Sometimes You Find Fame ...

... in the darnedest places.

We've made a new friend. Her name is Bette Allen and she lives all the way out on the West Coast, somewhere The Boys haven't even walked. (Yet?) She's written a great blog about The Boys with a new spin on their travels. Check out her blog here and please visit her web site here.

We like her philosophy and think you will too. Here's a bit of what she has to say:

"While we design well-made, affordable products for dog lovers, we are also determined to create a means to generate a constant stream of contributions to animal welfare organizations that are as serious about their love and respect for dogs and all animals as we are."

Well, that's the scoop. Please check out her great blog!

Will Walk 2300 Miles for Ice Cream!

The best part of waking up
Is ice cream in your cup!

Puppy Up! Mini Walk in New London, CT

It's beginning! Puppy Up! Walks are starting to catch on.

Coming up this Sunday, April 25, there will be a Puppy Up! Mini Walk, sponsored by the City of New London and Spirit Gallery in New London, CT.

Luke will bring 2 Dogs 2000 Miles and its message to New London with a dog mini-walk along the waterfront, canine freestyle dancing and a meet and greet at Spirit Gallery. The walk and corresponding events are free and open to the public. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome.

The 2 Dogs 2000 Miles Puppy Up! mini-walk will span from City Pier Park, continue down the waterfront and end at the south end of Waterfront Park. Participating parties and their canine companions will meet at 1:00 P.M. at City Pier Park. Luke and his dogs will start the walk at 1:15 P.M.

The walk will conclude with a performance from the Connecticut-based canine musical freestyle group Top Hat & Tails Canine Dance Troupe. The performance will include traditional obedience tricks and choreographed dance set to music. Top Hat & Tails will perform from 1:30 to 2:30 P.M. at Waterfront Park.

To help celebrate the occasion, Spirit Gallery – New London’s tattoo studio and art gallery hybrid – will hold a 2 Dogs 2000 Miles meet and greet from 1:45 to 3 P.M. Attendees will get a chance to personally meet Luke and his two Great Pyrenees, Hudson and Murphy. Refreshments will be served. Spirit Gallery is located at 207 Bank St., New London, Conn.

After his stop in New London, Luke will continue on his journey to Boston, bringing his 2 Dog 2000 Miles travels to an end on June 18.

For more information, visit www.2dogs2000miles.org or www.spiritgallerytattoo.com .

(Pictured are Jackie Proko and her dog Shot, going through some of their moves.)

Get Involved. Make a Difference. Puppy Up!

Newtown, CT 2 dogs video: Check out this terrific video of the Puppy Up! Walk in Newtown, CT organized by our good friend Jodi Bailik. The Walk was video taped, directed and produced by Marleen and Bill Caferelli of Video Art Works. Thanks to everyone for their hard work. It was a beautiful day and a great success.

You too can be involved in a walk just like this one. Come join us June 19th for Luke, Hudson, and Murphy's historic Final Mile walk into Boston. Celebrate the end of over 2 years and more than 2300 miles – participate in the memorial service for those lost to or still fighting cancer, enjoy a day of activities and entertainment at the Puppy Up! Festival, and then join us for a very special night of celebration and remembrance, delicious food and drink, musical entertainment, stories from the road, and live and silent auctions at the Puppy Up! Gala at the Fairmont Copley. A full day of celebrations as we welcome Luke and The Boys back home.

Then help us launch the start of 2 Million Dogs by organizing a Puppy Up! Walk in your own town. Walks like the one in Newtown will be springing up all over the country with the launch of 2 Million Dogs and you can be one of the first to organize a Puppy Up! Chapter and Walk in your neighborhood or city. For further information, contact Ginger at: ginger@2dogs2000miles.org
Just like Luke, Hudson, and Murphy, every one of us can make a difference!

For more information about the Boston events and to register to attend, please follow this link.

Click here to learn more about 2 Million Dogs and to pledge YOUR dog to walk for hope.

Can't come to Boston but want to help? Please consider donating something for the live or silent auctions or become a supporting sponsor.

For information on donating

For more on becoming a sponsor (we have many levels and all sponsorships help!)

Remember, we're a 501c3 organization and donations are tax deductible.

Get Involved. You can make a difference. Puppy Up!

Welcome to Madison, CT!

Luke, Megan, Hudson, Murphy, and Smiley won't miss this great Puppy Up! sign, positioned strategically by 2 Dogs follower Ellen Kelly. There seem to be some treats and goodies under the sign, too!

Thanks, Ellen! Puppy Up!

Company!

