NAPLES, FL – A recent article in the Marco Eagle (Naples Daily News) by journalist Samantha Neely tells the detailed story of Duane Chapman (aka Dog, the Bounty Hunter) and Francie Frane’s relationship and their plans for helping abused women in Southwest Florida. 

Both lost their spouses to cancer. Duane and Francie married in September 2021 in Colorado Springs. However, Duane previously lived in Hawaii where his former show was televised. 

Where is Marco Island, Florida? 

Marco Island is a small barrier island in Collier County, Florida, located 20 miles south of Naples on the Gulf Coast of the United States.  

“A sun-drenched jewel on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico, Marco Island features six miles of beach and over 100 miles of waterways within its 24 square miles. Marco Island is the largest Barrier Island within Southwest Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands area extending from Marco Island to Cape Sable. It lies within the subtropical to tropical climate zone and experiences a distinct wet and dry season with most of the rainfall occurring between the months of June and October. With a permanent population of 16,521 and a peak winter season population of 40,000, Marco Island’s residents and visitors alike call this special Island … Paradise.” 

Duane & Beth Chapman’s Background 

Duane “Dog” Chapman, famously known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, and his late wife, Beth, rose to reality TV fame in 2004. That’s when A&E started documenting the family’s adventures as they hunted and captured fugitives between the state of Hawaii and native state of Colorado.  

The show aired for eight years.  

Their new show called ‘Dog and Beth: On The Hunt’ lasted for three seasons ending in 2016. 

Duane and Beth teamed up with A&E in 2017 to document Beth’s battle with throat cancer. The network released an emotional two-hour special in 2017. 

Dog the Bounty Hunter signed onto a new show with WGN in 2020 about his last fugitive pursuits with Beth called ‘Dog’s Most Wanted’ which aired one season. 

On June 18, 2003, Chapman made international news by capturing Max Factor cosmetics heir, Andrew Luster, who had fled the United States in the middle of his trial on charges of drugging and raping a number of women. 

Duane Chapman’s Criminal History 

In 1976, Chapman was convicted of first-degree murder in Texas served one and half years of his five-year sentence. Chapman was waiting in a car when his friend accidentally shot and killed an alleged pimp and drug dealer, while they were fighting over a cannabis deal. Although Chapman played no direct role in the murder, he was tried for the crime under Texas rules that anyone involved indirectly in a killing can be held responsible. 

Back to Duane and Francie… 

What led the Chapman couple to Marco Island? Francie said it was several reasons, highlighting her best friend, Katie Souza. 

“We just started feeling like God was calling us down here to be the place where we would bring our ministries together, Katie’s ministry and the Dog Foundation … we created the House of Bounty and we’re feeling like God was calling us all down here to help abused women and help trafficked women get healed … All three of us, Dog and Katie and I,” Francie said. “We said all right. We feel like we’re being called to this so we’re all in and we’re going to make a move together and come to Florida, so since Faith TV is already on Marco, that’s how we decided to land here.” 

Currently, the Chapmans are in the process of purchasing five acres of land in Naples for one of the first Houses of Bounty.  

“We’re building whole houses and we have a program that will be in stages and the girls would be in the program for 18 months, so they would live there and they would go through stages of the program and graduate to different levels,” Francie said. “We want to help them be able to get healed and whole and get out of the life and get out of their abusive situations and help find what their destinies are.” 

Chapman is working on a new book and a podcast “Dogcast,” with the latter to debut in the next few months. 

Reading the Bible, you’ll find lots of sinners saved by God’s grace – akin to Duane “Dog” Chapman – and the rest of us. 

The following is an excerpt from the writings of one of my favorite Christian authors, Max Lucado. His books have sold more than 145 million copies in over 50 languages worldwide. 

In his younger years, Lucado moved from Texas to Miami, Florida, and took a position as an associate pastor at a small church. This is where he started writing about Jesus for the first time in the church’s monthly newsletter, and it’s where he developed his passion for people and ministry. Florida was also where Max met his wife, Denalyn. They live in Texas. 

A story snippet from Lucado reminds me of Chapman:  

Second chances 

“But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee.” What a line (see Mark 16). It’s as if all of heaven had watched Peter fall—and it’s as if all of heaven wanted to help him back up again. “Be sure and tell Peter that he’s not left out. Tell him that one failure doesn’t make a flop. 

The next time Peter saw Jesus, he got so excited that he barely got his britches on before he jumped into the cold water of the Sea of Galilee. It was also enough, so they say, to cause this backwoods Galilean to carry the gospel of the second chance all the way to Rome where they killed him. If you’ve ever wondered what would cause a man to be willing to be crucified upside down, maybe now you know. 

It’s not every day that you find someone who will give you a second chance—much less someone who will give you a second chance every day. 

But in Jesus, Peter found both.” 

I am looking forward to reading Chapman’s forthcoming book. Prayers for their new ministry on Marco Island.