Sue Keller from the Marco Island Sun Times newspaper arrived early - and stayed late - to capture Max & Bailey's visit to Tommie Barfield Elementary. Her story appeared in the paper on November 29th and is available online for your reading pleasure. Sue's story is one of the first written about our school education program and, we think, is one of the most well-balanced stories to date. Check it out at :
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13435178&BRD=2256&PAG=461&dept_id=455823&rfi=6

This Thanksgiving, Station 43 of Brevard County Fire and Rescue will share their holiday dinner with two very special dogs and many distinguished guests. Max and Bailey are two Golden Retrievers who have spent the last 6 1/2 months traveling the country in an effort to educate Americans about the special roles Assistance Dogs play in the lives of people living with physical disabilities. After more than 23,000 miles over the last 206 days, Florida is the 47th state on Max & Bailey's 2004 Ride Across America. In total, the ride will take 218 days to complete, ending on December 4th where they began on May 1st : Raleigh, North Carolina. But, the journey wouldn't be complete without a stop in Brevard County to visit with Bill Scholl and Zeb, his Paws With A Cause Assistance Dog.

Bill Scholl, a Brevard County Firefighter, was severely injured in a 1999 fall from a fire ladder. Bill's injuries left him wheelchair bound and lacking in his normal energetic lifestyle. After his accident, Bill's wife Katie encouraged Bill to apply for an Assistance Dog from Paws With A Cause. One year later, Zeb joined the family and has since given Bill the confidence, independence and ability to tackle the world again. Bill and Zeb's story has been shared in the Brevard County media previously. Now, Bill and Zeb's story has been shared with the entire nation as the feature story in Max & Bailey's Ride brochures and on their ever-changing website : www.hogsfordogs.com.

To celebrate Bill's independence and Max & Bailey's Ride to help others with physical disabilities, Chief Farmer and the Brevard County Fire and Rescue's Station 43 has invited Max, Bailey and their sidecar chauffeurs Blaine and Janet Parks to join them for a Thanksgiving Feast. Representatives from Paws With A Cause will also be at the event as part of this very special way of giving thanks. We invite you - and the public - to stop by Station 43 on Merritt Island's Airport Road Thanksgiving Day to learn more about Max & Bailey's 2004 Ride Across America and see firsthand how Assistance Dogs are improving the lives of individuals living with physical disabilities.

The meal for the firefighters and special guests will begin at 1:00 PM on Thursday, November 25, 2004. The public is invited to stop by Station 43 from 2:00-4:00 PM. Max & Bailey will be on hand for photos in their sidecars and Paws With A Cause Demonstrations will also be available. Donations to support Assistance Dog organizations will be graciously accepted and Max & Bailey's ever-popular logo items will be available for sale at the event.

We hope to see you there.

Sarah's segment called Peculiar Pastimes highlights interesting or unusual hobbies, and occassionally something interesting - and charitable - comes along, like Max & Bailey's Ride Across America. The segment aired on the 5:00 news on November 10th, but some of the story can be seen on the WCTV website at : http://www.wctv6.com/news/features/4/1177771.html

The Animal Planet series 'That's My Baby' will highlight New Horizon's Service Dogs' Director Janet Severt and Cheyenne - an adopted Golden Retriever - in their quest to breed a new generation of service dogs to help people with physical disabilities. The show will air twice this week : October 25th at 3:30 PM EST and October 26th at 11:30 AM. Check out the Animal Planet schedule for more details.

Print and online magazine, Chicagoland Tails, interviewed Blaine back in August for an article that appears in the Fall 2004 edition of their magazine. While the by-line says Blaine Parks, the article was actually written by the magazine's editor based on two interviews. You can view the article at: http://www.chicagolandtails.com/index.pl/hopping_on_a_harely

KHOU News Anchor (and Golden Retriever owner) Lisa Foronda welcomed Max and Bailey to Houston at the KHOU Channel 11 studio. The interview and video appeared on both the 5:00 and 10:00 PM broadcasts.

KVUE-TV came out to our Dogstuff.com event in Austin, Texas hosted by Dogstuff.com owners Rick and Jane Fish. You can see a short text excerpt from the interview on the KVUE-TV site at: http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stories/102204kvueDogs-eh.1408f826.html

Max and Bailey's quest to educate the world on the needs faced by people with disabilities for assistance dogs was aired on the radio to a national audience on the Bob and Tom show at 7am CDT, Thursday October 21st. CLICK HERE for their website to find a station near you, or to sign up to listen live on the Internet.

KEYE-TV reporter David Scott caught up with the Hogs For Dogs team after several school visits and events in the Austin, TX area. David - a dog lover himself - filed his report on Wedneday, October 20th, and then another crew joined us at the Texas School For The Deaf on Thursday.

