Bobby Bones Hopes To ‘Make a Difference’ In the Lives of Veterans Through Service Dog Salute Campaign
Bones is using his platform to help military veterans obtain service dogs.
Bobby Bones; Photo by Taylor Kelly
Bobby Bones is undoubtedly one of the hardest working men in show business. Not only is he the face of the nationally syndicated The Bobby Bones Show, he also heads up a wildly successful podcast, is a best-selling author and a television personality with a stint as the in-house mentor on ABC’s American Idol and the star of his very own National Geographic show, Breaking Bobby Bones (among other projects). No matter how busy he gets, however, Bones always makes time to give back and this year is no different.
The award-winning multi-media personality has once again teamed up with Purina Dog Chow to launch the brand’s third annual Service Dog Salute campaign, which pays tribute to military veterans and the loyal dogs that serve them.
The partnership came together very organically a few years ago after Bones and Purina discovered they were both supporting the same cause.
“We were giving service dogs away on the radio show because they were so expensive. They were $20,000 a dog on average and so once we found this out, we started to get vets dogs once we realized how important they were to their mental health and well-being,” Bones recalls to Country Now. “At the same time that I was doing this, Purina was doing this as well. And so they were like, ‘hey, we’re kind of running parallel doing the same thing. Why don’t we combine?’ That’s why it’s been super cool for me because I was already working on this and they were working on this in a much bigger way than we were so it was really great for me to come over.”
Service dogs provide endless benefits for veterans suffering from PTSD and other post-combat challenges in ways that no other therapy can. Unfortunately, less than one-percent of vets in need are able to acquire a service dog each year due to resource, cost and awareness constraints. Bones and Dog Chow hope to change that as many veterans returning from combat may not be equipped to live their lives without these dogs.
Bones had a chance to witness first-hand the benefits of a service dog when he visited with a veteran who previously served overseas and at Camp David.
“He’d been through a lot. I mean, so much that I don’t fully understand,” Bones shares. “He had PTSD. He would have panic attacks in the middle of the night and his dog would jump up on his chest to make sure that he was okay.”
After spending the day with the vet and his children, Bones instantly knew he wanted to do more for the cause.
“I feel like regardless of how much I get involved, it’s not enough. These guys and girls go over and risk their lives and sometimes give their lives for us to be able to even do this,” he acknowledges. “I always feel like I could do a little more. I hope to be able to continue to make a difference and keep a platform where I can make a difference.”
You can help make a difference, too. Now through Thanksgiving, Dog Chow will make a donation (up to $100,000) to their two partner service dog organizations, the Pets and Vets program at Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation and Got Your Six Support Dogs, for every bag of Dog Chow purchased.
Additionally, Bones, who is considering running for Governor of his home state of Arkansas one day, also wants to spread the word about the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act. The legislation, which is meant to help veterans get service dogs, has been passed by the House but is awaiting Senate approval. If you visit DogChow.com/service, you can easily send an email to your senators urging them to pass the bill.
“There’s a letter already there. You just find out who your Senator is,” Bones explains. “You don’t have to write it, but it’s right there, and if it says what you feel you can use it and you can send it and it’s pretty great.”
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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