When I saw him I knew I had to bring him home. When we got him to our house he would not leave his bed in the den. We had to bring his food to him and pick him up to go outside. He would not walk on the leash and certainly did not want to go on any neighborhood walks. This went on for the next few days. Fortunately he loved our other rescue dog, Sadie. Slowly he began to get up and walk to us for a snack and then one day he actually got up and walked out the door on his own. Then we began to work on walking with the leash and little by little he began to realize he was loved and in a good place. People began to be interested in adopting him and somehow homes that we wanted for him just weren’t working out. We kept reminding ourselves that we weren’t going to keep him, but we knew we were falling in love with him and wouldn’t be able to let him go. We adopted him from the shelter and he is the most loving and sweet dog. He does something to make us laugh everyday and we are so glad that he has realized how much he is loved.

One day at the shelter, volunteers Jim & Debbie came in to spend time in the kennels walking dogs.  Jim immediately fell for me and my siblings the minute he saw us.  They inquired about us with hesitation, since Weimeraners are known for their high-energy and they already had 2 other dogs at home, Heidi a German Shephard, and Harvard a Lab/boxer mix.  Debbie brought Heidi and Harvard in for a meet and greet to be sure everyone would accept me as a new member of the family.  Happily accepted by all, I now spend my days playing with my new big sister and little brother, chasing squirrels and burning my energy at Playful Paws Doggy Daycare.

Since Jim and Debbie were volunteers at Heartland and always did whatever they could to help the animals at the shelter, they decided to try to find a way to help even more.  With a name like “Harley”, what do you think Jim and Debbie’s favorite hobby was?  Riding Harleys of course.  Jim had an idea that he and Debbie could combine their two favorite hobbies – riding Harley’s and helping animals to start a fundraiser to help Heartland Animal Shelter.  Motorcycle riders spent much of their time riding for charities Because it gives them a place to ride and join a group of friends while supporting a charity.  Most riders are animal lovers with a heart of gold under all that leather, and love to share their passion with other riders.  In September 2007, Hogs for Dogs and Kitties Too! Was born, with me, Harley as the spokesdog to help all my furry friends at Heartland.

Posters and flyers were sent out everywhere with a caricature of me on a motorcycle. I also became the icon of Hogs for Dogs and Kitties Too on posters and patches.  The event was exhilarating and exciting with our first turn out of 80 motorcycles and over 100 participants, raising over $3000.  We enlisted the help of sponsors and raffle prize donations through friends and local businesses.  The parade of motorcycles and vehicles rode 60 miles through the northwest suburbs and the after party was held at Side-Outs Bar & Grill in Island Lake, with food, refreshments, live band, and raffles.

Each year, the Hogs for Dogs and Kitties Too ride is held the 3rd Sunday of September and it grows and grows. As Debbie and Jim prepare for the fourth annual ride, they continue to attract riders from all over the Chicago-land area raising awareness of our small community shelter and increasing the pool of potential adopters who have learned about Heartland. The ride continues to be a big success raising funds to support our not-for-profit shelter, which houses over 40 dogs and 100 cats at any one time. This helps all my furry friends have a safe haven to live until they find their forever homes, where they can live happily ever after like I do now with Jim, Debbie, Heidi and Harvard.