(upbeat music)
- Welcome back to
Good Day Stateline.
September is Service
Dog Awareness month
when we honor the
contribute, contributions
and loyalty of some
amazing animals
military heroes.
And joining us today,
we're so excited
about this radio and TV
personality Bobby Bones.
Who's teaming up
with Purina Dog Chow
for their third annual
Service Dog Salute campaign.
Good morning, Bobby.
- Yeah, we are so
excited to talk to you.
Obviously, it's very cool
to talk to celebrities,
whenever we get the chance,
but also because of
what you are doing
for the month of September.
So tell us what you're
doing with Purina.
- Well, so I started
to do my research
to find out,
hey, what can I do to give back
to our troops, our veterans?
Because they're
risking their lives
there, every time
they're doing it.
And so what I found was
a lot of them come
back with PTSD
and they need service dogs.
Well, the trouble is,
they cost $20,000 each,
my mind was blown,
and who can afford $20,000?
Because these dogs are
so specially trained.
So on my radio show, we
started to raise money
and give dogs to veterans,
but Purina dog Chow was
doing that at the same time.
So we combined forces,
and they've been doing
it three years now,
it's our second year together.
First of all, we got
to help our veterans.
Like that's just the
end of the story,
and this is one of the way.
If you have a dog,
and you go
and you see these bags
in the grocery store
the Dog Chow,
with the specialty market there,
get it because every
time you buy a bag,
they make a donation
to either Got Your
Six Support Dogs
or Tony LaRussa Foundation.
So you know, that's the
first thing you can do
if you have a dog.
Now the second thing you can do
is that we're trying to
get through legislation,
our government
actually step in here,
and it's gotten through
the house already.
Now we're trying to
get through the Senate.
It's the PAWS for
Veterans Therapy Act,
you can see all about it,
dogchow.com/service.
And with that the
letter's already written,
you find your senator on there,
you click and you send.
- That's so awesome.
So we love giving two different
options for our viewers,
like you said,
if you have a dog,
or if you don't have a dog.
Tell us, so what do service
dogs do for a military veterans?
- I can give you an example
of someone that I've
been able to work with
and spent some time with
where there's a veteran,
he had been protecting
the president.
And he had seen some stuff
that I would
imagine is not good.
And he had PTSD.
And so his dog was
specially trained
to help him
because he would wake up
in the middle of the night.
Scared, maybe
reliving what happened
not knowing where he was,
his dog, climbs up on
the bed lays on his body,
not only to physically say,
hey, you're okay like
to calm him down,
but also to emotionally go,
hey, I'm here for you, and this
is where you are right now.
You're not there, you're here.
And these dogs are they
do different things
for different people.
But as our veterans
have fought for us,
I think at least we can
do a little fighting now
for them and get them
the tools they need.
- I am with you that
that's so awesome
that these dogs are
able to do that.
And like you said, so expensive.
So whatever we can
all do to help that.
I love that you're
working with Purina
and you mentioned
your radio show,
of course we want to know
just you know, Bobby,
what's, what's new with you,
besides the dog
Chow partnership,
what else you got going on?
- Well, the radio
show is rockin.
It's called The
Bobby Bones Show.
I have a show on Nat Geo,
that'll be out early next year
called Breaking Bobby Bones
it's the 16 part show.
Hopefully I'm back
in American Idol,
the beginning of the year,
you know, there's some
scheduling issues,
but hopefully back there
and you know, mostly just
trying to pair some veterans
with some dogs that
will help them.
So, you know,
Michelle, I appreciate
you taking the time
to let me talk about
such an important cause.
- Absolutely. Thank you
so much for talking to us.
Where can we go if we want
to learn a little bit more?
- Well, you go to
dogchow.com/service,
and you can make a
difference there.
Even if you don't have a dog,
like that's what I
can't, can't say enough.
Like if you just want to
help our veterans get dogs
dogchow.com/service
and you'll see how you can help
finally get this
through the Senate.
So our veterans have
a better shot at this.
are looking for a way
to find the silver
lining in life right now
with everything
going on in 2020.
So knowing that there's
just this opportunity
where you can donate
whatever you can, you know,
and that's a great
place to do so.
So thank you so much for
joining us this morning.
- Thank you Have a good day.
- You too.
Coming up next.
I cannot wait to tell you
about what we have in
store for you next week.
We have a great
show and a giveaway.
We'll talk about it
in just a minute.
We'll be right back.