Motorcyclist Tours the World with Dog as Her Copilot: 'She Puts a Big Smile on Everybody's Face'
Courtesy Jess Stone Jess Stone and Moxie
Jess Stone could not imagine leaving home without her beloved dog.
So last March, she started an around-the-world trip on a BMW motorcycle with her 6-year-old, 75-lb. German shepherd, Moxie, sitting behind her in a custom-made carrier — and wearing protective goggles!
It is a scene that creates quite a stir on the highway.
"People have one hand on the steering wheel and one hand out the window with their phone," Stone, 38, co-creator of dog accessory company Ruffly, tells PEOPLE in this week's issue.
"She just puts a big smile on everybody's face," Stone continues. "And that's the part that really matters."
Stone and her husband, Greg, 41, who rides his BMW motorcycle behind the pair, wow Moxie's 123,000 followers on Instagram (@goruffly) with fascinating photos and videos documenting the journey, which will continue another two-plus years through 90 countries in all.
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"She's an extremely adventurous dog," says Stone, who helps the pup leap up onto the carrier with a custom-made harness that secures her onto her cockpit.
The trip started on March 5 from their home in Guatemala. So far the trio have motored north through Canada to the Arctic Ocean, then southward.
Courtesy Jess Stone Moxie
They are now in Mexico, with Antarctica as this leg of the trip's final destination. Then it's off to Africa, Europe and Asia. The couple's website, goruffly.com provides details of the journey, including the couple's live location.
Stone also hopes to inspire girls and young women with her adventure and raise $100,000 during the trip for the United Nations Foundation's Girl Up, a leadership and empowerment initiative.
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One thing Stone has noticed so far is that no matter which country or area the trio has traversed, the reaction to Moxie is universal.
"If you're a dog person in one country, you're a dog person somewhere else too," she says. "People smile and laugh when they see her with her goggles on. It's the best icebreaker you could have."
