Mighty Andrew and Delightful Dolly

Carol and I were off for another transport yesterday, Saturday, April 28th. We anxiously awaited the arrival of three dogs from Ohio. And we waited, and we waited. Finally, I called one of the drivers who was bringing the dogs to us, and he told me the run had been delayed. They were about to leave and would arrive about an hour later. We took advantage of this extra time, and went to Subway to get a quick bite to eat, and use their bathroom. Ah, the bathroom. So much more important these days! But I digress.

Finally, Andrew, Dolly and Woody arrived. Woody was picked up by his forever family right then and there. Andrew and Dolly were coming with us.

Andrew, 52 pounds of solid muscle, in the form of a terrier mix, was a super dog, but unruly on the leash. Well, and he thought he could drive, but I'll get to that. And he was not at all interested in performing his bathroom duties, despite several types of encouragement. I managed to keep my arm in its socket while walking him, and after pausing for a brief belly rub, Andrew bounded happily into the back of my car.

Dolly, a 5-year old Collie mix, was found as a stray in Marietta, Ohio, and is the sweetest dog. But her fur was terribly matted, which you'll notice in her pictures. But gotta love her punk hairdo! You go girl!


Dolly, being the delightful dog she is, performed her duty in the grass (would that make a good movie title? "Duty in the Grass". Wait! I'm thinking of "Splendor in the Grass". Oh swell, now I'm showing my age!). She took a brief walk with Carol, we loaded her in the car, and bid the transport driver a fond farewell, after he handed me the paperwork on both dogs.

By the time I turned around, Carol was already in the passenger seat, Dolly was comfortable in the backseat, and Andrew was prepared to chauffeur, as he proudly perched in the driver's seat. Carol was too busy laughing to be much help, not that it mattered, as there was no way the two of us could have heaved him to the backseat, so my only choice was to remove him from the car, and reload him. I coaxed him out of the car, and invited him into the backseat again. He obliged. But it was clear he was determined to be in the driver's seat, so I slammed the back door shut and madly whirled around to try to beat him to the front seat. I jumped in and won the race - barely. But I was so proud. Andrew, it turned out, didn't care he'd lost, as he simply rested his big head on the console between the front seats, and settled down to enjoy head scratches from Carol, while I drove the car. We started our trek to the final destination.

Our drive was uneventful from our viewpoint. Not sure it was from Dolly's point-of-view, as Andrew sprawled across most of the backseat. But Dolly, being the good-natured girl she is, made the sacrifice for the hour-long drive.

Andrew's foster mother, Michelle, was there to meet him. I reluctantly handed him over, as I was concerned he might pull her slightly-built frame over, but Michelle told me she has a 80-pound dog at home, so I relaxed and let him go. The last I saw of Andrew, he was driving Michelle home.

Dolly was so fortunate to be meeting her forever mommy, Kate, for the very first time. And I think they hit it off, don't you? Kate had knelt down to greet Dolly, and Dolly was so happy to meet her, that she pushed forward to give her new mommy a kiss, and knocked Kate back onto her butt. Kate didn't seem to mind, and Dolly was happy 'cause it was much easier to give Kate kisses.

We told Dolly she needed to be sure to get along with her new Sheltie brother who would greet her once she arrived at her new forever home. Dolly blinked, and I knew, without a doubt, that they'd be the best of friends in no time.

Maddy in the House

Maddy, a beautiful lab mix, needed a transport and a place to stay for only one night because her ride to Vermont couldn't take her until the day after she arrived in our area.  So my friend, and now fellow transport driver, Linda, decided to take the plunge.  After all, it was only for one night.  Linda worked out a plan in her head to solve logistics with her three cats, since she wasn't sure how they'd react to Maddy in the house.  The solution was to keep everyone apart.

Linda drove to the pickup point on Saturday, April 21st, and anxiously awaited Maddy's arrival that evening.  There were actually ten dogs being picked up at that location, out of an entire transport consisting of 52 dogs/puppies and 9 cats, all from Darlington, SC.  At first I thought Maddy's name was Maddy Darlington, so she soon became Maddy Darling in my thoughts.  I suspect Linda might think that's an appropriate name.  The 52 dogs in this transport were going to New York, Vermont, and other New England states, as well as the ten coming to Pennsylvania.

Linda believes Maddy has never lived inside a home.  She didn't know how to maneuver the steps at first (that's Maddy, not Linda; Linda knew how to work the steps).  Once upstairs, Linda turned on the TV, and it startled Maddy, as did the mirror.  Mirror, mirror, on the wall; who's the prettiest pup of them all?  Linda assured Maddy she was.

