Bobby G Goes for a Ride: A Good Day to be a Dog

Bobby G
May 7
4 min read

Rescue ride with Tommy Stevenson

Tiffany and I were excited to go along on a rescue ride with Tommy Stevenson. I had seen him months earlier on U.S. 1, driving with a pup in the passenger seat, both of us with the windows down and music going. We caught each other in that quick moment - he turned his music down, I turned mine down - and we said hello before moving on. It stuck with me.

Then I saw him again later at the Edgewater Animal Shelter while I was delivering East Coast Current magazines. Same thing… dog with him, same energy. That’s when I found out exactly what he was doing. Tommy volunteers a couple days every week at the shelter to take dogs on rides, walks to the park and to just get out of the shelter for a couple of hours. After hearing that I knew it would make a great story.

So Tiff and I came back to see it up close. Tommy was already there when we arrived, dog by his side, ready to go. Before heading out, we spoke with Roxanne, Stacey and Dynah for a few minutes and asked what kind of difference Tommy’s rides have made.

“Exposure,” they said. “It changes everything.”

When the dogs get out of the shelter, people see them differently. They’re not behind a kennel door - they’re out in the community, relaxed, social, just being dogs. That leads to more conversations, more interest, and more chances for adoption.

With that, we started our ride with Tommy and Hudson. Hudson is a hound, maybe mixed with a lab, who came in as a stray. A woman had him for a bit, but he had too much energy for her older dogs, so she brought him in. Tommy said he’s great with kids and other dogs, he just needs to get outside and run.

And once we got out, you could see the change. At the shelter, he had more of that hyper energy - excited, moving. But as the day went on, he settled. The panting slowed. He got more comfortable.

Our first stop was Nauti Juice Cafe in Edgewater. Tommy said they are always accommodating, and just like that, Hudson had a pup cup. It’s part of the routine, something simple that makes the day feel normal.

From there, we kept moving. We cruised down Riverside Drive, windows down of course, taking in the beautiful weather. I got out and ran with Hudson around the Brannon Center. That’s when it really hit me. As I was running and walking with him, I felt it too; that feeling Tommy had been talking about. Just being out there, present with the dog, moving together. And you could see it in Hudson too. He wasn’t just along for the ride, he was part of it.

Tommy told us how this all started; it will be three years this May. The first dog he took out was Chuck, the shelter’s longest resident at the time. A big mastiff mix who sat in the seat like such a gentleman it almost surprised him. They went to Whistle Stop Park. Chuck stayed close, leaned up against Tommy’s leg, and handled everything with ease.

“That’s when I felt it,” Tommy said.

From there, he started taking pictures of Chuck around town and sending them back to the shelter. People began asking where Tommy and Chuck were going to be that day. Chuck didn’t stay long after that. He was adopted by a couple who quietly brought him home first to make sure it was the right fit. It was.

They later sent photos of Chuck stretched out on the couch, relaxed, at home. Even a video of him outside playing in the rain.

“Goosebumps,” Tommy said.

Now when Tommy is out driving around with the dogs, people notice. They honk their horns, wave, and stop to ask about them. It’s that kind of real, everyday exposure that helps these dogs get seen.

By the end of our time together, Hudson was laying up in the front seat, just chilling. Calm, content. Like he had just had a great day. It was a completely different dog than the one we started with. We made a few more stops, and people noticed. They asked his name, reached down to pet him, and spent a little time with him. That’s what makes the difference.

Back on the ride, Tommy said something simple, “This does as much for me as it does for them.” And he was right. He also made it clear the shelter can always use help. Even 15 to 20 minutes walking a dog makes a difference.

By the end of the day, it all came together. Hudson, calm in the front seat. A full day behind him. A completely different energy than when we left. These are good dogs. They just need a chance. And what Tommy does, day in and day out, is give them that chance.

The Impact of Volunteering at Edgewater Animal Shelter

He’s not doing it for recognition. He’s doing it out of love. That willingness to show up, to give his time, to care - it comes from his hero, his big brother, who taught him what it means to volunteer and give without expecting anything back. You can see it in everything he does.