Rosalind - And The Bigger Picture

I was so excited to get the opportunity to do another transport so soon. Yesterday, March 10th, my friend and coworker, Linda, and I drove to Allentown to await the arrival of Rosalind, a one-year old black labrador retriever mix. This run seemed different to me, as the information indicated a truckload of dogs coming from Kentucky would make several stops along the way.

Linda and I arrived early and soon probably a dozen or more cars started to arrive, with drivers anxious to get their charges and take them to their final destinations – animal sanctuaries, dog rescue groups, foster homes, or best of all, their forever homes.

When the truck arrived, a sign on the back indicated the vehicle had transported 3000+ dogs. The door swung open and a cacophony of barking greeted us. There were cages and cages of dogs within. The driver dropped a cardboard box on the ground near the steps, and the transport drivers moved forward to pull the envelope that had the records of their particular dog(s). Many drivers were picking up several dogs, so we hung back to let them get their group together. Finally, I looked through the box for Rosalind's paperwork, but couldn't find it.

In the meantime, dogs were starting to be offloaded from the truck. Some were puppies, and there were even a few cats. All were excited to be outside, and many were anxious to get to the grassy area. In general, it was pandemonium. But a good pandemonium, as these dogs were on the last legs of their various journeys.

I gave Rosalind's cage number and showed the truck driver her picture, so we'd be sure to get the right dog. Soon Rosalind was bounding down the steps. I was concerned about her paperwork, but getting to the grassy area was a higher priority at that particular moment - especially for Rosalind. Water was next. Rosalind drank voraciously. When she finally took a break, Linda brought over another dog, Elroy (seen right here), as he had already drunk his bowl dry. These dogs had been on the road a very long time.

Afterwards, we headed back to the grass and my cell phone rang. It turned out to be a fellow Almost Home group member, who told me her husband, Dennis, had Rosalind's paperwork. It turned out Dennis was the one driving Elroy. So we straightened out that little mix-up, and finally loaded Rosalind into the car, with Linda accompanying her in the back seat.

Rosalind wasn't sure where or how she wanted to sit, so she tried several different positions. At one point, she simply stood on Linda and put her chin on top of the headrest of the passenger seat. Well, it is a headrest after all. Rosalind looked out the window, tried to get comfy in Linda's lap, and finally settled down for at least 30 seconds. Linda cooed at her, assuring her she was safe and that better days were ahead.

We arrived at our drop-off point a few minutes late, but we managed to take this great picture of Linda and Rosalind, before Rosalind joined her foster mother, Ronnie (short for Veronica) on her final drive home. I don't think it was my imagination -- I swear Rosalind was smiling as Ronnie drove her away. Ronnie promises to let me know how things go for Rosalind. But I'm quite sure that she'll be adopted in no time. She's a beautiful, friendly dog who will be a wonderful family pet, so I'm sure she'll keep smiling.

As a footnote, this transport was a real eye-opener. There must have been 50 dogs on that truck. Thank goodness for groups of committed animal lovers, dedicated to rescuing huge numbers of dogs from fates of living on the street, ill-treatment, neglect or doom. The organization involved, and that everyone involved shows up at their appointed time, is awesome. Most of us have never met one another, nor will we see each other again. But it just shows how compassionate people can work together for a common good. And I'm so happy to be a small part of it.