A Birthday Blog

It wasnt my intention with my blog about Michael Vick to foment hate but voice my scathing criticism of how little still we value the life of a dog. Malcolm was my son & my soulmate and not a mile passes that I wouldn't trade all of this just to have him with me again.

I've heard the arguments and listened to countless opinions but for me it comes to this. Why would valuing companion pets as members of our family conversely lessen that which we place on human life? I can have the same love, affection, and loyalty for my parents and siblings as I have for Hudson and Murphy. Love is not zero sum.

You know not so long ago children in this country were treated like chattel and afforded no more basic rights than that of a piece of farm equipment. We have evolved as a society and now have laws and agencies in place to protect them. Yes we've made progress and considerable strides in animal welfare over the last decade but I've also walked through states whose laws seemed medieval.

I try as best I can to keep the focus of my writings and reflections about the walk and all of the amazing things we see, experience, and learn. But it is a journey. Some of you have asked me to remove the blog and facebook postings about Vick because of the negative feelings it generates. They will remain but because I made a commitment to record and chronicle just about every aspect of this journey whether good or bad or right or wrong. I know that means some of you won't be with us all the way but from the bottom of my heart I thank you for traveling with us as long as you did.

One of the things I have learned throughout a year and a half on the road is that this walk is as much my own personal war on cancer as it is trying to do my part in changing societal perceptions of companion animals and their roles in our lives. The Vick travesty has set us back years but rest assured the fuzzybutts and I will get back on the road and keep walking... full of faith, hope, and belief....

puppy up!

Yer One-Year Older Big Dog

Christmas Day Video Chat with Ginger Morgan

We’ll be having a special holiday video chat this Christmas Day (December 25) starting at 5 PM EST, 4 PM CST. The chat should be about 2 hours, give or take.

Luke will be speaking with our very own Ginger Morgan, the woman who keeps it (and us) all together, makes things happen, and makes other people make things happen. The cat-o-nine tails she wields is pretty impressive too, and we would be lost without her.

Ginger has been with 2Dogs since Luke arrived in Memphis. For several years prior to that she was the Executive Director of the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County, having begun her association with the Humane Society in 1990 as a volunteer. During her tenure there, they responded to the needs of the Katrina evacuees and their animals by helping to provide them with foster homes, medical care, food, and supplies. In addition, she has taken the American Humane Association’s and the EARS classes in disaster response.

She was also owner and manager of Pete’s Treats, a specialty pet gift shop named after her beloved dog Pete. (Pete is quite a handsome fellow and has a passion for pink toys.) In 2008, she was chosen as one of the “50 Women Who Make a Difference” in Memphis and also elected to join the Leadership Memphis Board of Directors.

Ginger lives with her 14 dogs (and you thought YOU had a houseful) and one cat in Memphis. She will be nominated for Sainthood after Luke reaches Boston.

So turn on, tune it, meet Ginger, and say puppy up! to Luke and The Boys this coming Christmas Day. Here are the instructions and link:

Topic: Christmas Chat with Ginger Morgan
Host: Luke Robinson
Date: Friday, December 25, 2009
Time: 5:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time
Session number: 806 585 910
Session password: ginger


To join:

1. Go to https://2dogs2000miles.webex.com/2dogs2000miles/k2/j.php?ED=131360782&UID=1089976597&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D
2. Enter your name and email address.
3. Enter the session password: ginger
4. Click "Join Now."
5. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.

Now, not only have we provided you with a little extra Holiday Cheer, but we have also given you a good excuse to escape from the chaos that is Christmas Day for a bit, settle down at the computer with some Christmas cookies or a turkey leg, and chill out with us for a while!

Hope to see you on the chat. Puppy up!

Video Chat a Success!

We’re still learning how to use WebEx, but considering we’re all novices at it, the video chat went off pretty well. Our guest speaker turned out to be Lydia Best, owner of Everything And The Dog . (Lorri Hare was experiencing technical difficulties and at the last minute Lydia graciously accepted Luke’s invitation to be our first guest.)

Lydia was terrific, and shared much useful information about finding the right pet-sitting service, giving pointers on how to interview the potential pet sitter, what they need to know, what YOU need to know, emergency back-up plans (for the pet sitter and yourself), if they’re licensed, bonded, and insured, if they know pet emergency medical procedures, and briefly discussed the two organizations that accredit professional pet sitters. Her business logged 76,000 visits to homes last year alone! That’s a lot of walkin’ and scoopin’! She also shared stories of some of the more unusual client requests, including one person who requested she stop by every day and change the TV channel at a certain time of day because some of the viewing might be inappropriate for the dog to watch! OoooooooKayyyyyyy ….

Probably the best general advice Lydia gave was that you wouldn’t leave your 2 legged child with just anybody. The same should go for your 4 legged friends. Check out your pet sitter just like you would a baby sitter. Don’t leave anything to chance. Let your neighbors know you’ll be having someone in to take care of your animals. And make sure someone within walking distance can visit and take care of your pets in a pinch in case the pet sitter can’t make it for some reason. Always have a backup plan!

It was a great hour with Lydia and Luke. Luke finished out the hour talking about the walk today, his plans for Christmas, and plans going forward. Despite some technical glitches that we’re working on (we’ve only had one official training session and WebEx is pretty sophisticated stuff), we did well and had almost our capacity of 30 people on the call. If you couldn’t get in this time, or had technical issues, please try next time. Yes, it even works on dial-up, for those of us locked into the age of two tin cans and a string, although it was noticeably slower. But it was still a lot of fun.

Because of the holiday there will be no video chat next week, but we’ve already scheduled the next chat for Tuesday, December 29th (the day after Luke’s birthday) for 9 PM EST. Here are the instructions and the link:

Topic: 2 Dogs 2000 Miles Videocast December 29th 2009
Host: Luke Robinson
Date: Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Time: 9:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (New York, GMT-05:00)
Session number: 807 722 076
Session password: 2dogs

1. Go to https://2dogs2000miles.webex.com/2dogs2000miles/k2/j.php?ED=131289197&UID=1089810587&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D
2. Enter your name and email address.
3. Enter the session password: 2dogs
4. Click "Join Now".
5. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.

BTW, calendars are still available at Click and Pledge and Memorial Shirts are too.

Live Videocast December 17 at 9 PM EST

You're invited to join our live videocast with special guest Lydia Best of EverythingAndTheDog.com.

Here's the link and directions:

Go to https://2dogs2000miles.webex.com/2dogs2000miles/k2/j.php?ED=131276567&UID=1089806197&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D

Enter your name and email address

Enter the session password: 2dogs

Click "Join Now".

Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.

Hope to see you there!

In The News - December 15, 2009

Thursday – December 17 -- Live Video Chat at 9 PM EST with special guest Lorri Hare -- Live Video Chat with Luke, and Lorri Hare from Bowling Green Warren County Humane Society . Luke, Hudson, and Murphy met Lorri, the Director of BGWCHS some time ago – way back when they were in Kentucky – and she will be our first guest on the video chat Thursday night. She’ll visit with people on-line and discuss what they do at her shelter, and give a general presentation on what all shelters could use/need this time of year. She’s a terrific person and we’re very happy she’s made time to be on our video cast. After Lorri speaks, Luke will take questions. The Chat will last 1 hour and can accommodate up to 30 participants. I will post the link here when I have it, so if you’re interested in getting in on the chat this week, please stand by. We’re using WebEx, a much more user-friendly system, so if you tried unsuccessfully to get in on another chat, please try again. You can even use it successfully on dial-up so even those still stuck in the 20th century can be a part of the fun!

By the way – WebEx has a nifty recording feature. So even if you can’t get in on the live Chat, you can access a recording of it and listen in. More on that later. (OK, OK, I have yet to figure out how it works. But it does, and it will, and we’ll post the link. Promise!)

Friday, December 18 – Crossing the George Washington Bridge and into Bryant Park Friday December 18 – The George Washington Bridge crossing is this Friday morning at 9 AM EST. Then The Boys will walk along the Hudson Esplanade to 110th Street, through Central Park and and up at Bryant Park – meeting at Annie’s Dog Bakery and Boutique (which, Luke tells me, is in the “B Section” of Bryant park – there are maps throughout the area to help you find your way) at around 6 PM EST. Folks and their dogs who are in the area and would like to meet The Boys and welcome them to NYC & celebrate their 13th state are invited to attend. And I’m sure Annie’s Dog Bakery will be happy for the business too! (I think Murphy, the Stomach on Paws, must have suggested the meeting spot to Luke. Check out their web page and see all the delicious goodies.) And there are lots of other shops at Bryant Park, so bring your Christmas list, check it twice, cross off the naughty and load up the nice. (Yeah, yeah. I won’t quit my day job.) (Wait – this IS my day job!)

Video Conference Tonight, December 10, at 9 PM EST

Come join Luke, Hudson, and Murphy for a special Video Conference tonight, Thursday evening, at 9 PM EST. The link and instructions are below. You might want to get there a few minutes early, although the video conference will not open until 9 PM. Follow the instructions and you should be able to get on. There is no limit tonight for participants, although going forward the conference will be limited to 30 people.

Luke plans to hold video conferences Tuesday and Thursday nights at 9 PM EST, giving more people the opportunity to join in. But tonight everyone can join in!

Here are the instructions:

Luke Robinson invites you to participate as an attendee in the following online training session:

Topic: 2 Dogs Videocast Nite
Host: Luke Robinson
Date: Thursday, December 10, 2009
Time: 8:00 pm, Central Time (GMT-06:00) [9 PM EST]
Session number: 926 188 786
Session password: This session does not require a password.


1. Go to https://eval.webex.com/eval/k2/j.php?ED=131879022&UID=1145110542&RT=MiM5
2. Enter your name and email address.
3. Click "Join Now".
4. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.

Hope to see you tonight! puppy up!

Latest News -- December 10, 2009

Video Tonight – There will be a video cast tonight, Thursday December 10, 2009 at 9 PM EST. We’ll be using WebEx rather than Adobe. Luke will be giving it a dry run this afternoon, and when I have the actual URL I will send it out in a special announcement.

Tweeting Today and Tomorrow – Sheila has sent us our Tweeting Marching Orders for today and tomorrow. If you’re into tweeting and would like to participate, here are the instructions:

TWEET MESSAGE EXAMPLE:

@(insert the Twitter address) man walking across country with 2 dogs for cancer thru Princeton on Fri has walked 1900 miles www.2dogs2000miles.org pls rt

tweet to the following:

Nj.com (New Jersey local news): http://twitter.com/njdotcom

Star Ledger News: http://twitter.com/NJ_News

The Daily Princetonian: http://twitter.com/princetonian

New Jersey Monthly: http://twitter.com/njmonthly

WPRB Radio: http://twitter.com/wprb

WPST Radio http://twitter.com/wpst

In The News – The awesome folks at TPPC TV (The Pet Podcast Channel) came out and interviewed Luke and The Boys Saturday. Check it out

More Calendars Available – Ginger has ordered more calendars. Please order them through Click and Pledge at: https://co.clickandpledge.com/advanced/default.aspx?wid=30140 She can’t make any promises about getting them to you by Christmas at this late date, but she said she’ll sure try!

Next Week’s Walk – Here are The Boys’ walking plans for next week: “We'll be crossing the George Washington Bridge at 9 AM EST, Friday the 18th. From GW we'll follow Riverside Parkway along the Hudson to W110th Street. We'll walk through Central Park to 5th Avenue to Bryant Park. People who'd like to welcome us to the city can do so at the park as we'll be there to talk about our mission, etc.” This will be the 13th State they’ve crossed into. Come see them and celebrate!

(Photo of the George Washington Bridge by Mike Tantillo.)

Sold Out!

We’re sold out of calendars! Yes, we are plumb out. Nada. Zip. Zilch. None. Zero. Gone.

The good news is we can order more if there’s enough interest. If you haven’t ordered your "Cancer Can't Keep A Good Dog Down" calendars yet, or if you want more (they are beautiful, aren’t they – great gifts, memorials, mementos, collector’s items), please email Ginger by this Thursday and let her know how many (dozen) you want. You can reach her at ginger@2dogs2000miles.org.

Seriously, they really are beautiful and make great gifts for your vet, your groomer, your office, your family, your friends, people you know on the bus, your Great Aunt Bessie in Duluth, total strangers. (OK, I exaggerated, but only about the total strangers.)

This is a calendar you’ll want to keep. It’s a calendar with a message – a message especially suited to vets, groomers, the local pet store, other friends with dogs (and cats), etc. Help get the word out, share the information, and start the revolution. People will look at the wonderful photos, get curious, read their stories, learn about Hudson, Murphy, and Luke, and spread the word. What better way to do it?!

So please drop Ginger an email and let her know.

