Wisconsin veteran’s motorcycle journey with trained service dog, Rylee

Veteran, service dog take motorcycle journey

A trip to the West Coast and back – just a Hartland man, his motorcycle and his dog.

HARTLAND, Wis. - A trip to the West Coast and back – just a Hartland man, his motorcycle and his dog.

"I leave all my stress behind – no stress. No anxiety," said Thomas Sarnowski.

Sarnowski just got back from a vacation most people could only dream of.

"This whole trip I did – I didn’t plan at all. Very little. I knew I was headed west," Sarnowski said.

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Thomas Sarnowski

The journey took him 20 days. Sarnowski logged 6,800 miles on his Honda Gold Wing. He trekked through 16 states and 12 national parks.

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But if you think this is just a story about someone's vacation, we should tell you who else was along for the ride.

"This is Rylee," Sarnowski said. "Been my riding partner for about four-and-a-half years."

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Rylee is Sarnowski's West Highland Terrier. He is buckled into a basket on the back of Sarnowski's bike – ready to ride.

"Having a human on the back is different than having a service dog on the back. He’s never argued once with me where we are going," Sarnowski said.

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Their trip halfway across the country was a vacation for Sarnowski, but it was work for Rylee. He is a trained service dog.

"I saved him, he saved me," Sarnowski said.

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Sarnowski retired from the United States Air Force in 2004 – after more than two decades of service. Doctors diagnosed him with PTSD and chronic anxiety a few years ago. Without Rylee looking after him, Sarnowski said he would never have gotten this far.

"He’s my life. He’s my lifeline," Sarnowski said.