A 30-minute television segment featuring the story of Max & Bailey's Ride will air for several weeks in the Richardson, Texas area. Insight Out - hosted by Ceilidh Charleson-Jennings airs Monday thru Friday at 7:30 PM on Channel 14 in the Richardson and Plano, Texas viewing area.

Called to a local restaurant by a Billings, Montana resident, a reporter/photographer spent a few minutes speaking with the Hogs For Dogs crew and photographing Max & Bailey in their sidecars before they continued on their way to White Sulphur Springs, MT. The encounter was relayed in the Billings Gazette - out of Billings, Montana - in their Sunday newspaper's Local News section.

Lin Graham, Regional Sales Manager for KPVI News, caught up with Max & Bailey outside the Idaho Falls PetCo store (we needed dog food) and insisted that we wait for their local news crew to capture the story of Max & Bailey's Ride for their viewers in Idaho Falls and Jackson, WY. We, obviously, obliged and were thankful for the additional coverage. http://www.kpvi.com/index.cfm?page=nbcheadlines.cfm&ID=20836

The Hogs For Dogs crew was joined by KSDS client Jill Jensen and her Assistance Dog Yankee on Cheyenne's KGWN Morning show. The appearance was a great opportunity to highlight both Max & Bailey's Ride and the independence Yankee provides in Jill's life. They were also kind enough to promote our afternoon events in Cheyenne.

In front of a growing crowd at the Historic Depot Plaza, Mayor Spiker read an official proclamation announcing that August 17th, 2004 will officially be known as U.S. Hogs For Dogs Day in the capitol city of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Mayor Spiker presented the official proclamation to Blaine and Janet while local radio station KRRR covered the event live and KGWN-TV (CBS) filmed the proclamation for a later airing on their evening news broadcast. The proclamation was part of a larger Hogs For Dogs event held at the downtown Depot Plaza hosted by the Depot Plaza and the Plains Hotel. KRRR on-air personality Brenda Dunivent was there for a remote broadcast throughout the event.

Max & Bailey made the news again while visiting Minneapolis, Minnesota this week. KARE 11, a local NBC affiliate, filmed a short segment which aired on their 5, 6 and 10 pm news programs. KARE 11 is one of the leading networks in the Minneapolis area and has been known to be very supportive of the Assistance Dog industry in the past. Unfortunately, only the text and not the video was posted on their website : http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=67713

Max & Bailey made national headlines this weekend with their story aired on the respected cable news network, CNN. The appearance was part of a rebroadcast video from an earlier interview with a FOX affiliate and we were unaware of its airing until several Hogs For Dogs supporters wrote in to tell us about it. So, we don't have the full details, but we do know that the story was aired and our website hits showed a marked increase in traffic.

After weeks of calling in for updates on Max & Bailey's Ride Across America, the U.S. Hogs For Dogs team arrived in downtown Chicago to do a live interview with Steve Dale at the Tribune Building studios for WGN Radio. Blaine, Janet and Paws With A Cause employee Aimee Brumleve spent 40 minutes discussing the Assistance Dog Community, the Paws With A Cause organization and Max & Bailey's Ride Across America. The entire interview was recorded and is available for listening on the Pet Central website at http://wgnradio.com/shows/pet/audio/index.htm. You can catch Steve Dale's show each week on WGN Radio AM 720. Check the Pet Central website for local broadcast information outside the Chicago area. See a picture sent to us of Steve and the Crew HERE.

Blaine and Janet Parks presented Mike Sapp, PAWS COO, with a $5,000 check during a community fundraising event held at the Paws With A Cause headquarters. Cheered on by a large group of riders from the L2 chapter of the Gold Wing Riders Association, PAWS staff and volunteers, Blaine offered the check to Mike Sapp as a small portion of the total proceeds from Max & Bailey's Ride Across America. The Hogs For Dogs team also learned about a special litter of PAWS puppies named in honor of the U.S. Hogs For Dogs Ride. The twelve puppies (yes, TWELVE) have been affectionately called the Hogs For Dogs Dirty Dozen and have all been named with names that reflect the Max & Bailey Ride theme. Blaine spoke to the crowd about the ride's progress to date and announced a new goal to raise enough money to sponsor the entire Dirty Dozen. The total cost to sponsor the twelve puppies is $216,000.

State Representative Rick Shaffer welcomed Max & Bailey to Michigan with a speech on the east steps of the Michigan Capitol building. Attended by a large group of Paws With A Cause puppy raisers and numerous others, Representative Shaffer expressed his support for the Assistance Dog industry and for PAWS specifically. Blaine had the chance to say a few words about our journey and the importance of puppy raisers in the industry's formula for success. It was a very nice event with several TV and newspaper reporters there to cover the event. After presenting Rep. Shaffer with a plaque and one of our Max & Bailey t-shirts, we all had the chance for a very special tour of the Capitol building.