And THANKS to ALL of you who have made this calendar such a terrific success – from all the folks who shared their beautiful dog’s stories and photos, to Ginger and Jorge who made it happen again this year, to Luke who was inspired to come up with the idea, to my wife, Lia, who helped me proof read, and to everyone who enthusiastically ordered so many we’ve run out! As you know, part of the proceeds from sales will go directly to the three universities we’ve chosen this year to receive funds. The rest will go to furthering the message about canine cancer and comparative oncology.

Thanks again and puppy up!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks to the magic of perspective, the turkey treats in this photo are disproportionately smaller than the size of Murphy and Hudson's heads.

Happy Thanksgiving from Hudson, Murphy, Luke, and everyone at 2dogs2000miles.org!

One more bite then it's time for a nap.

Thanksgiving Live Video!

Live Video Feed on Thanksgiving Evening!

Hudson, Murphy and Luke will be doing a live video feed Thanksgiving evening from their tent! Time is 9PM EST, 8 CST, and … well, you get the picture – or you will! You’ll be able to see The Boys live from their tent, and type in questions for Luke to answer. You’ll be able to hear his responses as well. He won’t see or hear us (so you can stay on the comfy couch as you recover from Thanksgiving dinner), but we’ll see and hear him and be able to interact via the web. Simply log in as a “guest” using a screen name of your choice. It’s easy and should be a lot of fun. If this works out, Luke would like to do more video feeds for the remainder of the walk. So, come join us Thanksgiving evening at 9PM EST!

Have a Great Thanksgiving and puppy up!

New News - November 25, 2009

Luke entitled this photo "And then I saw Buddha and rubbed his belly." Well it must have worked because we have good news about Murphy. Luke took Murphy to get a couple of Xrays on Monday, November 23, to determine the source of his limp. Turns out it is actually Murphy’s shoulder. The vet said that she thinks it’s pre-arthritis. Uncomfortable but not as bad as possible alternatives. Whew!

Luke will let Murphy rest this week and start back slowly next week. They will not be able to walk as many miles per day or days per week from now on. Right now Murphy is on something for pain and everyone is relieved it wasn’t something more serious. You can send your well-wishes and good thoughts to him via Facebook.

Why Can't I Go Wif U, Papi?

After roughhousing a little too much with Brother Hudson the other day, Murphy has been side-lined for a week while he recovers. After some exuberant playing, Murphy was favoring his leg and limping. It's the same leg he had problems with much earlier in the walk, so Luke is taking no chances. Murph is on something for pain and he's staying with friends and host family Dawn and Andy Donelson, so he's in good hands. But it's hard to watch Hudsy and Papi hit the open road and be left behind, even for a little while. Get well soon, Murphy. Papi and Hudson need you!

Memorial Shirt 5 - List of Names

Here is the list of names set to go on Memorial Shirt 5. Please take a minute to check to make sure your dog’s name is on the list and spelled correctly. This list includes all the names from previous Memorial Shirts as well as last year's and this year's calendar entries, those who have sent in memorial donations, and those who recently send requests to be included on the shirt. Even if you’ve had your dog on a previous shirt, please check to make sure he or she is still there.

We’ll be going to print soon, so we need to make sure everyone who wants to be on the shirt is, and all names are spelled correctly. Also please check last initials. They are not required, but some people prefer that last initials be included.

If you have any corrections, additions, or questions, or if your dog has been included accidentally, please email me, erich@2dogs2000miles.org with detailed instructions. Please put “Memorial Shirt 5 Correction” in the subject line of the email.

Thank you and puppy up!


