One man in Park City, Utah, turned his favorite wild pastimes into a career, and his faithful puppy shared every single one of his epic adventures. Then a disastrous night changed everything, and he didn’t know how to pick up the pieces and move forward…
Andrew Muse has always been an extreme sort of guy. Since he was a young buck, Andrew chased adrenaline-pumping activities and topped himself each time he picked up a new sport.
Snowboarding massive mountains, kiteboarding waves and snow, slack-lining between towering cliffs — Andrew mastered it all. In fact, he turned pro. In the summer months, when he wasn’t busy “working,” or speeding down the slopes, Andrew fired up his car and traveled the country to find his next adventure.
Andrew Muse / Instagram
Living, at first, out of his Volkswagen Gulf, Andrew preferred spending his money gathering experiences and seeing more of the world. All he needed was a car to sleep in and his loyal companion, his 5-year-old Golden Retriever, Booter.
Andrew Muse / Instagram
Together, Booter and Andrew climbed canyons and dropped down waterfalls. Their wild adventures, along with the Andrew’s gnarly photography skills, garnered a lot of attention. He purchased a truck and a $500 camper, spent a few weeks remodeling his new home, and set out to begin a new sort of project…
Andrew Muse / Instagram
Andrew debuted a show on YouTube called Tiny Home Adventure. During the first season, Andrew and Booter captivated an online community with their insane travels. For six months, Andrew and his best friend pup cliff dove, swung on ropes, and hiked some of the most breathtaking views in the USA.
Tiny House Tiny Footprint
For a while, Andrew was living the dream. Tiny home life was tough, but the rush of his exhilarating adventures with Booter was more perfect than he could have imagined. Then, the same night they filming the final episode of season one, a catastrophic event burst Andrew’s reality in mere seconds.
Andrew Muse / Instagram
Tired from a day of shooting, Andrew dozed off while driving back home. He rear-ended an 18-wheeler semi-trailer truck. Andrew awoke with the truck a foot away from him, his home totaled, belongings demolished, and his most beloved lifeline, Booter, dead on impact.
Tormented by guilt, Andrew didn’t know how to move forward without Booter. They shared more than just a typical dog and owner relationship. “Booter was not just a pet, he was my soulmate,” Andrew said. “I lost him because I was too stubborn to pull over and go to sleep.”
Tiny House Tiny Footprint
Grief consumed Andrew, but he still had to grapple with the fact that he was without a place to live. Luckily, some people stepped up to help Andrew when he wasn’t able to see hope on the horizon. The online community who followed Andrew and Booter’s Tiny Home Adventure leaped into action.
Andrew Muse / Instagram
Hundreds of fans reached out to support Andrew when he needed it most. Touched by the obvious bond between man and pooch, his following sent so many messages of condolence. But it wasn’t just words that they offered.
Andrew Muse / Instagram
Together they pitched in and raised $25,000 to help Andrew reestablish his life. He didn’t know how to possibly thank the people that helped him crawl out if such a dark place.”When I thought my life was over, it gave me hope that I might be able to rebuild what I lost.”
Andrew Muse / Instagram
So, with the generous donations from his fans, combined with funding from a sponsor, Andrew was able to purchase a new live-in vehicle — a 1996 Ford E-350 4×4 van.
Andrew Muse / Instagram
This time around, he decked out his ride. Andrew had learned a lot from his previous tiny house experience and took that into consideration on his new build. He and his friends gutted the van and designed a brand-spankin’ new home!
Andrew Muse / Instagram
Andrew’s vehicle problem was solved, but he was still not mentally prepared to continue adventuring. Booter’s absence took its toll, and he needed time to grieve. A firefighter that responded to the accident had been particularly moved by the bond between Andrew and Booter and felt compelled to help.
Joseph Harris / Flickr
After the tragic event, Paul, the firefighter, maintained contact with Andrew. Paul sympathized with Andrew’s loss, and coincidentally, his family bred pooches! They ran Red Canyon Retrievers and Copper Canyon Doodles, so Paul, too, had an affinity for the gentle tempered breed.
Red Canyon Retrievers / Instagram
When Andrew felt he was ready, Paul and his family wanted to give him a Golden Retriever puppy — not to infringe on Booter’s memory, but to help guide and comfort him through the pain of his loss. Sure, the offer was tempting, but Andrew was hesitant.
Andrew Muse / Instagram
All of it was too fresh, and he couldn’t see how the hole that Booter’s passing left inside him could be filled. Yet again, another curveball flew into his lap, which made Andrew revaluate his decision. GoPro reached out with a proposition he couldn’t pass up…
Maxence Brierre / Flickr
The success of season 1 of Tiny Home Adventure piqued prospective sponsors’ interests. GoPro approached Andrew with an offer to fund the second season of his YouTube show! A few weeks before, he had been financially wiped clean, and now a chance to earn money living his dreams dangled before him. How could he say no?
Andrew Muse / Instagram
Andrew accepted. Then he made a phone call. It took a few weeks, but Peter’s breeding group gifted Andrew the best tonic for a broken heart: a fuzzy, innocent puppy dog.
Andrew Muse / Instagram
It took a few days of quality time with his happy confident doggy for Andrew to decide on the right name, but he chose the perfect one: Kicker. The curious pup loved the snow from the start, and so he was named after a ski and snowboard jump.
Andrew Muse / Instagram
Three years later, Kicker and Andrew were still traveling the globe chasing down their next adventures. The dog’s passport had more stamps than most people get in a lifetime. Andrew even created an Instagram account for his photogenic pooch.
Andrew Muse / Instagram
The tragic story of losing his pal or faithful puppy, and his home, captured the attention of many on social media. But mostly Andrew drew attention for his strength. By getting back out traveling, with Kicker by his side, he intended to honor Booter’s legacy with action.
Andrew Muse / Instagram
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