CMT Blog: Archive

When not behind his guitar, Lucas Hoge can be spotted on Last Chance Highway, a new show on Animal Planet that follows the rescue of stray and abandoned dogs that overwhelm the South to their final delivery to families in the North. Hoge, who volunteered for the show after finding a listing online, joins cast member Kyle Peterson every week to transport more than 150 homeless dogs to new families.

Earlier this week, Hoge explained his duties while on dog transport, which range from cleaning crates and providing food and water, to making sure all the dogs get walked during stops. "Going from a house and being with families, then being put in a crate and transported all the way to New York or New Hampshire, it can scare anybody," Hoge said. "So we are trying to keep the dogs as calm as possible and keep them healthy and happy along the way."

The transports, which cover thousands of miles, start on Wednesdays in Cookeville, Tenn. With many stops along the way to pick up new rescues and to drop them off at their new homes, Hoge and Peterson don't make it back until Sunday. "We just keep trucking and it's nonstop ... It's a hard, hard run, it really is. No sleeping," Hoge said. When he finally gets home to relax, he remains surrounded by pets. He and his wife, Laura, share their Nashville home with two cats and four dogs. "It's a full house, and it gets even fuller because we're always fostering dogs and cats."

Despite all the time he puts in to help pets, Hoge still finds time for his music. You can expect to hear his first single, "Shake the Trailer," on July 17.