6-Pack S
Abby
Abby G
Abby T
Abby W
Abigail
Ace
Aker
Albion
Alyce & Moose
Angel
Angus
Angus D
Angus G
Annie
Annie G
Armstrong
Arnold
Augie
Bailey
Bailey F
Bailey Tyler D
Ballou
Bandit
Baren
Barkley B
Barkley V
Barney
Bartles
Bass
Baxter
Beanny
Bear
Bear L
Beardog
Beau & Benny
Becca
Bella
Belle
Belle B
Bentley M
Bentley P
Bernadette
Bernie
Big Lou
Big Tex
Billy Budd
Bingo
Biscuit
Bismarck
BJ Honey
Blazer
Blue
Bo Peep
Bonaparte
Bond
Bonnie B
Boodle
Boomer L
Boomer U
Boozer
Boston
Boyfriend
Brandi
Brave
Brenna
Brewster
Brio
Brittagh & Gryffin
BRO
Brock
Brody
Brother
BT
Bubbie
Bucky
Bud
Buddy B
Buffy
Buglet
Buster
Buster M
Buster W
Butch
Cagney
Calley
Captain
Carlos S
Carrie
Carrier
Carrier W
Casey C
Casey W
Cassie
Cassie W
Cathar
Cedric
Chance
Chance L
Chance M
Charlie O’Brien
Chase M
Chase R
Checkers
Chelsey
Chewie
Cheyanne
Cheyenne
Chico
Chipper
Chloe
Chocolate
Cinnamon
CJ M
Claus
Clondike
Coatey L
Coco
Codi
Cody
Cody S
Cole P
Comet
Copper M
Corkie
Cruiser M
Cupcake R
Curley R
Cynnamon M
Daisy
Daisy K
Daisy L
Daisy M
Dakota
Dakota M
Dakota S
Dallas B
Dallas M
Darcy L
Darla
Dax
Debo
Delaney B
Deweydawg
Dewi L
Dex H
Diesel
Dixie
Domi T
Domino
Drago
Drake K
Duchess
Duke
Duke B
Duke H
Dusty B
Dusty Topper
Dylan L
Echo
Echo Dawg
Elair
Ellie
Ellie S
Elwood
Emma C
Emma T
Emmett W
Ephram
Fancy
Fera P
Finnegan
Floppy L
Forest M
Frankie
Fred
Fridge Kitty
Fuji BE
Gambit H
Gem C
Genie
Gertrude S
Gibson H
Gin ‘N Tonic
Ginger A
Gizmo L
Glacier
Glida
Glory T
Gracie
Gracie L
Gracie O
Griffin
Griffin K
Grusa A
Gryphon R
Guardian B
Guinness
Gunner
Gus
Gymmie S
Gypsy C
Hacker
Hank
Hannah
Hannibal D
Harley W
Harlow
Harriet
Harry
Harvey B
Heidi C
Hercules
Hero Hobbs
Hershey
Hershey S
Holly
Honey
Honeybear
Hope M
Huck R
Huckleberry
Humphrey M Kitty
Humphrey N
Indiana
Irie H
Isaac
Island Boy
Jack S
Jackie B
Jackie O
Jake
Jake C
Jake L
Jake N
Jayce
Jazmyn S
Jerry
Jessica
Jiggs
Jillianne
Jixxer
Jolie B
Jonah Bear
Jordan
Julianna
Kailey
Kaizen
Kaj
Katie H
Katie T
Kava
KC S
Kelly Lyn
Kelp
Kelsey
Keno
Kenyon
Keyeagan
Kiah
Kipper
Kirby Louis Z
Kobey-Rose
Kobie A
Kobuck
Koda
Kodiak
Kraemer
Kringle
Kubie K
Kuri
Laddie
Lady A
Lady R
Lady Wendy P
Lexie
Lily F
Lily L
Lily R
Linga
Little Bear
Little Boy
Logan B
Loppan
Lucas
Lucie G
Lucille S
Lucy M
Lucy R
Luna
Mack
Macy
Maddie B
Maddie M
Madison
Maggie
Maggie E
Maggie G
Maggie L
Maggy M
Maggie S
Malcolm
Mali
Mandy P
Mandy T
Mariah
MariBeth P
Marley
Marley W
Marnie
Marshmellow
Marvin
Mary Kate
Mast
Max B
Max M
Max R
Max S
Maxx S
Mayor Junior
McCoy
Meatball Lou
Meggie
Mel
Midnight
Mimi
Mini A
Mini Girl
Minnie
Minnie S
Miss Abigail
Missy
Missy D
Mister
Moe
Mojave
Molly
MolyBrown
Momma Dog
Monarch
Monty
Moose
Moses
Mr. McDougall W
Mukashi
Murphy
Murphy B.M.D.
Murphy S
Murray
Nate
Nessa
Nestle
Nika
Nikita
Nikko
Nosey
Nova
Nutmeg
Odessa
Ollie
Oona
Ophelia
Oscar Baby
Panda Bear
Parker
Parker M
Paxton
Peaches
Pele
Pennbo
Penny
Peppy
Peverett
Phantom
Phantom K
Phoebe Snow I
Pookie
Powder
Princess Daisy
Princess Hanna Belle T
Puma
Pup Pup
Pups C
Rascal
Raven
Remy
Ricky T
Riley
Roc S
Rocco M
Rocky S
Rocky T
Rondo
Rondo F
Roo
Rosa
Rosco
Rosco L
Roscoe
Rosie
Rosie H
Rox
Rudi B
Rudi H
Rudy Green
Sadie
Sadie H
Sage
Salty
Samantha
Sammi
Sammy
Sampson
Sasha
Sassy
Sauge
Savannah
Schatzi
Schultize
Schultz
Scooner
Seamus
Seamus W
Sebastian
Sena G
Shada
Shadow
Shadow C
Shadow L
Shakers
Shea
Sheba
Shebe
Sheenah
Shiloh Diamond
Sidewinder
Sidney
Sierra
Sir Galahad
Sir Mogwai
Sissy
Skye
Sligo
Sloan
Snoball
Snowball
Snowbear
Solar
So-Lei Puppy Cat
Sophie A
Sophie F
Spanky
Sparky
Spencer
Spike
Spike C
Spirit B
Spori
Stella
Stevie J
Sturmie
Sunshine
Sweet Pea
Sydney
Tango
Tapper I
Taro
Taz
Teddy Bear
Thunder B
Thunder S
Tigger
Tiki
Tikki
Tilly
Timber S
Toni
Toosox
Trance
Trebelle
Treynor
Trina
Trouble A
Trouble H
TT
Tucker
Turbo
Ulrich
Ursula
Van Gogh
Vinny
Vivy
Watson
Weenie
Wesley
Westin
Whitney
Willem
Willie B
Willie G
Willow
Windsor
Winnie
Winston
Winston C
Winston L
Wolfie
Woof
Wooly Bear
Yuko
Zachary
Zachary M
Zeus
Zoe

Recent News - November 15

As they make their way steadily towards Philadelphia, with their arrival set for Thanksgiving, Luke, Hudson, and Murphy took some time from the road this week due to torrential downpours. This was after the close encounter of the third kind with the local constabulary in Newark, Delaware. Some ever-vigilant Newarkian spotted The Boys settling down for the night off the road and away from traffic and civilization and decided to call the cops. After the police checked them out and decided they were not a threat to the civilizations of Newark or Delaware or The Eastern Seaboard, they advised our friends they could stay the night (how gracious) but must be gone by dawn’s early light or it would be off to the hoosegow with them. So early the next morning, Luke packed up and they set out, only to be caught in the rain. Murphy hates rain, so he insisted they catch a ride to a local motel. So, with Murphy’s allowance, they caught a cab to a Red Roof Inn, dried out and settled down. Hudson hogged the remote and watched Animal Planet all day. And as you can see, Murphy enjoyed lounging on the bed.

Today, Luke and The Boys participated in the 2009 Philadelphia Memory Walk. Luke posted on his Facebook page: “I was unable to join my brothers in San Antonio in September for the memory walk in honor of my mom. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s shortly before we began our cross-country trek. I was too far away so I asked a few friends to walk for me but it didn't work out. At Red Roof Inn Wednesday night I saw a commercial for the memory walk in Philadelphia this Sunday. Turns out a supporter is coming this way so I'll be participating in it. Thanks Marei!”

And, in the news, Hudson, Murphy and Luke are featured on The Royal Pet Club blog.

How Luke Predicts The Weather

"Woolly Bear" is the common name for the Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella) while it's in its larval stage. They're fuzzy with black bands on the ends and an orange band in the middle (although sometimes they can be all black, too). There are also some variations that have up to 13 alternating bands of black and orange.

The folklore says if the middle, orange band is wide, we'll have a mild winter. If the black bands are bigger, it's going to be a severe winter.

It's hard to tell from the photo what this Woolly Bear is telling Luke. Probably. "Let me go, let me go, let me go ... ."

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOO Tired, Papi!

Hudson takes a power nap.

2010 Calendars Are Ready To Order!

Thank you everyone for your patience while we put the 2010 “Cancer Can’t Keep A Good Dog Down” Calendar together. It’s a beautiful tribute to all the dogs who have been lost to cancer and who are still in there fighting.

We're now taking pre-orders for the calendar. Calendars go the printers this week and should be ready for delivery the first week in December. Though we don't anticipate it, if there is any change in delivery date, customers who have pre-ordered calendars will be notified.

Calendars are $20.00 each. Shipping and handling are included in this cost until midnight EST December 16th . After that shipping cost will be added on to the calendar price should you request rush shipping in time for the holidays.

To pre-order your calendars, please follow this direct link to Click and Pledge.

