When their work apprehending fugitives and bail-jumpers was featured on the smash A&E reality series Dog the Bounty Hunter in 2004, Duane Lee “Dog” Chapman and his wife, Beth Chapman, enjoyed an unexpected increase in popularity.

With his striking appearance – long blond hair, iconic shades, and punk aesthetic – Duane became a national celebrity, prompting the network to shift its focus away from its conventional “Arts & Entertainment” offerings and toward populist programming.

Dog the Bounty Hunter finally ended after eight successful years and 240 episodes; nonetheless, the Chapmans showed their gratitude for their devoted fan base with a statement: “You can’t keep a good Dog down.” The show’s enormous popularity had been a watershed moment in the Chapmans’ and A&E’s lives.

Duane Chapman, also known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, has experienced a tragic life yet continuously demonstrates extraordinary determination and perseverance when confronted with adversity.

You Can Run But You Can’t Hide, the title of his autobiography published in 2007, conveys his outlook on life. Chapman disclosed some specifics of his traumatic upbringing in Denver, Colorado in this book.

He remembered growing up in a home with two parents and three siblings, which appeared regularly on the outside but revealed a different narrative behind closed doors.

According to an excerpt from the book obtained by CTV News, Chapman wrote about how he had no idea that other children did not encounter physical abuse until later in life; to him, it was just a typical occurrence that all sons had to go through.

Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman was subjected to physical violence from his father as a child. He sobbed as he admitted that he couldn’t remember when he wasn’t subjected to cruelty and had no choice but to accept it as usual.

The Dog the Bounty Hunter star withstood the treatment without complaint, desperate for his father’s love and praise.

After experiencing enormous pain and trauma as a child, Chapman swore to break the cycle of domestic violence by never touching his children.

He only lately realized that none of his abuse was his fault and that he was not to blame for what happened to him. However, this did not keep him from serving a prison sentence for murder.

Duane “Dog” Chapman, 23, got into trouble in 1976 when he went with a companion to buy marijuana from a dealer in Texas.

Things gradually escalated, and the transaction concluded with Chapman’s friend fatally shooting the dealer. As a result, everyone at the scene was charged with murder, including Chapman, sentenced to five years in prison and served 18 months before being released on parole.

Chapman’s criminal record had followed him his entire life, even when he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother U.K. because his visa application was denied owing to his conviction.

He lamented that being present and participating in such actions had long-term implications, regardless of how much one has grown or evolved since then.

Duane “Dog” Chapman’s life has been complicated, with five marriages and twelve children. One is Christopher Hecht, whom Chapman only discovered after his release in the 1970s. Unfortunately, Hecht’s mother, Debbie White, committed suicide while Dog was in jail.

Hecht has struggled with addiction and has been arrested several times for offenses such as gay bashing and violence. His adoptive mother reported him missing in 2007 after he served a three-month term for traffic infractions, causing concern among the family.

Thankfully, he returned, but he continued to cause problems; Dog stated that an intervention was organized for him in 2014, and he agreed to go to rehab to treat his alcoholism.

Dog expressed relief that someone was now there to aid his son while also expressing his optimism that the rehabilitation process would be effective.

Duane Chapman’s imprisonment in the late 1970s prompted his divorce from his first wife, and shortly after his release, he married wife No. 2, Anne M. Tengell.

The couple had three children, including a newborn boy named Zebediah, who was born prematurely on January 1, 1980, but died just one month later. This sad loss strained their marriage, eventually leading to its breakup.

After two subsequent marriages, Duane found enduring love with Beth Chapman, whom he married in a Hawaiian ceremony in May 2006. Sadly, Duane was shocked to learn on their special day that their 23-year-old daughter, Barbara Katie Chapman, had perished in a car accident close to her Fairbanks, Alaska, home.

Despite this devastating news, Duane met with a clergyman. It was determined that the wedding would go as planned, with no mention of Barbara’s death until after the ceremony, instead using the reception to commemorate her life.

After a surprising and alarming audio tape was filed as evidence, a judge gave Duane “Dog” Chapman interim custody of his grandson, Travis Mimms Jr., in 2011. The footage shows the boy’s father, the spouse of Chapman’s late daughter, Barbara Katie Chapman, abusing their son.

The Bounty’s Dog, The Hunter actor, explained that he wasn’t trying to take the young boy away from his father but rather to remove him from a dangerous situation. He expressed his desire for Travis Senior to attend parenting classes to break any potential cycles of abuse, as he had received similar treatment from his father.

Recognizing oneself “shocked and grieved” over the child maltreatment, Chapman further revealed that his daughter’s last words pushed his actions to him; “Please, daddy, look after Travis Jr. Allow nothing bad to happen to him.”