The Humane Highway Rescue Tour Promises to be Loud and Fun.

“We think abusers are losers, and we have no problem “educating” them about the error of their ways,” says Joe Panz, a founding member of Rescue Ink.

The Humane Highway Tour rolls through Tampa Bay this weekend with the cast of New York-based Rescue Ink. Definitely not your mother’s rescue group, there will be three opportunities to meet this army of nine tattooed, motorcycle-riding street guys who have zero tolerance for animal abuse. Rescue Ink was featured in the current issue of THE NEW BARKER, Florida’s top dog lifestyle magazine.

They’re in town to raise money for Florida Boxer Rescue and the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. They also want to raise awareness that animal abuse and neglect are not cool. “We think abusers are losers, and we have no problem “educating” them about the error of their ways,” says Joe Panz, a founding member of Rescue Ink. He adds, “Hey, we’re no angels, and we’ve made plenty of mistakes ourselves. But we’ve been given a second chance, and we think neglected and abused animals deserve one too.”

Friday, March 4, Quaker Steak and Lube in Clearwater will host a meet and greet with the guys from 6pm until 9pm. There will be plenty of raffles and discounted food with the proceeds benefiting the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.

Saturday, March 5, Rescue Ink will make an appearance at Bark in the Park, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay’s Annual fundraising walk. The event takes place at Al Lopez Park in Tampa and starts at 8:30am. There will be photo opps with the guys, a dog talent contest, pet-related vendors, and demonstrations. For more information on Bark in the Park visit the Humane Society Tampa Bay.

On Sunday, March 6, Rescue Ink will lead a Ride for Rescue Poker Run that starts at Fletcher’s Harley-Davidson in Clearwater at 9am, and ends up at dog-friendly Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin for a Beach Bash. There will be live entertainment, dog-related vendors, free dog food samples from Natura, delicious food (including a vegetarian plate) for humans, raffle items (including a 2010 Harley-Davidson XL883N Sportster Iron in Silver Denim) and a Costume Contest for Dogs, sponsored by Fluffy Puppies/Clearwater. There are three categories in the Fluffy Puppies Costume Contest: Best Biker Dog, Best Tacky Tourist Dog and Best Dog/Owner Look-Alike.

Bill Gray, president of Florida Boxer Rescue said, “We’ve heard from biker fans from all over the country who will be making the Humane Highway Tour in Tampa Bay their first stop prior to Bike Week 2011 in Daytona Beach.” Each one of the nine members of Rescue Ink will lead a team of bikers on the Ride for Rescue Poker Run. “A couple of devoted Rescue Ink fans have pre-registered and even donated some extra money to Florida Boxer Rescue for an opportunity to ride with a couple of the guys during the Poker Run,” added Bill. For more information on the Ride for Rescue Poker Run and Beach Bash, visit Humane Highway Tour