Additionally, if you order 4 or more calendars you will receive a $2.00 discount per calendar. Unfortunately there is no option under Click and Pledge for us to give you an immediate discount, so you will be billed the full price. However, Ginger will issue you a rebate check ($2.00/calendar for 4 or more) with your order.

Example: Erich wants 8 calendars. (Hey, I have friends!) He wants to pre-order to avoid the rush and zooms over to Click and Pledge and enters 8 in the quantity section. The total comes up as $160.00. Click and Pledge charges his VISA Card (or Master Card or Discover) $160.00, the full price. But when his calendars arrive, lo and behold, there’s his rebate check for $16.00 with the calendars! WOW! How cool is that?

The $2.00 discount for orders of 4 or more calendars applies whether you pre-order prior to December 16 or order after that date. However, after December 16, in order to get your shipment to you in time for Christmas we must bill you for shipping. So, to avoid shipping charges, please get your orders in by December 16! If you’re ordering for Hanukkah, please get your orders in no later than December 1.

For more information, please contact Ginger at: ginger@2dogs2000miles.org.

puppy up!

In Honor of Malcolm's Birthday

Today, October 31, Luke’s beloved Malcolm would have been 11 years old. As you all know, the love shared between Luke and Malcolm, Luke’s first Great Pyrenees, and his passing due to cancer was the inspiration for the beginning of 2Dogs2000Miles and the walk that has already taken Luke, Hudson, and Murphy over 1500 miles and through 11 states.

Malcolm was a beautiful boy – you merely have to look at his picture to realize that. Luke said, “He had a generous nature and always shared his happy disposition with everyone he met.”

As you may also know, we’re getting ready to print Memorial Shirt #5. This is the shirt Luke wears as he walks across the country, imprinted with the names of the dogs who have passed from cancer and who all walk with them in spirit: “Malcolm was my inspiration behind the walk but what keeps me going when the day grows long and the terrain proves tough is all of the angels walking with us.”

In honor of Malcolm’s memory we are waiving the usual minimum donation this weekend and inviting anyone who has lost a dog to cancer to write us and we’ll include their dog’s name on Memorial Shirt 5.

If you’d like us to include the name of a dog you have lost to cancer, please email me directly with the first and last name of your dog(s) and your name as well. Dogs’ names are printed with first name and last initial, e.g.: Linga T.

Send your information to: erich@2dogs2000miles.org, and put in the subject heading “Memorial Shirt 5.” I will send you a confirmation email that I have received your information. Should you NOT receive a confirmation email before midnight, November 1, please try again.

There are already over 100 dogs on Memorial Shirt 4. We hope you’ll add your dog’s name to shirt 5 so that he or she may join the walk with Luke, Hudson, and Murphy.

Deadline is November 1, at 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

By the way, ALL the dogs who were in both last year’s and this year’s calendar contests, who have already passed, will also automatically be included on the newest shirt.

Happy Birthday, Malcolm! Thank you for inspiring such greatness and generosity in so many people and their beautiful dogs.

puppy up!

Recent News October 29

1. Where Are They?
2. Twitter & Facebook
3. Recommended Reading/Viewing
4. New puppy up! Blog up
5. Please Think Good Thoughts

1. Where Are They? -- The Boys made it through Baltimore with a few new adventures under their belt/collars, but are now on Route 40 and will be on that route all the way to Wilmington. Wednesday, October 28, they did an interview with ABC as they walked through Rosedale, Maryland.

The video angles of them walking on the shoulder of the road with traffic speeding by gives you some idea of what their average day is like as they walk through the bigger cities.

Please note the nice little tease at the end from the announcer … something to whet people's appetites for what's to come after Boston…

Thanks to reporter Kelly Swoope and ABC for such a nice interview.

In other news, Luke's now working on his fourth pair of boots. He said he couldn't find the Vasque boots he's used to so got Asolo instead – and says, "The jury's still out" on them. Nothing like walking 10+ miles a day to break in a new pair of boots.

2. Twitter & Facebook – Some of you may be following Luke, Hudson, and Murphy on Twitter, some of you may have found them on Facebook. Luke is still using Twitter, and occasionally so are Hudson and Murphy, but they're using Facebook more these days because they can upload longer stories to go with their photos. If you'd like to follow them on Facebook, just "friend" them. (To some of you this will mean a great deal – to others, nothing at all.) You can also "friend" Hudson and Murphy. You can find their Facebook page by searching on FB for "Hudsonandmurphyrobinson." They'll be happy to befriend you!

3. Recommended Reading/Viewing – I picked this off this post on Facebook today by our good friend and long-time supporter Tina. She posts: "Watch this video and let it warm up your heart. Many thanks to Hudson and Murphy (2 Great Pyrenees dogs) who are walking with their "Dad" , Luke, from Austin to Boston to create awareness for canine cancer for this link. I love it and you will too!!" (Thanks, Tina!) Here's her link. The title is: "A Closer Look At Animal Welfare Issues : THIS ENTRY IS DEDICATED TO ALL THOSE WHO THINK YOUR PET YOU DROPPED OFF AT YOUR LOCAL SHELTER WON'T REMEMBER YOU."

Tina is a long-time animal advocate and takes on local, national and worldwide issues affecting animals today. Tina is a TV talk show host and has been a guest on other TV and radio programs throughout Berks County PA and beyond.

4. New puppy up! Blog up – I'll be posting ALL the calendar stories (this year's and last year's) in the next few days, as time permits, but I'd like to direct you to a very informative puppy up! blog recently done by Lonna Coleman about her dog Salty and his cancer and treatment. As Lonna wrote to me in her email, "While considering radiation as one of the cancer treatments for Salty, I really wanted to see photos of the effects of radiation on the skin but found nothing. So, I was determined to document it during Salty's treatment with the intention of sharing it with others." The good news is that Salty is doing well. As we all know, fear of the unknown is daunting. I hope you'll take time to visit the puppy up! blog, and please feel free to leave supportive comments and helpful advice. They are always welcomed.

5. Please Think Good Thoughts –

You may remember Maddie M. She was in this year's calendar contest. She's a beautiful Bullmastiff tripaw diagnosed with osteosarcoma at the end of January 2009. She became a tripaw in February. She was cancer free when her people entered her in the calendar contest and had her checkup just recently. Well, the checkup wasn't good news. During her visit to the University of PA they discovered her cancer has metastasized to her lungs. Please think good thoughts for Maddie, her Dad and Mom, Brad and Kathy, and all Maddies' family and friends.