Hogs for Dogs has recognized Guiding Eyes for Blind for the outstanding work the organization has done in providing greater independence and dignity to the visually impaired community through the raising and training of exceptional guide dogs. For more information about the visit, call (845) 878 3867 extension 51.

Max, Bailey and their sidecar chauffeurs have been invited to join the Karlson and McKenzie Show on Wednesday morning, June 23. Listen for their live update on 101.5 WPDH between the 9:00 & 10:00am hour of the show.

Courier News reporter, Stephanie Matteson, caught up with the Hogs For Dogs crew for a pre-visit interview a few days back. Her article, entitled "They ride so others can walk" can be read online at: http://www.c-n.com/news/c-n/story/0,2111,983634,00.html.

Charity Partner, Canine Partners For Life (CPL), held a joint fundraiser at the Bikes and Blues Event in Kennett Square, PA. Afterwards, CPL staff and clients hosted an old-fashioned backyard barbeque for the Hogs For Dogs team. During the barbeque, Blaine and Janet spoke to the group about Max & Bailey's Ride Across America and presented CPL's founder and CEO Darlene Sullivan with a $1,000 check. The check is a down payment on the total proceeds that Hogs For Dogs hopes to share with CPL at the end of the ride. Max & Bailey posed with the staff and clients for lots of photos. Lynn Rankin, a freelance writer for the Community Courier, Kennett Square's local newspaper, interviewed the Hogs For Dogs team for an upcoming article about their ride across America.

Hillcrest Elementary pulled out all the stops for a recent visit by Max & Bailey. Escorted by the Delaware County Sheriff, Blue Nights Pennsylvania Chapter X and the Haverford Police Department, the Hogs For Dogs team arrived (in the rain) to find the entire school outside with signs, cheers and music. The school pep band played several Hillcrest favorites giving us our first musical welcome. Mrs. Muzyka's fifth grade class invited us to join them for lunch after our school-wide presentation and to meet 'Emily', the Guide Dog they are raising as a class project. Students and faculty raised more than $500 for Max & Bailey's ride. WPVI Action News 6 (Philadelphia) was there to capture the events and the video can be found at http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/061104_an_hogsfordogs.html

Max and Bailey arrived in Rock Hall for two day's of events planned by Gratitude Yachting Center, with the help of several local businesses. A small town on Maryland's Eastern Shore, Rock Hall residents came out in force to support Max & Bailey's ride, raising nearly $3,200 in just two days. The events were well attended and were covered by the local weekly newspaper, Kent County News. Hogs For Dogs wants to extend a special thanks to all the businesses that made these events possible, including Gratitude Yachting Center, J & J Seafood, D. Lee Kraus, Styles Unlimited, Ace Hardware, the Mainstay, the Maryland School of Sailing and Seamanship and many others.

6 News Lawrence Interviews Hogs For Dogs

6 News Lawrence reporter Janet Reid stopped by to interview the Hogs For Dogs team during a recent visit with KSDS puppy raisers in Lawrence, Kansas. The interview will air on both the 6 and 10 pm news on May 24, 2004. The piece may also be shared on their website at: http://www.6newslawrence.com/stories/2004/may/24/hogsfordogs/
Or view the Interview directly at:
http://media.6newslawrence.com/video/2004/05/24/hogs.mov (12MB - - be patient)

Lawrence Journal-World Highlights Max & Bailey’s Ride Across America

Richard Gwin from the Lawrence Journal-World Newspaper also stopped by to visit with Max & Bailey during our visit with the KSDS puppy raisers in Lawrence. Richard says the article will appear in the print and online versions of the Lawrence Journal-World at http://www.ljworld.com/section/citynews/story/171216

Hogs For Dogs Donates $1,000 to KSDS, Inc.

Blaine and Janet Parks presented KSDS, Inc. CEO Karen Price with a $1,000 check during their recent visit to the KSDS headquarters in Washington, Kansas. The check was presented at a private dinner with the KSDS Board of Directors and staff. The donation is a partial distribution of the larger proceeds amount expected from Max & Bailey’s Ride Across America.

Max & Bailey Make The Front Page Of The Baxter County Bulletin

Baxter County reporter, Sharon Miller, interviewed the Hogs For Dogs team recently about their ride. The story ran on the front page of the May 15th edition. You can currently read the story online at: http://www.baxterbulletin.com/news/stories/20040515/localnews/425803.