Luke, Hudson, and Murphy have recently been joined by actress Megan Blake and her dog Smiley. Megan met Luke at an event they both attended while in New York City. Herself an advocate for animals, Megan was so taken by The Boys’ journey that she wanted to see firsthand what life on the road was like and help spread the word through her own community about canine cancer and comparative oncology. And so she's donned her own knapsack, and she and Smiley are accompanying The Boys for about a week. It will be a new experience for Luke, since taking to the road two years ago he’s never been accompanied for any length of time by another hiker — besides his dogs. We'll keep you posted on how they're doing. For video updates check out their page on Facebook: "Megan and Luke."

Smiley flew into Newark Airport (and traveled in style in Continental Airline's Petsafe van) and was picked up by friends Robbin and Kerry McKnight at dark-thirty. Megan, Luke, and The Boys would catch up with Smiley later. (Pictured is Robbin with Smiley.)

The Great Pyrenees Totem pole

"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of."
~ Ogden Nash

Great News About Memorial Shirt 6!

All the names on Memorial Shirt 6 will appear in Luke’s forthcoming book!

As many of you know, Luke wears a special memorial shirt that bares the names of all the dogs (and, yes, even a couple of cats) who walk with him in Spirit, having lost their lives to cancer. These are Luke’s Angels. They inspire and fuel his passion, and keep him moving down the road. What started out as a small list of names has grown into hundreds. With each new shirt, the new names have been added, the numbers have grown, and Luke’s determination and commitment have been renewed. Each name is truly a source of inspiration to him.

Dedicating a donation to appear on Memorial Shirt 6 is a wonderful way to honor a beloved animal who will keep Luke, Hudson, and Murphy company for the rest of their journey, help support and sustain the Walk, and live on in Luke's book.

If you or someone you know would like to add a dog’s name to Memorial Shirt 6, please follow this link. Make sure to tell us the name of the dog the memorial is made to.

The deadline for submissions is APRIL 18th.

Thank you and puppy up!

Sacred Skin -- "Malcolm left his traces in my soul and now I get to translate that into ink."

"A great tattoo is a statement, not a style. And getting it is a journey, not a destination." - Vince Hemingson

Tattoos tell stories. They are often a way of honoring, symbols of devotion, pledges of love. Luke's tattoo of Malcolm expresses all of these.

He recently met with the guys from Rescue Ink and had a special tattoo done of his beloved Malcolm, something he's wanted to do for a long time. His tattoo artist was Justin Hendelman who owns New York Kreepy Kustom Tattoos , but because Luke and The Boys are currently still in Connecticut, the tat was actually done at The Iron Butterfly in Danbury, owned by Annette Mathews.

Luke wrote, “INKED! Thanks to Annette & her team at Iron Butterfly in Danbury (and her Chihuahua mix Tito), The Rescue Ink guys - Joe, Big Ant, Johnny O, Stevie. They took time out of their jobs rescuing abused animals and stayed late 'til it was done. And Jerome and the artist, Justin, thanks for doing such a beautiful job portraying Malcolm.”

Luke's not sharing any photos of his tattoo right now. We’ll have to wait for pictures until later after it heals. But it will forever be his companion and mark a profoundly important point in his life.

(Pictured are the Rescue Ink Guys with Hudson and Murphy shortly after they threw Luke under the bus! Kidding!!)























This just in from NewsTimes.com Danbury, CT:

Rescue Ink motorcycle advocates visit Danbury shop
Melissa Bruen, Staff Writer
Published: 10:56 p.m., Friday, April 9, 2010

Justin Hendelman of Brooklyn, N.Y, a tattoo artist brought in by Rescue Ink, looks over the location for the tattoo that Luke Robinson of Texas will receive at The Iron Butterfly tattoo parlor. Luke Robinson is walking from Texas to Boston to raise awareness about cancer in dogs. Owner Annette Mathews and Rescue Ink cast member Big Ant, of Brooklyn, N.Y. watch. The cast of the National Geographic reality TV show “Rescue Ink” was at the Irony Butterfly, a Danbury tattoo parlor. The show is about a group of heavily tattooed motorcycle riders who work to fight animal abuse and neglect through action, education and advocacy. Tuesday, April 6, 2010 Photo: Scott Mullin / The News-Times Freelance

Luke Robinson of Texas discusses a tattoo with Justin Hendelman of Brooklyn, N.Y., a tattoo artist brought in by Rescue Ink. Luke Robinson is walking from Texas to Boston to raise awareness about cancer in dogs. Watching in the background from left are Rescue Ink cast members Big Ant, of Brooklyn, N.Y., Joe Panz and Steve D., both of Queens, N.Y.
Photo: Scott Mullin / The News-Times Freelance

Rescue Ink cast members Joe Panz of Queens, N.Y., Big Ant of Brooklyn, N.Y. and Steve D. of Queens, chat with Iron Butterfly tattoo parlor owner Annette Mathews. Photo: Scott Mullin / The News-Times Freelance

Murphy & Luke

My sunshine doesn't come from the skies,
It comes from the love in my dog's eyes.