Also please think good thoughts for Katie, 8 year old Eskie of Celeste. Katie is fighting an aggressive form of liver cancer. We heard from Katie and her Mom Celeste, who writes: "It's one day at a time for us. The chemo lowered Katie's white blood cell count so she's on antibiotics. She seems fine and is eating well so that's a good sign. We're just trying to enjoy each day we have with her. Take care and thanks for thinking of us."

puppy up!

Of Flying Elephants, Mystical Beasties, Balloon Boy, and Trail Magic

So today The Boys are walking walking walking on the WB&A Trail. A beautiful day. Sunny. Not too cool.

And then Luke texts: And the walk comes grinding to a halt. The trail drops off about 20' into a river the width of a football field. There’s a collapsed bridge but pretty treacherous...
Just discovered that is the Patuxent River and impassable. What a pickle we're in. Now why aren’t I travelin’ with flying elephants or that thing in Neverending story?

Whoever made the MD bicycle map needs a firing. It indicates nothing about the WB&A trail falling off into a river nor were there any signs on the trail.

LATER ….

Fortunately we didn't need Balloon Boy or flyin' elephants to cross the river today because we have trail magic. I studied my gps to find where we could cross the Patuxent River. Nearest bridge is a day’s walk and didn’t know if it was safe for us - so many here aren’t. Then John and Pauley and Rusty walk by and offer us a ride across.

PS: There are 2 things you've got to know about this story: 1. Since on the WB&A Trail we had seen only a few people and 2. John & Pauley lost a lab to cancer. What are the odds? Trail magic.

Pictured is John, who gave them a ride across the river. Thanks, John!

Recent News October 20

Where Are They? The Boys had a stretch of bad weather for a few days and had to remain off the road. They stayed in a motel and then with friends and host family the Donelsons, who themselves have two Great Pyrenees. Andy writes: "Our youngest daughter, Tabi, loved playing with the boys. When Hudson jumped up to give his hugs, he was face to face with her. So I think both Huds and Murphy got lots of good lovin' this weekend … Our boys are two litter male Pyrs that we acquired from Paige [Segovia] when they were about 4 months old. Peyte and Corbynn will be 2 next month and really wanted to play with Hudson and Murphy … even though Hudson didn't care too much for our Pyrenees boys." Thanks to the Donelsons for seeing that The Boys were dry and well-fed while they waited out the weather!

Now the Boys are back on the road on the WB&A Trail. Last night they were camped out near a town called Bowie. It is getting rather cold – in the low 30s – but Hudson and Murphy decided the weather was still too warm to cuddle, so Papi was off by himself in the tent until early this morning when they decided it wasn't so bad to snuggle after all. Like Luke said, it's now definitely snuggle snuggle season!

If the weather stays fair they're planning on being on the road for the whole week as they want to be well on their way to Philly.

Deadline For Memorial Shirt #5 – Just a reminder that the deadline for Memorial Shirt #5 is October 21. The Memorial Shirt lists the names of all the angels who walk with Luke, Hudson, and Murphy in spirit. If you're interested in having your dog's name on Luke's next shirt, please follow the link here and contact Ginger for specific details at ginger@2dogs2000miles.org.

Traveling in Style at the Canine Cancer Caucus

If you've read the puppy up! blog, you've come across Lily's story, "Lily -- American Bulldog." It's quite a success story and we wish Lily many more years as a tripawed cancer survivor.

Recently her Mom, Hope, was one of the people who traveled to DC to be part of the Canine Cancer Caucus. Of course, Lily went too, and in style. They drove all the way from Colorado and stayed at the Hotel George while they were at the Capital. As you may remember, part of the Canine Cancer Caucus was a 2.5 mile walk, so Hope brought Lily's stroller along. We thought some of you might find this information interesting and helpful. Here's the scoop on Lily's stroller from Hope:

Lily's stroller is the Solvit HoundAbout Stroller for large dogs. I ordered mine on Amazon.com. It normally retails for $249.99 but was on sale for $199.99 I first read about the stroller on the June 23 blog at tripawds.com. The stroller is awesome. It was fairly simple to put together (although I had help from Carlos at Hotel George ). It folds down for storage and it fits in the trunk of my car. (I used a red garden wagon last year to pull Lily around when she was in pain and I could not close the trunk of the car when the wagon was in it.) The stroller weighs 41 pounds but I was able to lift it. I had quite a bit of difficulty trying to lift the red wagon. The stroller also functions as a dog crate on wheels. Lily is not the kind of dog that I can just turn loose in a dog park so having a rolling crate is a good thing for a dog like her. I only have one minor complaint about the stroller. It comes with a water bottle holder for the handlebars and mine does not want to stay in place. I think I just need to go to a bicycle store and get a water bottle holder there.

Hope Lisle & Lily, Washington DC, September 2009

Recent News

Where Were They? The Boys just finished two events this past weekend in the Reading, PA area. They had a great time and met some wonderful people including Frozen Woofys, Pam with Puppy Paws (check out her great line of jewelry), Barbara and Pat with Godfrey’s Dogdom , Barrie Pease, President of the Board of The Rescue League of Berk’s County and a host of other great people. Hudson and Murphy got all sorts of treats including some Frozen Woofys, and Luke had a chance to meet with a number of people who are interested in helping us going forward.

Where Are They? The Boys are back on the road, hopefully walking through the week (depending on the weather). They’ve finished the Towpath (they did almost the entire rails to trails — 315 miles), and as they reached Mile Marker 0 they were interviewed by CNS-TV's Chris Yu with the University of Maryland Capital News Service. You can view the news piece Chris did of The Boys at: http://www.cns.umd.edu/tv. Go to the left side and click on "2300 mile dog walk." A word of warning (and a good laugh) for those on dial-up who want to download the video (it comes as a zip file). Better stop by your local Internet Café or library. If your connection is like mine, the download time comes up as “time remaining: 1 day, 6 hours.” Don’t you just love technology? Anyway, the video is great (I finally did get to see it) and Chris Yu did a nice job. There’s also a nice cut to some archival footage of Luke and Malcolm playing together.

Luke texted me yesterday to tell me, “We’re a few miles from Maryland. Hope to make it to the beltway today but the sun is fading. We’ll find a park to sleep in. Urban camping – cool.” The next text was more typical of what we’ve come to expect of Luke’s urban adventures: “Just got my tent up in the woods in Colmar Manor Park and already the gunfire’s starting. Six shots and then sirens. Makes me miss the meth labs down South J” But this morning came word that they “made it thru the night OK. The Boys were very brave and protected their Papi.” They’re now on 450 where they’ll pick up the WB and A trail.

