Our motto is simple: “Laughter is the best medicine”

Nearly all of us have been hit hard by the recent recession in some form or another.  In response to these difficult times, we at Ruff Ride aim to lift the spirits of those experiencing woes and help them regain hope. In fact, this is exactly where the inspiration for the Ruff Ride project sprang from.

One night we were struggling to console some good friends who had fallen victim to the recession. Both had lost their jobs, their savings was sucked dry, and their dream home was in foreclosure. In short, their lives had been turned completely upside-down. So, there we were trying to cheer them up (and failing miserably I might add) when our 100 lb bull mastiff puppy came lumbering past the couch…. BUUUUURRRRRAAAAAAP, she trumpeted the loudest fart you’ve ever heard. Immediately startled by her own flatulence, she jumped into the air and spun around to find the source of the curious sound, and began barking incessantly at the mysterious noise.

Needless to say we were all rolling in laughter, and our forlorn friends…well, they were on the ground in near hysteria. After a few tense moments of verifying that they could in fact still breathe, we realized our friends had been so worried and stressed about their situation that they couldn’t remember the last time they even cracked a smile, much less belted out in side-splitting laughter. After they pulled themselves off the ground, wiped the tears from their eyes, and regained the ability to speak again without breaking into more fits of laughter; they looked like completely different people. They were now smiling and had a gleam of hope in their eyes like the happy friends we remembered.

Obviously our silly puppy’s farts couldn’t cure their problems, but it did provide the comic relief for a much needed break from the all-consuming worry they’d been experiencing. Soon a deep realization began to materialize… laughter changes your focus. A good laugh instantly frees one from their funk, replaces fear with hope, and allows them to transcend their gloom. We learned that humor is more than a nicety, it’s a necessity which allows us to find novel solutions to previously impossible problems.

This enlightening experience compelled us to share our new understanding with others facing difficult times. We decided to use our pet photography skills and love of animals, mixed with a healthy dose of irreverent humor, to deliver a potent cure-all to those hit hard by the recession blues.

But we knew we couldn’t stop there; Ruff Ride also aims to help those who are often forgotten about in this recession….the pets. The Ruff Ride Rescue Initiative was created to save pets that have been abandoned by their owners due to their financial problems. A portion of the proceeds from each sale goes to insuring these innocent creatures find new homes and loving caretakers.  

So, take delight in these witticisms. If even for a moment you gain the healing enlightenment that pure laughter brings…we are amply rewarded.

Find Ruff Ride easing your woes and lifting your spirits? Share the relief these simple truths impart by sending a link or witticism to any family, friend, or coworker that could use the inspiration.  Heck, send ‘em the whole book!

Shawn and Lynel Berryhill
Co-Creators of Ruff Ride