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  • The Hogs 4 Dogs motorcycle riders raise money Sunday to help pets in southeast Iowa. But, said riders, the annual Hogs 4 Dogs USA benefit ride is also about enjoying a day on the open road with friends. Mark Newman/The Courier

    Hogs 4 Dogs

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September 10, 2012

Hogs 4 Dogs rides to help pets in southeast Iowa

MARK NEWMAN Courier Staff Writer

OTTUMWA — An area group has helped supporters combine a passion for the open road with a passion for helping animals.

The annual Hogs 4 Dogs benefit motorcycle ride is their main fundraiser. The rest of the year, they’ll use the money to help local animal assistance organizations.

“We love pets!” said Tammie Hartley, who, along with husband John, is the driving force behind Hogs 4 Dogs. “We want pets to have the very best care possible.”

The couple was at R.J. Performance, a motorsport business also involved in the nonprofit assistance organization. Organizers were predicting over 400 riders would participate in this year’s benefit, a ride through several counties.

“We help humane societies, pets and pet owners in need of assistance,” Tammie said. “Let’s say Grandma, who lost Grandpa, can’t afford to keep her pet — which is all she has in the world.”

Hogs 4 Dogs can step in and help.

“We do all this through participating veterinarians,” she said.

The group actually prefers not to send money to shelters. If a shelter is low on something, Hogs 4 Dogs will come to the rescue. One shelter low on cat litter last year received 1,000 pounds. For smaller amounts, Tammie or John may just put out the word on their social pages.

“We’ll say, ‘Can someone help out with some litter at the shelter?’ [because] it’s not just about Hogs 4 Dogs USA writing a check. It’s about networking.”

Also on their website and social pages: help finding a lost pet.

Sunday, a few bikers had their own dogs with them. Others wore Hogs 4 Dogs T-shirts. And there were those who were just on the ride for the camaraderie and the fresh air.

“My son lives in Iowa, and the Hogs 4 Dogs [event] is just a great ride,” said Harlan Petersen of Rochester, Minn. “This is my second year.”

Petersen is retired now and rides about five out of six days, he said. He and his wife just purchased a new bike in December. Since that time, they’ve put 18,400 miles on it.

Petersen’s no stranger to good causes; his motorcycle club back home supports an educational program for troubled kids. But Sunday was about family, he said, with the fact that the registration money goes to a good cause simply a bonus.

“It’s just a fun ride with my son and his friends,” he said.

He and several other riders commented on the great riding weather Sunday: no rain, light winds and temperatures in the low-70s.

Like many bikers, said the Hartley’s, these riders are willing to support a cause.

John says that after America’s corporations, the largest specific category of philanthropic donations come from bikers and their organizations.

These are people who “give ‘til it hurts,” Tammie said.

Which might surprise an observer if they felt some of Sunday’s leather-clad riders in mirrored sunglasses looked a bit intimidating on their loud, high-horsepower hogs.

Tammie smiled.

“They have big hearts,” she said.

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