Where Did Dog Go? Dog The Bounty Hunter’s Post Reality TV Life

Dog the Bounty Hunter (real name Duane Chapman) made himself and his wife, Beth Chapman, household names by bringing bail jumpers to justice on their shows, Dog the Bounty Hunter and Dog and Beth: On the Hunt. Recently, the bounty-hunting patriarch of the Chapman clan has had to deal with the most challenging of personal issues as his wife came down with the most devastating of illnesses that would prove to be more challenging than any bail dodger.

MORE: Dog reveals Beth's final wishes. 

What did Dog the Bounty Hunter do after his first show was cancelled and then after he and his wife walked away from their second program? That is just one of a dozen questions that gets answered in this insightful look at one of the most unusual reality TV stars — a man who crosses the nation bringing criminals to justice.

MORE: Dog the Bounty Hunter's store burglarized and Beth Chapman materials stolen!

After eight seasons of bringing bail jumpers to justice, A&E canceled the show on June 23, 2012. That didn’t stop Chapman and his wife, Beth Chapman. They took their business over to CMT in April of 2013 and kept doing what they did best for three more seasons, chronicled on RadarOnline.com Online. The Chapmans ended their reality TV run on their own terms, walking away in 2016.

First, he took his expertise in the bounty hunter realm and put it to good use to better the lives of the men and women who live that life and risk their necks to ensure those charged with crimes are held accountable for them or are able to express their innocence. Dog the Bounty Hunter helped push for national bounty hunter law reform, chronicled in Politico. He also pushed against several laws across the country that would have altered the business for the worse, he felt. One such legislation involved establishing a minimum age requirement. RadarOnline.com Online reported that Chapman had mixed results getting laws changed or stopped, but his star power certainly raised the nation’s awareness.

Beth Chapman was diagnosed with Stage II throat cancer in the fall of 2017. A couple of weeks later, she underwent a grueling 12-hour surgery to remove a tumor that reportedly was the size of a plum, as reported on RadarOnline.com Online. Two months after the operation, Dog proudly reported that Beth was cancer free. It was chronicled in an A&E special, Dog and Beth: Fight of Their Lives.

A little over a year after she was declared cancer free, it returned, per RadarOnline.com Online. Doctors had discovered a major blockage in her throat, and Beth Chapman was immediately whisked into surgery once again for the latest fight of her life.

Sadly, not as well as the first go around. Beth Chapman admitted in Us Weekly that she felt something wasn’t right. Lyssa Chapman, their daughter, and Dog were seen in Los Angeles and were asked about Beth’s condition. "I appreciate the question and say a prayer," the Bounty Hunter said, as quoted in Us Weekly. "She's not doing good." Their daughter then added, “We appreciate the support of our fans. We're all so devastated."

It didn’t. For those who have watched the bounty-hunting couple, their response to her diagnosis that was worsening should hardly surprise. The pair were ready to get back in the truck and find some bail-busting bad guys (and girls!) with TV cameras rolling. It was announced in 2019 that Dog’s Most Wanted was the show’s moniker and it was set to premiere on WGN America. The idea was that they would continue doing what they became famous for, as much as Beth could join her husband on the road. The show would also feature an emotional layer, the backdrop of the bounty-hunting matriarch’s battle with cancer. In the show’s trailer, Dog looked into the camera at one point and issued a warning to those who flee justice and wind up in the cross-hairs of his search. "My wife, the love of my life, is fighting for her life," said Dog. "Instead of being at home helping her, I'm out here looking for you. I'm warning you in advance. May God have mercy on you when I get you."

How could it not? She was placed in a medically induced coma, as exclusively reported on RadarOnline.com Online in June of 2019. It seemed as if the writing was on the wall. Merely months prior, she warned fans that her illness would likely prevent her from seeing the debut of Dog’s Most Wanted. She refused chemo treatment as many patients do when their illness gets to a certain point. "For me, this is the ultimate test of faith. This is my ultimate lesson and it will either be taught to me or to you,” she said in People magazine. “And I am fine with taking the hit for everyone else. Because I think I know another guy who did the same thing."

Soon after Beth Chapman was placed in that coma on June 26, she died. Her husband took to his Twitter account and expressed his most personal of thoughts. “It’s 5:32 in Hawaii, this is the time she would wake up to go hike Koko Head mountain,” he stated. “Only today, she hiked the stairway to heaven. We all love you, Beth. See you on the other side.”

Ever the open book, Dog the Bounty Hunter revealed that his wife’s final words were not about her or even him. Her concern laid with the family. “I love you. Are you guys OK?” Powerful stuff. RadarOnline.com Online reported one of her last wishes was to be cremated with some of the ashes to be scattered and the rest to sit on the fireplace.

Yes! This one ought to make even the most iron-hearted soul smile. “I’m sure she’s still controlling me, and I’ve got notes in my pillowcases, on my sink, in my shaving thing. She’s still telling me what to wear,” he was quoted in E News.

Dog’s Most Wanted will still be hitting the airwaves. In fact, the couple taped some segments for the show before she died that should be pretty gripping, emotional and moving. The family that busts bail busters will honor the matriarch in the best way they know — by hunting down criminals who skip out. In fact, Dog has revealed (in RadarOnline.com Online) that he will pour his grief into his work.

Yes, there will be scenes with her describing her illness and her resolve to fight it, as per CNN. Audiences will also get a glimpse of her hospital experience, right up until the end. It will certainly bring awareness of throat cancer to millions. Early detection is key, and hopefully her stoic fight will inspire others to be aware of the signs that can lead to a cancer diagnosis.