So where will they be going from here? Luke passed by The White House and left a puppy up! bracelet on the fence, then headed towards Baltimore and the WB and A Bike Path. He originally planned a route through Harrisburg, and is close enough to do a limited number of events should those of you in the Harrisburg area have events you’d like to invite them too. But Luke really wants to make a beeline to Philadelphia and be there by Thanksgiving and in the Manhattan area by the Holidays. If you are interested in inviting The Boys to an event, whether in the Harrisburg area or further on down the road in Baltimore, Philly, or NYC, please contact Ginger to make the necessary connections: ginger@2dogs2000miles.org.

In The Media – Aside from the great video piece by Chris Yu there’s the Reading Eagle On-Line article about The Boys here and a new puppy up! blog here with guest blogger Laureen Straw.

Wag’N Along 2 Dogs 2000 Miles by Ines de Pablo

Few people and pet parents realize that pets, just like humans, are at risk for canine cancer. Like us, animals have lungs, hearts, livers and kidneys, mucous membrane, eyes, noses, muscles, tendons, allergies, cells, blood types, etc. Cancer is unfortunately one of the aspects we wished we differed in.

Wag’N is dedicated to pet safety. We’ve taken an all-encompassing approach to the subject and have been working to educate pet parents in the various facets of pet emergency mitigation, preparedness and response. We recognize that not all emergencies can be prevented. Education and awareness can however help us prevent and prepare for pet emergencies. Canine Cancer awareness included!

In June 2009, Wag’N Partnered with the Morris Animal Foundation Canine Cancer Campaign to help raise awareness and help the foundation raise funds.

It was during that time that we learned about Luke Robinson and his quest to raise awareness about canine cancer. The story was very compelling and it turns out that Luke had also partnered with Morris K9 Cancer Campaign. Great minds think and wag alike!

Luke and his two Great Pyrenees, Hudson and Murphy, committed to walk from Austin, Texas to Boston, Massachusetts, stopping along the way to educate the public on their cause. In September Luke made it to the Nation’s Capital! We joined forces at the first annual Wag’N 4 The Cure event in Arlington, Virginia.

The “Boys” got a bath at the Bark’N Bubble in Ashburn Virginia on Saturday September 12 and wagged by the Dogma Bakery on Sunday September 13 for the Wag’N 4 The Cure Event!

Luke has incredible charisma and is a very funny yet extremely dedicated man. Throughout the day I had a chance to listen in to various conversations with members of his 'fan' club. His stories are nothing short of inspirational. It takes nothing short of dedication to travel the country on foot with two Great Pyrenees in tow, live in a tent and live on bare minimums, all that for a fantastic cause. Dedication doesn’t begin to describe his ongoing drive to help make this world a better and healthier place for our beloved pets.

We were especially touched by dedicated followers of his journey who drove all the way from Maryland to get a chance to meet with him and his pack. One particular couple touched us the most as their female dogs “Lexie” suffers from breast cancer. Luke’s engagement was heartwarming.

Hudson and Murphy enjoyed the bakery as soon as they arrived. Bully sticks, a birthday cake, tons of people (for attention and petting) and more bully sticks. They finally got a chance to stretch their legs - and help them digest all the bully sticks – during the 2K Arlington Walk 4 The Cure.

The event ended shortly thereafter. As Luke set off on the next leg of his journey to the Hill for the First Canine Cancer Caucus in Washington we are looking forward to next year! More great adventures. More experience and exposure to the topic of canine cancer, thousands more educated pet parents and safer pets. That is something to Wag About! 2 DOGS 2000 Miles keeps on Walk’N and we’ll keep on Wag’N 4 The Cure.

As they travel across the country, try to meet up with them and walk with Luke and the boys. If you can’t walk, blog, research, learn, follow, support and inspire. The cause is just. The team is right. The time is now.

Ines de Pablo
Chief Wag'N Officer
Wag'N Enterprises, LLC
795 Center St, Ste 5B, Herndon, VA 20170
888-WAGN4U2
www.WAGN4U.com www.RoverRespondR.com
Wag'N Broadcast
Wag'N Twitter
Wag'N 4 U Blog
Wag'N Pet First Aid Blog
Wag'N Pet Oxygen Mask Blog

Wag'N Offers Pet Parents And First Responders The Necessary Gear, Supplies And Training To Effectively Mitigate, Prepare And Respond To Emergencies That Impact Pet Health And Safety.

Special thanks to our friend Sheila Rinks for the use of her photos. Pictured directly above are: Bekye (Lexi's Mom), Lexi, Sheila, Hudson, Luke, Murphy.

Frozen Woofys Get 8 Paws Up from Hudson & Murphy

Luke, Hudson, and Murphy recently had the delicious good fortune to meet Linda Drei, the President of LMD Products, LLC, the company that produces the scrumptious treats, Frozen Woofys. According to Luke, Hudson and Murphy really enjoyed their Barkin Berry treats and highly recommend them. We recently received a great email from Linda and we’d like to share what she had to say.

HI! It was wonderful to finally meet Luke on Saturday. The cause that Luke has taken up is near and dear to my heart. As I told Luke, I am very lucky to not have lost any of my boys to cancer. However, one of the reasons that we started making Frozen Woofys was because of the rise in canine cancer. I really started to pay attention to what was going into dog food after the “scare” in 2007. One day I was at my vet’s office and in conversation with one of the techs, I was shocked to discover that the dog treat industry is hardly regulated, if at all.

My father was diagnosed with cancer in 2005. (I am happy to report that he is a survivor.) With all the research I did on cancer, I really found that what we eat is very important to prevent cancer, as well as helping our bodies to fight and survive cancer. After reading all the ingredients in many dogs treats, with all their preservatives, additives, fat, sugar, junk, etc., I asked my vet that, with the rise of canine cancer, all this junk that goes into dog treats had to have some effect to why so many canines were coming down with Cancer. He could NOT dispute what I said. So we set out to have the best, 100% organic frozen dog treat on the market. Frozen Woofys are all organic, fresh, human grade, high quality ingredients, no preservatives or additives, etc. We are very pleased to say that the veterinarian community is now embracing our product and starting to sell it in their offices. We had full nutritional analysis on both flavors [Banana Rama Ding Dog and Barkin Berry]: very low fat, low calories and no processed or refined sugar. They are extremely healthy for our “Furry friends”. You can go to our website to see the locations where you can purchase our product in the Mid-Atlantic States.

I wish I could have had more time to discuss this very important cause with Luke. I think we could have talked for hours. We both have the same mission — to help educate dog owners on proper nutrition for their pets. Luke and I also agree that we all need to get together to make these large dog food manufacturers become more responsible with what they are putting into dog food and treats. I really am looking forward to a continued relationship with Luke as he continues to make public awareness on these very important topics.

