A man and his 11 dogs began a journey across America with nothing other than a bike, a cart and a sense of family. Now, more than 2,000 miles later, the family is still going strong and they finally have a home to call their own.
In 2001, Steve first joined the many other humans and animals around the world who are without a home. Since then, he has picked up any stray dog he has come across and welcomed them into his roaming family.
Even without many financial resources, Steve still has plenty of love as well as an incredible ability to care for these dogs who would otherwise be abandoned.
Over the past 14 years, Steve has cared for over 50 homeless dogs.
One day, shortly after rescuing an abandoned dog who was pregnant, he discovered that she had six puppies. He was already caring for five other dogs, now he had 11 on his hands, he knew he needed to find a home for the dogs and himself.
Steve contacted a friend, living in Indianapolis, Indiana, who agreed to help out Steve and his furry family, if Steve could make his way there. The problem was that Steve was broke and living in California over 2,000 miles away!
After cycling along the highway for two weeks Steve and his dogs had made it nearly to West Memphis, Arkansas – over six states and 1,800 miles away! Where, by chance, he met Alicia Edrington after she noticed him traveling alongside the road. Alicia recounts their meeting below:
Luckily Alicia’s mom Mickey is an animal advocate in the West Memphis area, she was determined to help Steve and his pack.
First Mickey put up Steve and the dogs in a nearby hotel.
And everyone got a good night’s sleep before continuing their journey
Kerry from the West Memphis Animal Shelter reached out and purchased 100 pounds of dog food. People brought the family other dog essentials too such as leashes and harnesses.
Even more people pitched in to get a second night in the hotel room for Steve and his pups.
The Edringtons’ call for help caused a ripples of generosity. Eventually, this ripple reached a Kelley Seaton, a kind woman from Tennessee, who offered to drive the family to their Indiana destination.
The road trip offered plenty of time for a photo shoot.
It was a cozy ride.
They made a pit stop in Kentucky.
At last, Steve and all 11 dogs arrived in Indiana. Thanks to the GoFundMe account and the generosity of 197 people, the Edringtons were able to raise over 35,000.
Additionally, Steve and his dogs will no longer be without a home, because one generous person donated a trailer to the family.
On a small scale, Steve’s story can be seen as one of rags to riches, but more importantly, it is the story of a man who had so little, yet still found so much to give: love, care and a sense of family. His generosity reminds us that although there are some things we can’t control, we can always look inward to find a bountiful supply of kindness and compassion.
Now, the Edringtons are hoping that enough funds will be raised to provide a small piece of land for Steve’s new trailer. You can support Steve and his dogs by donating to the GoFundMe account here.
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