Duane “Dog” Chapman

Duane Lee Chapman, popularly known as "Dog, The Bounty Hunter," was born in Denver, Colorado. He was the son of a welder turned bail bondsman and a Sunday school teacher. Chapman ran away from home at the age of 15 with a gang known as the Devils Disciples.

At the age of 23 Chapman was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to five years in prison after waiting in a getaway car after a drug deal when his friend shot and killed the dealer. During his time in prison Chapman tackled and restrained an inmate who was trying to escape. The praise he received from his corrections officer inspired him to pursue a career in bounty hunting after his release from prison.

Chapman was released from the penitentiary after only 18 months, but his conviction has made it impossible for him to legally own firearms. Chapman first made news in 2003 when he captured Andrew Luster, the heir to the Max Factor cosmetics chain who had fled to Mexico during his trial on charges of drugging and raping women. While they successfully captured Luster, Chapman and his two sons were charged with a felony as bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico.

Chapman and his sons were eventually released. Chapman's television series about his work as a bounty hunter was commissioned after he appeared on the television series "Take This Job." There was a lot of interest in Chapman's career and the series "Dog the Bounty Hunter" premiered in 2004 on A&E. The series was cancelled in 2012, but was quickly followed by the spinoffs "Dog and Beth: On the Hunt" (CMT 2013-15) and "Dog's Most Wanted" (WGN America, 2019- ).