Semper K9 holds viewing party after being featured on Mike Rowe’s ‘Returning the Favor’

WOODBRIDGE — Chris Baity knew of Mike Rowe, the former host of TV’s “Dirty Jobs.”

But he never expected him to walk through the door of his Woodbridge home office.

But that’s what the TV star did on January 19 for an episode of his new show on Facebook called “Returning the Favor,” where Rowe travels the country in search of people doing good things for their communities in selfless ways.

Chris and his wife Amanda are the founders of Semper K9, a non-profit that trains service dogs that will be paired with returning wounded and critically-ill military veterans. Chris, himself, is a Marine Corps dog trailer and kennel master who served multiple overseas deployments to include Afghanistan, so he knows a thing or two about working with animals.

A trained service dog could cost a vet between $15,000 and $80,000, said Baity. His non-profit, however, pairs a service dog with a veteran at no charge, picking up the cost of the animal as well as it’s nearly year’s worth of training. The dogs better the lives of veterans with PTSD and other ailments. 

Thier non-profit business continues to grow but when the couple couldn’t find ample space to expand their business in Prince William County, they purchased 33 acres of property in neighboring Fauquier County. However, developing the property was slow going until Rowe and his crew found out about Semper K9.

With the show’s help, crews descended upon the site to build a training pavilion and dog houses for animals. They also cut a driveway into the property for easy access to the road.

Late last year, supporters of the Baity’s contacted Rowe’s show without them knowing. The show liked their story, and when the film crew arrived, they told the Baitys they were making a documentary about their work.

But inquisitive Chris started asking probing questions of the camera crew, doubting they were legit.

“We had done some TV work like this before with others who are interested in our work, and when I started asking questions about where and when this was going to air, specific things like that, I would get weird answers, or the answers would change from day-to-day,” said Baity.

There was another close call when a truck driver hauling materials for the new pavilion called Baity’s cell phone to inform him of a materials delivery.

“I didn’t know what he was talking about, so I just told him to leave it at the end of our driveway our house,” said Baity.

The driver was not outside his house but at the property in Fauquier where a driveway had yet to be cut.

“Then he told me ‘oh, I have the wrong number’ and hung up,’ added Baity.

But the couple continued to work with the film crew and eventually was pleasantly surprised by Rowe, who took them out to the Fauquier site and surprised them with the new construction, and a sea of adoring, cheering supporters.

Those same supporters came to Bungalow Alehouse on Tuesday where the Baity’s held a viewing party and screened the “Returning the Favor” episode. More than 50 people packed the room to watch.

The episode featuring the Baitys has debuted on Facebook last week and has already received more than seven million views. The couple is now fielding phone calls from would-be volunteers from across the nation who want to work with the non-profit.

Those requests, said Baity, should go through their website at semperk9.org.