Couple to take rescued American bulldog on hike from Florida to Maine to raise money for shelters

BELLEAIR, Fla. - An abused and battered bulldog will once again test his strength and perseverance, this time by embarking on a 3,500 mile hike from Florida to Maine with two Pinellas County natives.

Honey's life got off to a rough start, and she has a hard journey ahead of her.

When she was young, someone burned her with cigarettes, let her get infested with ticks, and abandoned her on I-5 in Oregon. A woman who spotted the spotted American bulldog, saved her life by coxing her into her car and taking her to a no-kill shelter.

Caterina Lewis-Perry of Pinellas County took it from there. She adopted Honey and helped nurse her back to life.

"If it wasn't for non-profit shelters that rehabilitate dogs that have been abused and give them good homes, I would have never had her," Lewis-Perry said.

Now Lewis-Perry and fellow AmeriCorps worker Michael Kein have a mission for Honey. They want her to hike with them from the southernmost trail head of the Florida Trail, through Alligator Alley, north to Pensacola.

"People make fun of her for being gator bait, but she won't be," Perry-Lewis said reassuringly.

From there, they will travel through Alabama and Georgia, then along the Appalachian Trail. They estimate the entire trip to take 10.5 months.

"One of the biggest challenges for us is to make sure Honey is safe, happy and healthy at all times," Perry-Lewis said.

The couple purchased wax for Honey's paws, since at least 300 miles of the hike will be on hot Florida pavement.

They will also face cold nights in the mountains.

"We have our puffy jackets and our wool socks. We were out this past week in the cold weather just testing our gear and we were fine. We got down to 32 and everyone was fine, no one was cold. Even Honey stayed fairly warm," Kein said.

With backpacks full of clothes, spare shoes, dried mangoes, raw almonds, and a snack food called Mushroom Blend, the threesome set out the first day of 2011. They expect to finish by late September or early October.

"Part of our hike is to honor shelters that help dogs like Honey, and provide good homes and healthy lifestyles for these dog," Perry-Lewis said.

They hope to raise at least $3,000, but collected only $766 before setting out on Saturday.

"It's not just about raising [money]. It's also about teaching people how wonderful these programs are," Kein said.

The couple will donated a minimum of 60 percent of what they raise to four shelters: Humane Society of Pinellas County in Florida, Dog Pack Rescue Inc. in Georgia, Sullivan County Humane Society in Tennessee, and The Humane Society of Harrisburg Area in Pennsylvania. The rest of the money will go directly to Honey's medical costs.

"We will not be keeping any for ourselves," Perry-Lewis said.

To track their trip and learn how to donate, head to https://sites.google.com/site/hikeforhoney.