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Coming to the aid of veterans; Harold Palmquist and Daisy stop in Lothian

Capital - 6/27/2017

'Send me a banner and send me some business cards. I'm going to go cross country to raise some money for you guys."

That's what 48-year-old homeless veteran Harold Palmquist said that he told Veterans and Their Pets - a nonprofit organization in Phoenix that works for homeless veterans by helping them keep their pets - before he embarked on a 5,000-mile bicycle journey for the first time in April 2016.

"Veterans and Their Pets helped keep me and Daisy together," said Palmquist, who served in the Air Force during the Gulf War. "When I went into the homeless shelter they wouldn't allow this dog."

The organization offered his companion of 10 years a place to live, to foster and take care of her, to give her proper shots and spay her, and Palmquist added, they covered the transportation costs.

Now, the Arizona native is 1,000 miles into his second cross-country venture. This time he's looking to surpass the $3,500 he raised on his first go-round, setting a $20,000 goal. He says 100 percent will go to the organization.

"The message that they're spreading nationwide is about how the nation needs to step up," said Michael West, president of Veterans and Their Pets.

There are many others in the same situation Palmquist was in years ago.

"Veterans won't seek medical, psychological or dependency support, until they're sure that their animals are cared for," West said.

Palmquist hopes to cover much of the country, zigzagging across to avoid bitter cold later in the year. He does 25 miles of pedaling at a time, stopping in towns and hoping he catches the attention of local media outlets and communities.

Much like he did near Wilmington, North Carolina.

Bonnie Jo Hunt, an Air Force veteran from North Carolina, said she saw a story about Palmquist on a local news program, and then spotted him on her way home from work riding with Daisy in her crate atop his bicycle-drawn trailer.

Hunt said she sped home to collect her grandchildren, "because I thought it was important for them to learn about what he was doing." Her grandkids gave Palmquist a donation and chatted with him about the cause, and then Hunt helped him connect with the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) organization.

Next she and her husband helped Palmquist set up camp at the VFW and they shared a meal, where she was impressed with him and touched by his story.

"Not only did he receive that from Vets and Their Pets," she said, "he's willing to show his thanks and his gratitude to the folks that assisted him when he needed it (and) I think that speaks volumes to his character."

Palmquist is staying at a friend's in Lothian while he repairs the trailer that carries his gear, food and best friend.

And then, he said, it's back to road, the tent and his dry food diet - he uses a pressure cooker and gas stove to prepare powdered milk, dried rice and beans and canned chicken. His travels will take him toward Ohio, next.

To follow Palmquist or contribute to Veterans and Their Pets, follow him at TourDePACLANTIC.blogspot.com or visit veteransandtheirpets.org.

Credit: By Alex Mann - almann@capgaznews.com

Caption: Harold Palmquist demonstrates the set-up he uses to do cross-country bike rides to raise funds for the Veterans and Their Pets organization.

Harold Palmquist and his partner Daisy, seen in Lothian, are doing cross-country bike rides to raise funds for the Veterans and Their Pets organization.

photos by Joshua McKerrow/Capital Gazette