Yesterday, I had the honor of driving three absolutely wonderful dogs. Carol did not join me because there was no room for another human being. Notice the love the dogs gave ME without her!I met Jen Daley, who runs this program, at the usual McDonald's in Morgantown. It was great meeting her and being able to tell her what a great job I think she does in saving dogs. It turns out she is now rescuing dogs from Virginia, as well as Kentucky, and that's why I now have more runs coming my way.
Olivia, who is pregnant, had no idea how to get into a car, so Jen literally lifted her into the back seat. And Olivia is a BIG dog! Then the golden puppy went in. Believe it or not, I had actually put a crate together (yay for my mechanical ability after all!) but I had to dismantle it because the dogs turned out to be larger and all wouldn't have fit. So Olivia and the puppy went in the backseat. Here's Olivia peeking in to the front seat.
I fell in love with the black border collie. He was an incredibly sweet dog, and he was c
hosen to sit in the passenger seat because he rode in the car so well. I have a small car so space for him was tight, but he rested his head on the console between the seats and gazed up at me a lot. I petted him every chance I got. He had been suffering from mange when they first got him, but after 3-4 months, his hair has grown back on his head, upper body and tail. Now the only telltale sign of mange is a little hair loss around his eyes. I learned later that this guy is only about six months old, although he looked full-grown and acted very mature to me. I'm sure he's seen a lot in his short lifetime.
And then there was the golden puppy, seen at right. Six months old and all energy -- or so I was told. She, like the other two, settled down and quietly rode the hour-long drive to our first stop. Only when I got off the turnpike and slowed to pay my tolls, did all three get antsy. So the trip itself was pretty uneventful.
I dropped Olivia off with Karen, who was going to be her foster mom, although I understand there's already someone interested in adopting her. How great is that, especially since she's pregnant!
Then the two puppies and I arrived at Animal Lifeline, where two more foster moms anxiously waited. They were so happy to see their respective charges. It's such a pleasure to know that people are willing to disrupt their normal lives to take in a stray dog who needs a temporary home.
So, another successful transport and three great dogs saved!
Jen tells me there will probably be another run coming up in a couple of weeks. So I'd better get busy washing my car windows to get all the nose and tongue prints off them. I can't have a dirty car to greet my new passengers!
