) would have it, I was tapped to fill in for The Big Dog when he can't blog himself. So here I am, a puppy at blogging. My part here is to write for Luke when he finds himself beyond the reaches of technology, silent in the wilderness. I hope you will enjoy the adventures I relay to you from Luke and The Boys as they make their way across country. We have many stories already in the works. And, of course, lots of pictures to share.

I come to this project with my own story, of course. I lost two of my own dogs to cancer. Sturm, a beautiful German Shepherd, was the love of my young life, and he saved me from the depths of despair, otherwise known as teenage angst. But at 11 he was stricken with squamous cell carcinoma. In those days (mid-70s), dogs weren't candidates for intervention therapy. He lived two more happy years, despite the cancer, and we made the best of every moment. Many beautiful dogs later, another of my pack, Linga (known to all her friends as Tingles), my sweet little red-haired Collie mix, was diagnosed with leukemia. But she too was a fighter and was a cancer survivor for three more years. We lost her in April 2006. My heart broke again.

And so I find myself here. I can't walk with Luke and The Boys. But I can help him tell their story. I hope you enjoy what we bring to you, together. I dedicate my efforts to Sturmie and Linga, Malcolm and Kubie, and all the dogs who have lost their lives to this disease. And to all the dogs who struggle still, and all the hearts that fill with hope that canine cancer will be a thing of the past. I'm glad to be a part of the 2 dogs 2000 miles team. I invite you to join in their efforts.

Puppy Up!
Erich & His 4 Pack

Q & A with the Big Dog

We've met so many wonderful, warm and generous people along our travels so far with lots of questions, some of which I thought you might have, too.

1. How are Hudson & Murphy? Fantastic! They had their first vet visit Monday the 7th. I've been so worried about weight loss but both actually have been packing some on, 3/4 of a pound for the wee lad and 2 for the old boy (57.7 and 110 respectively). Dr. Hogan was surprised at how good their pads were looking but now that the asphalt is starting to heat up, the boys are sporting their booties!

Some of you have asked if they are happy. Without a doubt, they're having the time of their lives. Sure we've had our share of challenges and it's been rough and tough at times but every day we're greeted with new adventures and the boys have made so many new friends. People stop us on the road just to take their picture, give them hugs & kisses, and even bring them treats.

2. How much progress have you made? To date, we've traveled about 140 miles and still have 220 left to reach Arkansas. I had originally budgeted 45 days to cross Texas but that's looking more like 60. Our goal is to make it to the state line by mid May but now that we're getting good media coverage and doing more community activities, we may have to bump that back some still. Getting the message out is of primary importance and we want to make sure we use this opportunity as best we can.

3. Do you accept rides? Absolutely not. We're in for the full stretch. People offering us a place to stay overnight can pick us up but they have to take us back. Interestingly, they feel like they're kicking us off on the side of the road and that makes some of them a tad uncomfortable but it's part of the deal.

4. You said you weren't going to travel on highways but you are now. True... we've had to make many adjustments since we started and this is the big one. Not only logistically but for me, mentally and emotionally. Six months ago, I would have never walked the boys anywhere near a highway. The onslaught of semis, oversized trucks, and seventy mile an hour traffic can be taxing on the wits but we have a routine which seems to be working. Plus, now that a lot of people know about us, it's amazing how many go out of their way to give us as wide as margin as possible.

5. Where are you sleeping? Of the 28 nights we've been on the road, only six were spent indoors. The rest were on the side of the road or on the occasional propitious night, we're given permission to pitch tent on someone's property.

Three times we've had to sleep alfresco... under the stars and completely unsheltered. I made the premature mistake of shedding my winter clothes last week and have had some extremely uncomfortable nights but the boys were by me and I'd spoon one for 30 minutes then turn over and spoon the other.

6. What do you do about hygiene? These last few weeks, I've been looking bad enough to put the entire grunge movement back underground. I even got the 'suspicious character' phone call and was almost refused service at a restaurant once. At a bare minimum, I try to get a shower and a shave once a week as well as wash my clothes. But I carry a toothbrush & floss, rinse-free antibacterial soap, and even deodorant so I don't get too dirty and stinky.

7. What do you miss most out on the road? Without a doubt, music. Symphonies, concertos, and opera I find myself trying to replay in my head late at night. Adagio for Strings, the Four Seasons, George Winston...

But I've learned to find comfort in the noises of the night... coyote howls, cows grazing nearby (do they ever sleep?), cicadas, junebugs, and bullfrogs and all the other sections of the orchestra. On the flip side, the sound of silence is quite discomforting because that's usually a sign of an impending storm.

Have a question? Post it in the comments section & I'll happily answer them.

Update posted by Janet Graham

Hebrews 13:2: "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

Luke, Hudson and Murphy have passed the 100 mile mark, what a celebration!! They are now past Hearne, TX and almost to Franklin, TX. Congratulations to all!

It’s been a whirlwind journey; they have made such wonderful friends along the way. Everyone’s kindness and hospitality has amazed Luke. Hudson and Murphy as true Great Pyrenees, just soak up the attention and love every minute of it.

In Gause, TX, Luke and the boys had a wonderful time at the Gause Volunteer Fire Department fundraiser. They welcomed them in and were excited about their journey. Horseshoes and 42 were played. The food was great and the boys enjoyed all the additional attention they received. Thanks to all of you in Gause for inviting Luke and boys along for the festivities of the fundraiser.

Before reaching Hearne, TX, Luke and boys were blessed with a warm welcome from Reverend Swift. Not only did Reverend Swift offer the church for them to spend the night in, his friendship and fellowship will be treasured forever by Luke. Thank you Reverend Swift.

Soon after their visit w/ Reverend Swift, it was time to talk to the media, KBTX from Bryan/College Station, TX ran a feature on their evening newscast about Luke, Hudson and Murphy and their amazing journey. You can check out the interview and video at this link:
http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/17367629.html

It is a wonderful feature segment with resident interviews and a wonderful explanation of the cancer comparison between humans and canines was explained by Dr. Heather Wilson of Texas A&M Small Animal Clinic. Below is a small expert from her interview.

We're using exactly the same drugs and techniques they're using in people. So as advances come out in people, we can also use them for dogs and also dogs serve as a good model. "We can take what we learn from dogs and apply it to people too," Dr. Heather Wilson with the Texas A&M Small Animal Clinic said. "It goes both ways."

In Hearne, TX, Luke and the boys were treated to a pampered day at the Wind Dancer Bed & Breakfast – a wonderful B&B, Texas style! Denise who owns the B&B kindly played chauffeur to Luke and the boys for their journey from the road to the B&B. Murphy was so excited at the prospect of a ‘real’ bed, he jumped up on the bed and Hudson soon joined in w/ the play.
Thanks Denise, Luke and the boys really appreciated a ‘real’ bed and the day of R&R. (http://ww.winddancerbnb.com/)

Back on the road, it was time for Hudson and Murphy to get a vet check, Dr. Hogan was wonderful to visit with and think the boys are doing great! Murphy managed to gain 2 lbs and Hudson maintained his weight. Their feet are looking great! Dr. Hogan did shave the fur on the bottoms of the feet to help them stay dryer. The pavement is getting warmer now, so it’s time for canine booties. Thanks Dr. Hogan!

They are currently heading towards Franklin, where they will meet with elementary aged children and get to tell of their amazing journey.

Keep checking back on their saga and until next time, safe journeys to Luke, Hudson and Murphy!

Until then Puppy Up!!

2dogs2000miles Team