Maddy soon made herself at home, and barely noticed Linda's cats -- although they noticed Maddy.  But Maddy was undeterred.  Here she is watching TV.  If only she had popcorn!  But just being in a nice, safe place was good enough for Maddy, and  she immediately got busy training Linda.  Walks every three hours.  Plenty of food and water.  And most of all, lots and lots of petting and hugs.  For all this, Maddy graciously lavished kisses on Linda.

 Linda fell in love with Maddy; not just puppy love or a fleeting love.  She felt completely bonded.  Of course, she did!  Just look how comfortable Maddy was in what was an entirely strange place with a complete stranger!  This is one happy dog!   


Linda dutifully delivered Maddy to the Vermont transport the following day, but began thinking that since her one-night foster of Maddy was such a wonderful experience, she should seriously consider becoming a regular foster home for other wayward Almost Home Dog Rescue dogs.  I'll keep you posted.  My bet is Linda will soon be fostering to her heart's content -- and making the lives of many dogs very content during their transition to their forever home.

Linda Transports Cassie & Thumper

As you may recall, my friend and coworker, Linda, accompanied me on my last transport of Rosalind. As a result of that day, Linda decided to become a driver herself, and transported dogs for the first time on April 7th. I decided to include Linda’s transports on my blog to keep it more active, and to drive home the point that dog transporting goes on constantly, because there are thousands and thousands of dogs that need help to get to a place where they will be safe and have a much better chance of finding a good home. So hooray for Linda!

Linda transported Thumper, a little beagle who was suffering from a urinary tract infection and was not feeling well. You can see this in his face. He was, however, very sweet and simply sat in the back seat and rested the entire drive. Upon his arrival to his new home, he was immediately given medicine for his illness, and will recover nicely, I’m sure. Thankfully, he was rescued, as who knows what might have happened to him without treatment. Linda drove Thumper to his forever family, a young woman and two children, who expressed their glee at Thumper's arrival.


And then, there was Cassie. Cassie is a puggle, a cross between a pug and a beagle. What a face! I think Linda fell in love, because she commented a few times about “how cute Cassie is”. I personally find that just a tad bit unbelievable. But I suspect this little dog had oodles of personality. So now, I’m going to get brave and place a photo in color so you can get the full picture.

Linda handed her over to her foster mom so Cassie will be well taken care of until someone comes along who will appreciate her true beauty.

Linda told me her first transporting experience was quite gratifying, and I look forward to including more of her transports in my future blog posts. Hopefully, next time, Linda will have only healthy passengers, and maybe they'll be equally as full of personality as Cassie. After all, beauty
is in the eye of the beholder.

Rosalind Got Adopted!

I am so happy to report that Rosalind, my last transport dog who arrived on the big truck with dozens of other dogs, got adopted. Here's what her foster mother told me:

Just wanted to let you know that Rosalind got adopted today! Lovely family from New Jersey. I'm attaching a picture from today at Cutters Mill. They had found her on Petfinder and inquired about her. I contacted them and sent them pics and video and they wanted to meet her. We got their home inspection done and they met her today and adopted her on the spot. A great family for a great dog!!! I'll miss her but it's all good stuff. :)))

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.

Noah Without an Ark

Easy-peasy is how I describe my latest dog transport - thankfully, since this is my first since I fell and ended up with a concussion, from which I've now fully recovered. Carol and I, wearing our sneakers this time (see them on my feet in the picture!), drove to Allentown last Sunday, February 26th, to pick up Noah, a two-year old beagle mix. Dogs did not come "two by two", but rather Noah came alone. But we were not disappointed, as little Noah was adorable!

The first order of business was a short walk to give Noah the opportunity to do his business. He put his nose to the grindstone, as most hound-type dogs do, and got busy sniffing for who knows what. He defintely had passion and determination for his task.

After no success with the business end of things on Noah's part, we encouraged him into the car, and he happily obliged. As like so many before him, he thought he would ride shotgun.

Soon, however, he realized he'd have much less responsibility if he relinquished shotgun to Carol, and moved to the backseat where he could have more room, and could check out where he had just been.

Noah finally grew weary from wagging...er...waving at the people in the cars behind us, and settled down for a little snooze, glad he'd chosen the backseat. He was content from all the ear rubs he'd received earlier, and seemed to know that he was going somewhere that would be a better life for him. Of course, almost anywhere was better than living on the streets, where'd they'd found him, and anything was better than wondering if anyone would appreciate him again. He hoped he'd get a better name than Noah too! It had been given to him by the shelter people who had rescued him. They didn't know him from Adam, after all.