Weekly Updates on WGN Radio's Pet Central with Steve Dale

Steve Dale, host of WGN Radio's Pet Central, begins a weekly check-in with Max & Bailey. Tune into your local stations each Saturday evening at 7:30 CDT for the latest updates from the road. Learn more at: http://wgnradio.com/shows/pet/index.html

U.S. Hogs For Dogs, Inc. Presents $1,000 Check to New Life Mobility Assistance Dogs

Max and Bailey stopped by New Life Mobility Assistance Dog's headquarters today to meet Karen Brown and her assistant Ann-Marie Hillings. During the visit we met several of NLMAD's dogs in training for clients and also had the opportunity to meet one of their newest clients, Sharon, who has been partnered with Hope (photo featured on our Dog Stories main page). We are honored to have them as one of our charity partners and were delighted to present them with a $1,000 donation as a prepayment for what we hope will be a much larger total amount at the conclusion of Max & Bailey's 2004 Ride Across America. You can learn more about NLMAD on our Minority Partners page. (Click Image for larger view)

Raleigh H.O.G. Presents $2,000 Check At Get Out Of Town Ride

Although the rain tried to dampen the spirits of riders who joined Max & Bailey on their Get Out Of Town Ride, the Raleigh H.O.G. was steadfast in their support for Max & Bailey's 2004 Ride Across America. Butch Evans (Director) and Steve Metz (Activities Director) presented U.S. Hogs For Dogs with a $2,000 donation while several members of the Raleigh H.O.G. gathered around. And if that wasn't enough, most of the group donned their rain gear and rode the 70-miles to Burlington behind Max, Bailey and their police escort. If you're a member of Raleigh H.O.G. -- thank you! The total raised in that rain-soaked event was $6,500.

Charity Auction Raises $20,000

The first fundraising event for U.S. Hogs For Dogs, Inc. was a great success, raising more than $20,000 at 'A Tail Wagging Affair.' The weather was perfect for an evening of food, fun and charity. The night started with a mild-mannered silent auction, but quickly turned into a bidding and screaming frenzy during the live auction portion of the evening. By the end of the night, a signed UNC basketball sold for $2700, a Bahamas vacation went for $4700 and a small stuffed dog that performs "Singing In The Rain" sold for $300. U.S. Hogs For Dogs wants to thank everyone involved with the event. What a great start!

WWAY News Channel 3, Wilmington, North Carolina will be interviewing Max & Bailey on Sunday, March 14th for a story to air later in March. Amber Zeller, from WWAY News Channel 3, contacted the Hogs For Dogs' team on March 9th to set up the interview. Max and Bailey are beginning to think they are TV stars and have requested their own dressing rooms, gourmet milk bones and Perrier water in their water dish.

Come see Max & Bailey in the Raleigh St. Patrick's Day Parade Come to downtown Raleigh on Saturday, March 13th for the St.Patrick's Day parade and see Max & Bailey ride through the city in their sidecars as part of the Ray Price Harley-Davidson/Raleigh H.O.G. parade entry. For more information on the parade route and after parade festivities visit the Official Raleigh St. Patrick's Day Parade Website

Max & Bailey get their first TV Interview. Scott Mason, a documentary producer & reporter from WRAL TV-5 in Raleigh, met Max & Bailey at Pullen Park on the morning of March 4th for their first TV interview. While their owners, Blaine and Janet, were a little nervous in front of the camera, the dogs took the whole event in stride, wearing their cool looking goggles and offering the occasional smile or drool for the cameraman, Jay Jennings. The interview is scheduled to air during the week of March 7th.

View the segment, which aired March 10th at: http://www.wral.com/video/2913344/detail.html

The Hogs For Dogs team took delivery of their first Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic & sidecar. After a thorough inspection and orientation at Ray Price Harley-Davidson, Blaine made the 70-mile trip from Raleigh to Goldsboro, North Carolina on the new rig, with several stops to help break the engine in properly. Both Max and Bailey have had their first short ride in the sidecar and we're happy to report that they've taken to riding as though they were born for it. Look for more photos of their adventures soon.

Hogs for Dogs and PAWS With A Cause® solidified their charity partnership during a recent visit to PAWS® headquarters. Mike Sapp - founder and COO of PAWS® - along with Deb Davis and Judy Miller from the PAWS® Development and Special Events departments, welcomed the Hogs For Dogs team to their facilities, located just outside Grand Rapids, Michigan. The dedication and professionalism of the PAWS® With A Cause organization was demonstrated throughout the day's meetings and training facility tours. The highlight of the day was being witness to the graduation and placement of a mobility assistance dog with his new owner. Agreements on educational information and resource sharing were quickly reached and will form the cornerstone of this new partnership.