Volunteers needed as animal transporters

Pets rescued from shelters, abusive homes or picked up from the street often have a long way to travel before being placed in their “forever” homes.

Many times, these rescued animals have been approved to be placed within a home, but the means to send them isn’t available.

In these cases, a network of animal rescue transporters exists all over the country to help move these animals, consisting of people who volunteer their time and gas money to transport them to their new homes, sometimes many states away.

The journeys are broken down into “legs” of 60 to 90 miles, one way. Transporters drive their leg to meet the next driver on the journey, where they will hand off the animals in relay style until their destination is reached.

Often, the journeys are long enough to require that the animals stay a few days or overnight in a temporary home.

According to Dayla Rhodus, a volunteer animal transporter living in Kearney, Neb., there is a great need for volunteers from the Panhandle. Transports have had to be canceled or delayed because there aren’t enough volunteers west of Kearney and North Platte.

“Some drivers are not willing to let the transports fail,” Rhodus said in a press release, “so they drive multiple legs to get these done.”

More volunteers are needed. According to Rhodus, all it takes is a vehicle with seatbelts, two to three hours, usually on a weekend, gas and a concern for animals.

“I came upon this great volunteer service by word of mouth, and I love it,” she said. “But I have found it to be a little-known volunteer activity for people.”

Rhodus has been part of transports where a dog traveled from California to a home in Maine, helped an old Golden Retriever that was dumped on a street in California to a loving foster family in Michigan, transported a blind chihuahua who was left in a high-kill shelter to a new home in New Hampshire, and many more.

“My stories can go on forever,” she said. “But the one thing they all have in common – the animals have so much love to give, and you can just tell in their eyes they are thankful.”

Anyone interested in being a volunteer animal transporter in Nebraska can join a number of Facebook groups and check out the postings:

• Underground Railroad Rescued Kitty Network

• Nebraska and Surrounding States Animal Transports

• Animal Transports – Nebraska

• Nebraska Transport

• Kindred Hearts Transport Connection