~ Unknown Poet

Almost Home!

It's been over two years and more than 2200 miles, but they're almost there. Luke sent this photo on April 5th and said, "The Last Highway - this is the road we'll take all the way to Boston."

Well, you'll hear no complaints from Hudson and Murphy -- smiling at the idea of home!

Luke and The Boys recently hit Route 1 in Connecticut, the last major highway they’ll be taking all the way in to Boston. Well, there will certainly be some side trips, but they're entering the home stretch. I think the look in Hudson and Murphy’s eyes tell it all … “We’re ready for that nice king-sized bed we talked about at the beginning of the walk, Papi.”

To really grasp the enormity of the Walk and how far the three have come, you need to look at the map and see where they have been and how close to home they are. Still, the map is pretty simplistic in its rendering of everything The Boys have done in just a little over two years – hundreds of events with universities and grade schools and rescues and shelters, and meet and greets, and interviews, and birthdays on the road, and scores of host homes and wonderful new families, and meeting mayors and congressmen, and river crossings, walking through the Appalachians, meeting in DC, caroling in New York City, appearing on The Today Show and filming with Animal Planet, camping on trails, tenting in the woods and by the road, in churchyards and back yards, and snuggles in the tent when it was scorching hot or freezing cold. Yes, the weather! And the bugs -- spiders and ticks and mosquitoes. (Did I mention ticks?) And the fairly odd people and their even odder questions … “Are you homeless” ... “Are you dead” ... and of course “Whatcha ya doin’ on MY highway, Boy?”

They have survived it all and made thousands of friends and supporters along the way. And to think -- this is just the beginning of the journey!

Hudson and Murphy say, "Send Us Your Photos & Stories!"

Do you have a dog who has passed away from cancer or one who is currently fighting the disease? Please enter him or her into our yearly "Cancer Can’t Keep A Good Dog Down" Calendar Contest!

Well, we’re collecting submission for the 2011 calendar starting April 1 through August 7.

For the last two years, 2 Dogs 2000 Miles has produced a beautiful calendar we call our “Cancer Can’t Keep A Good Dog Down” Calendar. We gather photos and stories from you, publish them online for everyone to see and read, and then the voting begins. Each vote is $1.00 and voting lasts for several weeks. The top 13 winners get to be featured in the calendar. BUT, the best part is that all dogs' photos entered into the contest are printed in the calendar in our photo gallery. So all puppers' beautiful faces can be enjoyed and shared all year long.

Last year’s proceeds went to three veterinary comparative oncology programs (Texas A&M University, Colorado State University, and Tufts University) and to 2dogs2000miles.org. The year before we contributed to the Morris Animal Foundation. The proceeds from the 2011 calendar will again be distributed to worthy programs and our own 501c3 organization, 2 Million Dogs.

It’s really easy to participate.

What to send:

1 digital photo per dog: Please make sure the photo is at least a minimum of 500kb resolution. 1 meg resolution is ideal. We will not be able to accept any photos under 500kb resolutions as these do not duplicate well on the final calendar.

The following file formats are acceptable: .jpg and .gif. Please do NOT send them in a PDF or Microsoft .doc or .docx file as we cannot use these.

A 1 paragraph “story” about your dog: Tell us something special about your dog. Story length must be limited to 1000 characters or less. That’s 1000 characters not 1000 words. Characters include things like punctuation, spaces, and all those funny little symbols. Remember, every keystroke is considered a character.

(Want to know how many characters your paragraph has? Look here for a great character counter.)

Please don’t forget to include the name of your dog, your name, and your email. When I receive your entry I will send you an email letting you know it was received. If it needs corrections (story too long, photo too small) I will tell you. It will be up to you to edit the paragraph and/or find another photo.

If you have more than one dog you’d like to enter into the contest, please do so! Same rules apply.

Just to clarify, only dogs who have or have had cancer are eligible.

Send your submission(s) to: sturmie1@gmail.com

Please note -- The deadline has changed. You now have until Saturday, August 7 to send us your entries!

If you have any questions, please email: sturmie1@gmail.com.

With your help, we'll make this the best calendar yet!

puppy up!