Homeless vet and dog bike across nation for charity

    Over the past four years, Harold Palmquist’s dog Daisy has seen more of the U.S. than many humans see in a lifetime.
    Watching the world pass by through a crate that Palmquist has secured to the top of his bicycle trailer, Daisy has traveled several thousand miles and visited more than 20 states.
    “She’s a star,” Palmquist said. “She gets a lot of attention.”
    In April 2015, Palmquist, a homeless Air Force veteran, set out from Los Angeles, California, with his bicycle, his dog and a handmade trailer, determined to bike all the way to St. Simons Island, Georgia, for charity. One year later, almost to the day, the two of them reached their destination.
    Now, they’re doing it all over again, starting from the East Coast and heading west.
    Palmquist stopped in Holyoke on Tuesday, July 10, after passing  through Haigler, Nebraska, and Wray. He said he spent the Fourth of July with friends in Haigler and plans to continue north, into South Dakota, before heading west and eventually finishing his tour on the Pacific coast.
    Palmquist’s ride will benefit Veterans and Their Pets — a Phoenix-based nonprofit that offers temporary housing, veterinary care and food to the pets of veterans.

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