Why They Walk

This is Jackson. He has an inoperable tumor in his cheek. What a beautiful face. Jackson epitomizes the spirit of puppy up!

Recent Photos

Luke, Hudson, and Murphy get to meet all kinds of people and pupples while they're on the road. Here's an action shot of some brand new puppies.










Here are Kathy and Ellie, two new friends they recently met on their journey















Here is Lake, a Swedish Golden Retriever. Luke never said how he knew Lake is Swedish. Barks with an accent, perhaps?







Is this just not the saddest thing? Luke titled this, "Can I's go too, Papi?" Like this dog never gets to go anywhere! Can you say, Guilt Trip?

New Puppy Up! Goodies

We have some new puppy up! goodies at the puppy up! store, just in time for the holidays. Check out the new puppy up! bandannas (notice the handsome dogs who are modeling), the new sweatshirt and T-shirts (smile for the camera!), and my personal favorite, the puppy up! baseball cap. (It is way cool and perfect for this time of year.) You can also show your support around town with a puppy up! bumper sticker (great for starting conversations and getting the word out) and we have a really nice puppy up! coffee mug as well. Check out all our goodies at our web site. Please note: the calendar and memorial shirt pictured are LAST year’s calendar and Memorial Shirt #4. If you want to order THIS year’s calendar and the upcoming Memorial Shirt #5, the link isn’t up yet. That’s on Luke’s ‘to do’ list.

BTW, please remember the deadline for adding your dog’s (or cat’s) name to Memorial Shirt #5 is October 21st. For more information visit: http://www.2dogs2000miles.org/Memorial_Apparel.html or email Ginger.

What's New?

Where are they? I just spoke to Luke (October 7, 2009 -- Wednesday morning) and they’re finishing the C&O Trail today. As of this writing they were at Mile Marker 5 and there are 40 MPH gusts that are pelting black walnuts down on them like mortar shells. Ah, Nature!

Once they leave DC they’ll be picking up 450 towards Baltimore and catching The Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis (WB&A) Trail. There’s a great article and some maps here.

Tonight they will be staying in Alexandria, VA with friends Lorraine and Mike and their Boston Terrier, Sluggo, who is a 2 year survivor of salivary gland cancer. (Way to go, Sluggo!) Lorraine has been following The Boys’ progress since they left Texas.

The plan is to reach Philadelphia by Thanksgiving and New York City by the Holidays.

They’re running a little behind schedule so they’ll be limiting the number of events they’ll be doing before they get to Philadelphia. However, once there, if you’d like to do an event with them or know of upcoming events and would like to invite them, please contact Ginger at: ginger@2dogs2000miles.org.

Planning Ahead – Luke has had many productive meetings while in the DC area, making plans for the venture forward, for the events in Boston and beyond. He’s putting a Planning Committee together for Boston and would like to know if anyone has a couple of hours a week to dedicate to helping. Of course, Boston is still a work in progress and seems like a long way off, but it will be here before we know it. You need not be in the Boston area to help plan and coordinate events, contact people, etc. Again, please contact Ginger if you can help.

Memorial Shirt 5

Do you know about our Memorial Shirt? You may have seen it because Luke always wears one as he walks, and to just about every event he attends. As Luke says, “The Memorial Shirt is the most important part of my attire. This walk is for and about all of our beloved companion pets who have been touched by cancer. It is both an honor and a privilege to have them with us all the way. While walking, I only wear the Memorial Shirt.” ... “Malcolm was my inspiration behind the walk but what keeps me going when the day grows long and the terrain proves tough are all of the angels walking with us.”

Listed on the Memorial Shirt are the names of dogs (and even at least one cat!) touched by cancer – those who have passed and those still fighting the disease. Luke is presently wearing Memorial Shirt #4 but we’re getting ready to print Memorial Shirt #5 very soon. To get your dog (or cat) added to the upcoming Memorial Shirt is only a donation of $25.00 per name, and the name remains there for each new shirt printing.

Please contact ginger@2dogs2000miles.org for inquiries. The deadline for adding your companion’s name is October 21, so please contact her ASAP if you’d like a name added.

By the way, because of the overwhelming support and generosity of all who participated in this year’s AND last year’s calendar contests, Luke has decided to add the names of ALL the dogs from both calendars to Memorial Shirt 5. That’s well over 100 new names who will be added to those who already walk with them in Spirit.

Upcoming Events October 10th and 11th

Luke, Hudson, and Murphy will be in the Reading, PA area for two events next weekend. All times are local.

Saturday, October 10 -- The Boys will be at Godfrey’s Dogdom from 3 to 6 PM local time. Check out their web page for more details of all the events they’re hosting that day. Godfrey's phone number is: 610.777.5755; Toll Free Phone: 877-436-4366 (877-4-DOGDOM) and their address: 4267 New Holland Road, Mohnton PA 19540.

Here’s a summary of what Hudson, Murphy, and Luke will be doing at Godfrey’s Dogdom:

3:00-4:00 ”Meet & Greet" with Luke and his dogs -- Luke will arrive with Hudson & Murphy and talk informally with folks one-on-one.

4:00-5:00 "2 Dogs 2,000 Miles" Group Presentation -- Luke will share with the group a power point presentation about how he got started with his personal mission. There will be time for questions and answers. Luke is focused on finding the causes of canine cancer.

5:00pm "Walk with Us for Canine Cancer" -- Gather outside with your dog and take a walk our grounds, led by Luke, Murphy & Hudson.

5:30-6pm "Candlelight Remembrance" Ceremony for all pets we've lost to disease, not just cancer. Allow yourself time to share a moment with others who have experienced loss of a beloved pet and feel comforted by those around you.

Sunday, October 11 – Luke and The Boys will be at The 2nd Annual Carnival for the Animals at Berk’s County Animal Rescue League. ARL is situated along Kennel Road off Route 724 near Route 176 in Cumru Township. Their phone number is 610-373-8830. Check out their web page for more details. The day’s events start at 11:00am and run through 4:00pm at the shelter. Among the events will be: a Carnival and Chicken Barbeque (well, we know where Murphy will be!), a pie toss contest (Murphy on clean-up detail), I Like Dogs Book Signing, K-9 Police Dog Demo, Dog Training Demo by Awesome Dogs Demo, Pet Contests, and a Drawing for Chinese Auction.

It sounds like a great couple of days in the Reading, PA area, and we hope those of you in the vicinity will come out and meet Luke and The Boys.