As Noah dozed, his head danced with visions of living with a nice family who would feed him, give him plenty of clean water, and maybe even let him sleep on a soft dog bed. Could that possibly in his future? Dare he hope? Maybe he'd even have his own backyard, and be taken for walks so he could sniff out the clues to all his fellow dog neighbors. How heavenly would that be? Please let it be true!

As we approached the parking lot where we'd hand him over to his foster parents, Noah seemed to know, perked up and came forward to see what he could see for himself. Would this be it? Would this be his last car ride of his transport to safety? He sure hoped so. He just knew that if he was given a chance, he'd make a great family pet. After all, he has such depth of personality, and so much love and sloppy kisses to give. And he's so sure he will train his family to give him the best ear massages.

So, our ride with Noah came to an end, as we handed him over to his foster parents. But the best news of all is that his fosters told us they already had three -- yes three -- applications to adopt him! So little Noah's future is very bright indeed.

Bing, Bang, Boom

Finally -- another dog transport to write about! My computer crashed in late November, and I finally got it replaced, but it's been slow-going -- in more ways than one. Anyway, on to the dogs!

The first bit of great news is that adorable Kelly, the houndog from my last post, was adopted within three weeks by a new family, and is living happily ever after. A perfect ending!

The ending of my current transport story is an unusual one, but we'll get to that. First, meet Casey and Allie. Casey is a sweet-tempered lab mix, and Allie is a rambunctious, but lovable short-haired something-er-other. We met them in the parking lot, where a guy named Steve had brought them. So far so good.

It was a brisk, windy day, and as usual, my friend Carol had accompanied me. We attended an event earlier that day, for which we had worn dressier clothing, not our usual jeans and sneakers. Before we took delivery of the dogs, Steve had several stories to tell us about his transporting experiences. Somehow, I think our day together will be added to his repetoire.

Anyway, he was an interesting, talkative individual, but I started to get cold, so suggested we get on our way. Allie, you will see, wasn't bothered one iota by the cold as she enjoyed her stomach rubs, no matter what!

Steve handed Allie over to Carol, and I took Casey and headed for the trunk of my car to get my leashes. I noticed Allie was yanking on Carol a lot, and I worried if she'd be able to handle that energetic dog. Boy, was I barking up the wrong tree! Next thing I knew, Casey had wrapped his leash around me -- twice -- and had gotten behind me, and simply started walking. Doesn't sound so bad, right? Well, I was trapped by his leash, and before I could bark three times, I was desperately struggling to stay upright. But I was wearing clogs, of all things! And I just couldn't balance myself, and although I put up a hell of a fight, I fell backwards and whacked the back of my head on the pavement. Splat -- or at least that's how it felt to me!

Good ol' Steve raced to my side. Although I thought for sure my head would be bleeding, he checked, and no blood. He then began asking me questions, checking my pupils and color, and announced he thought I'd be okay, but encouraged me to take my sweet old time sitting up. He stayed by my side, made sure I knew who I was and what day it was, while he told me he used to race motorcycles. He'd seen many, many crashes and had experience with injuries in his day. This comforted me as my confidence grew that I might actually survive my crash.

Slowly, but surely, I sat up and finally rose to my feet. Shaky, but up. And cold. Very very cold. All I wanted to do was get inside the car with the dogs, so I could get warmer, and start our hour-long drive. A few minutes later, with me behind the wheel as usual, we were off.

And guess what! At our final destination, Allie's forever family was there to meet her and take her home! That's the first time I've delivered a dog to its family, so I felt elated. They surprised their little boy by waiting to tell him until Allie actually arrived. He was so happy and grinned from ear-to-ear. So did Allie. It was so worth it!

And dear Casey went with Carolyn to be fostered, until he went to his forever home a few weeks later. Yay!

It was not Casey's fault that this happened. I learned a "hard" lesson. Always, always, always wear sneakers! And be more attentive so you don't get wrapped up in a leash. And, although I didn't do the smartest thing the day of my fall, I did see my doctor that Monday, and he sent me for a CT scan, which came back normal. But because I was still experiencing dizziness, he also sent me to a neurologist, who told me that only time and rest will help heal my minor concussion. She was right about that, as I still experience dizziness (well, more dizziness than usual anyway), but I am sure it will eventually disappear. And I'll be up to my old dog tricks as usual. So, look out transport dogs! Here I come!