Earlier this week, we reported that Duane Chapman, aka Dog The Bounty Hunter, had a new girlfriend named Francie Frane, who he hopes to marry and make the “last Mrs. Chapman.” Now, Dog is speaking out to praise his family for “never giving up” during their bitter feud over his ex-girlfriend Moon Angell, who he started dating soon after his wife Beth’s death last June.

Dog’s children were furious about his relationship with Angell, and a bitter feud ensued until she broke off the relationship last month. Since their breakup, Dog and his children have reconnected, and they approve of his relationship with Frane.

“Family isn’t defined only by last names or by blood; it’s defined by commitment and by love,” Dog, 67, wrote on Instagram. “It means showing up when they need it most. It means having each other’s backs.”

“It means choosing to love each other even on those days when you struggle to like each other,” he continued. “It means never giving up on each other.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-TS4E8gIRr/

Dog and Frane, a Colorado rancher, have bonded fast over both losing their spouses, as she lost her husband Bob just before he lost Beth. Since they started dating, Dog and Frane have been helping one another through the grieving process.

“I know that when I start to feel bad about Beth and it’s overwhelming, Francie seems to show up and that helps the kids. And I feel that Beth expects her to show up to take care of me,” Dog said, according to The Sun. “And Bob, Francie’s late husband, expects me to be a man and a gentleman and so I am.”

Dog went on to say that they are developing a “very real love.”

“Both of us are allowed to talk about our spouses that are in Heaven – it’s not like we’re afraid to mention it or anything like that,” he said. “We console each other but we also know that we have a responsibility and that is to do this right. There are a lot of people watching us.”

Dog’s daughter Lyssa, who was one of the most outspoken people against Angell in his family, has given her stamp of approval on Frane.

”They are both so happy together and they are good for each other. Francie has been very respectful to all the kids – and to Beth’s memory – and my dad is the same way with Bob and their children,” she said. “They go to church three times a week and dad is trying to give up smoking – she is a good woman for my dad. He’s the happiest I’ve seen him in a long time – he’s so in love and wants to spend the rest of his life with Francie.”

Dog himself agrees, saying that while there will “never be another Mrs. Dog,” he hopes Frane will be “the last Mrs. Chapman.”

”It’s going really good. It’s a God relationship because it’s just like a miracle,” Dog said. “It’s a miracle how we met and it’s a miracle how great we’re getting along.”

This piece originally appeared in UpliftingToday.com and is used by permission.

Read more at UpliftingToday.com:
Dog The Bounty Hunter Announces Plans To Marry New Girlfriend Francie Frane – Says She’ll Be ‘The Last Mrs. Chapman’
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