Marco Island is welcoming some new residents: Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” and Francie Chapman are relocating to the area!
In the southwestern region of Florida, the Chapmans are currently in search of a fresh and exciting experience as a couple, dedicated to supporting women who have experienced abuse, following their whirlwind courtship and marriage in September 2021. They have established their residence.
As a result of cancer, the partners encountered the sorrow after both encountered the indigenous Colorado rancher in 2019. In their daily routines, the TV celebrity documented the existence of a fugitive tracker and his relatives, gaining a substantial and devoted following with his diverse programs throughout the years.
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What began as a friendship founded on the mending of wounds quickly flourished into something greater.
Francie Chapman spoke to The News-Press on Friday about how the couple found each other due to a chance phone call as well as what drew them to Marco Island and their mission to help women in the community.
She mentioned that it was undoubtedly God’s intention to bring them into Dog’s world in order to work together and make a difference in people’s lives, although she admitted that stepping into this role was a bit overwhelming.
Chapman expressed, “It’s incredible how this amazing love between the two of us has just begun. It has completely changed our lives and built a friendship that is truly remarkable. God has brought us together and healed our broken hearts. We were at our lowest point when He brought us together.” Chapman said.
Francie Chapman confesses, “I was completely unaware of the identity of (Dog the Bounty Hunter),” as she begins recounting the tale of their initial encounter.
In the year 2018, she experienced the unfortunate loss of her spouse, Bob, as a result of cancer, merely seven months prior to Dog’s loss of his deceased wife, Beth, also due to cancer, in the year 2019.
He inquired his neighbor for recommendations on contractors. As he searched for contractors, he recollected how his neighbors had criticized the condition of his driveway when they first arrived at their previous residence. The dog returned to arrange Beth’s second memorial service, having initially come from Colorado after residing in Hawaii for twenty years.
That neighbor recommended Chapman’s late husband, who ran a excavating business alongside her. Dog gave him a call and left a voicemail.
She expressed, “I was just a wreck for the rest of the day, and then I ended up consoling them. I didn’t know that Bob had passed away when they did, so I wasn’t calling back clients either. I still wasn’t ready to shut off Bob’s phone, but when he called, I realized that eight months had already gone by.”
I called him back to ask why he only said that for a reason, and I heard the message. I’m trying to figure out how and why that’s happening. Then, I just erased the message from Dog’s phone. I didn’t even listen to the other two messages. The message from Dog starts playing out loud on the speaker of the phone. When he left, there were three messages on Bob’s phone.
Confused by being referred to by a different name, she stated that he inquired about the identity of the person calling him. In response, she dialed the number and queried if “Doug” was present, mentally preparing herself to deliver the unfortunate news of her spouse’s passing to another customer.
At the opposite side of the telephone, she listened to the sound of weeping. She disclosed that her spouse had deceased, and she clarified that she was phoning him again regarding his undertaking.
Chapman expressed, “Both of us ended up shedding tears and we spent approximately two hours conversing over the phone.” He proclaimed, ‘My name is not Doug. It’s Dog the bounty hunter. I recently lost my spouse to cancer a few months ago,’ he stated. Out of nowhere, I perceive him inhaling deeply … This is absurd and, ‘who is Doug and for what reason is he weeping over Bob in such a manner?’ I am bewildered.
Once more, if he was asked, the pair ended the phone call before reaching out to the dog. Chapman said she kept trying to offer him encouragement in his grieving process. They talked about everything, from what they had been through to where they were in the moment.
She agreed.
‘The divine entity united us’
Chapman wouldn’t receive any communication from Dog for an additional eight months.
Initially, she mentioned sharing the phone call with a close-knit circle of friends, who all became extremely alarmed when they learned that their friend had spoken to the renowned bounty hunter.
During the interview, she mentioned that God was the one who healed them. She also recalled saying that they were really good at healing each other. Then, she received a sudden phone call from a friend at 4 a.M., Who sent her a video of a dog talking.
With the encouragement of her friend, she messaged Dog a brief text regarding the interview. He promptly returned her call.
Recalled Francie, “I thought you were cool, but now I feel stupid. I’ve felt this way many times before when you call me stupid.
