Dogs make such loving and dedicated companion animals, learning new talents and tricks their entire lives. So it is no surprise that a dog can become a “biker dude” that is bad to the bone. Cooper perks up when it is time to ride with his owner Paula Jean, but the little pooch is so much more than just a motorcycle companion.
The life of Cooper, the motorcycle dog
When Paula Jean first got Cooper to fill her yearning for a companion animal, she had no idea what this little bundle of fur would mean to her. Cooper is a ten-year-old Bichon Frise who travels with her owner from coast-to-coast on the back of her motorcycle.
Jean has been riding a motorcycle for the past 14 years and is an active member of the Patriot Riders of America. Cooper has made several appearances with the group across southeastern Massachusetts, but he is so much more than a service dog for Jean. She adopted him to be a service and therapy dog for others because she liked to help people in need. Subsequently, Jean realized that she would need Cooper more than she realized. Jean suffers from panic attacks and anxiety. She told the Taunton Gazette “There is times I couldn’t even get out of the house, let alone function. People called me a homebody. You would never know how debilitating that anxiety could be.” After she began riding with Cooper, her anxiety attacks lessened drastically.
Jean registered Cooper in 2010 as a service dog.
The Patriot Riders of America Massachusetts Chapter 5
The Patriot Riders of America Massachusetts Chapter 5 is a non-profit motorcycle organization with members that offer support to veterans and help people in the Southeastern Massachusetts communities. They are known to participate in numerous events in the Taunton area.
Jean states that riding a motorcycle is like wind therapy for participants who have it in their blood. Cooper became part of the group when he was only ten weeks old. He did not want to be left alone, so he got a taste of riding. Jean got him all set up on the back of the bike, and from that moment, Cooper was known as the motorcycle dog, bad to the bone!! This amazing service dog and biker dude fulfill Jean’s life beyond compare, helping her to accomplish things in life that she wants to do, being her loyal friend and companion.
