It was by divine intervention that Maureen found little Yogi. The universe “litter”ly placed the dog in her path!
“My girlfriend, Shelly, and I were wearing snow gear while riding our Harley Davidsons on a bitterly cold day,” said Maureen. “We were driving down a long empty rural farm road. In the center of the road, I saw a cold baby rabbit shaking and shivering. I pointed to the animal, so Shelly would avoid it. We could not believe what the ‘bunny’ was! In the middle of nowhere was the cutest one pound Pomeranian/Papillon puppy! I pulled over and placed it in my jacket to warm it
up.
I sent my cousin a photo of him and she said, ‘He looks like Yogi, the dog Granny had when we were kids!’ So I named him Yogi Bear-A after the baseball player, Yogi Berra, and gave him the last name Ryder because he rides with me.”
Since Maureen “saved” Yogi on a bike, he holds the experience close to his heart. Initially, he rode in her back pack until she bought him a leather pet bike bag that she harnesses him into. This way Yogi out of the wind, buffered behind his mama. It has a compartment for ice, for summer air conditioning, a drawer for a water dish, leash, ball, snacks and his swimming towel. He wears protective eye Doggles while riding, and the bag is big enough for him to curl down for a nap or watch out
its windows.
Drivers honk, smile and wave when they see Yogi. They love it when Yogi stands up with his paws on Maureen’s back to see where he is going!
One summer’s day, the riding duo rode for eight hours. They returned home for dinner and Maureen thought that Yogi would purr-fur staying home, but he insisted on going for a night ride with her. So off they went, riding into the sunset.
When they stop, people line up to take his picture!
"I'm thinking of getting a Humane Shelter donation can for his pictures,” laughs Maureen. “His fans ask about him, talk about the bag, and ask if he is safe. I never leave Yogi on the bike when I go shopping. He’s so cute that I don’t want him stolen.
And talk about being safe! How about on dry land? Once a curious crow swooped down and pecked Yogi. After that incident, I am watchful for owls and eagles.
Yogi ‘purr-furs’ sleeping in my bedroom closet, snuggled under the leathers that we wear for biking. As a puppy he was so tiny that he slept in the bike’s helmet.”
Maureen made her little Ryder a coat and knitted a Cowichan sweater to keep him warm on winter outings.
A few other fun facts on Yogi are: He swims UNDERwater, and is a better ball fetcher than Maureen’s Golden Retriever. Also, little Yogi is a ball-aholic, who tries sinking his teeth into any ball, big or small. And his favorite toy is his rubber squeaky.
“I love biking, traveling, and Yogi,” adds Maureen, “We enjoy each other’s company and there is something magical, inspirational, and joyful about biking. There is a sense of freedom flying down a road with the wind in your face. This summer, we are planning a rode trip down the Oregon coast.”