Shortly after the couple had met for a coffee and had developed a strong connection, she expressed.
When I encountered him, I was truly surprised by it. Moreover, he is incredibly authentic and sincere. Additionally, he has a deep devotion to God and possesses a remarkable compassionate nature. However, his profession entails pursuing criminals as a bounty hunter. She mentioned, “He did not match my preconceived notions, although I never watched the television series.”
In September 2021, the Chapmans formally got married in Colorado Springs. Their bond evolved into a profound affection for each other that neither anticipated to discover so early on as the two became acquainted with one another.
She said that Dog has been her best partner and teammate along the way. Since then, Chapman has gone on to use her new platform to advocate for women who have been trafficked or abused.
Chapman stated that we have a passion for helping people and we want to make a difference in their lives. We have gone through everything in our life with the desire to love God and love others. We are deeply connected to both the Lord and people, and our love for them transcends various personalities and levels.
The relocation to Marco Island
Dog joked that Francie didn’t want to stay in Colorado and experience the long, cold winters, after living in Hawaii for several years.
She gushed about how much she embraced and welcomed them as a community. The pair has been heavily involved in the community, especially in various churches throughout Naples, since moving to Marco Island.
Chapman expressed, “The way people have embraced what we are doing here has left me astonished and amazed. It has been absolutely incredible, and everyone has been so supportive. We are starting to get plugged in and build a strong community, and the people here are just wonderful.”
So what led them to Marco Island? Francie indicated that there were several factors, with her dear friend, writer Katie Souza, being one of the primary motivations.
After several upcoming appearances on the TV show Faith Island-based Marco, they were able to connect with and help women who were trafficked and abused in the community, and speak at Ministries Souza.
Francie said, “The three of us, Dog, Katie, and I, have decided to come together and help trafficked women and abused women. It feels like God is calling us to be in this place and we want to create ministries that will bring healing. We have already appeared on TV Faith since Marco is in Florida. We named our ministries the Foundation Dog, Katie’s ministry, and the House of Bounty. It feels like God is calling us to be in this place and we want to create ministries that will bring healing. It feels like God is calling us to be in this place and we want to create ministries that will bring healing. We are determined to move forward together and make a difference.”
Following Actions for the Chapmans
The Chapmans are currently in the process of purchasing five acres of land in Naples, making it the first of its kind for Houses of Bounty.
Souza and Chapman have started a program to help women recover in halfway houses, referring to these future properties as “homes” instead of “houses”.
Chapman stated, “We want to help them find their destinies and get out of their abusive situations, and we want to be able to help them heal and get their whole life back.” They would go through different levels and stages of the graduate program, and they would live there, so the girls would be in the program for 18 months. We will have a program that progresses through stages, and we are currently in the process of building houses for the entire program.
Prior to their arrival, the young women must already be hygienic and have successfully undergone detoxification. According to her, they will assist females in various forms of abusive circumstances.
She hopes to help women in a better situation than she once was, and it’s been said that doing this work means a lot to her. Chapman has even seen a great outpouring of support from members of the Marco Island community, who have already reached out to help and support their program.
She expressed, “It is my fervor and my deep-seated desire to accomplish that for other females.” She further stated, “Receiving assistance with therapy, entering counseling, and finding a suitable dwelling aided me tremendously. These incredible individuals supported me throughout my journey. Previously, I experienced a second marriage that was abusive, and subsequently, I found myself in a first abusive marriage. During that time, I lacked the support that I needed.”
Over the upcoming months, with the latter set to make its first appearance, she mentioned that Dog is currently working on a fresh new book and a podcast called “Dogcast”, along with various other endeavors.
Chapman said that she is blessed to have a dog in her life and she didn’t realize exactly why she was blessed in this new path of Southwest Florida.
Chapman expressed, “God brought us together to share this story of love. It was God who used us to change people’s lives. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this was something much bigger than I thought,” Chapman said. “I really thought about why God brought him into my life to help. God was truly helping me heal from my grief and bringing positive changes to my life.” I had this thought because we had gone through similar things when we first met.