Rescue Transports: A Brief Introduction
Transporting is a simple and rewarding way to help rescue animals from all over the United States. The only commitment you make is a couple of hours of your weekend, and the only cost is that of the gas needed for a short round-trip.
Every week, Derby City Dog Rescue relies on transports to send dogs from Louisville Metro Animal Services to our partner rescues up north, where they are fostered through final adoption. Other shelters in southern states also send animals north. Many of these transports pass through our city each weekend and are in need of help from local drivers.
On the Current Transport Needs page, we list links to "run sheets" of transports carrying animals from, to, or through our area. The page also contains other transport resources and a few tips for those new to transporting. We will also, on occasion, list short transports we at DCDR need help with, directly.
New transport volunteers may find the run sheets confusing at first, but they are not as complicated as they appear. Each run sheet contains contact information for the transport coordinator (the person you should contact to volunteer), the "legs" needed (times, distance, etc.), a list of passengers, and information on the sending and receiving parties.
Every week, Derby City Dog Rescue relies on transports to send dogs from Louisville Metro Animal Services to our partner rescues up north, where they are fostered through final adoption. Other shelters in southern states also send animals north. Many of these transports pass through our city each weekend and are in need of help from local drivers.
On the Current Transport Needs page, we list links to "run sheets" of transports carrying animals from, to, or through our area. The page also contains other transport resources and a few tips for those new to transporting. We will also, on occasion, list short transports we at DCDR need help with, directly.
New transport volunteers may find the run sheets confusing at first, but they are not as complicated as they appear. Each run sheet contains contact information for the transport coordinator (the person you should contact to volunteer), the "legs" needed (times, distance, etc.), a list of passengers, and information on the sending and receiving parties.
How it Works
Though there are short transports, wherein an animal is moved just an hour or two away to meet another transport or to a foster or adopter in a nearby city, most are longer, "relay" transports. In a relay transport, the animal is handed off from driver to driver as the journey progresses. Each relay transport has a coordinator, who maps a route from the departure city to the destination city. This route is then divided into "legs" of approximately forty-five minutes to an hour and a half each. Sometimes, the transport will require an "overnight," which means a volunteer allows the animal to stay in their home until the transport can resume the next day.
A person who wishes to drive a particular leg (or legs), or to allow an animal to stay in their home overnight, should contact the coordinator directly to make an "offer." The coordinator will respond to the offer--usually within twenty-four hours. Please note that coordinators are volunteers, too, and the planning of a transport is very complicated and time-consuming. If you make an offer and do not hear back within 24 hours, please re-send your email as the coordinator may have missed it. If you still do not hear back, most likely the need has been filled.
A person who wishes to drive a particular leg (or legs), or to allow an animal to stay in their home overnight, should contact the coordinator directly to make an "offer." The coordinator will respond to the offer--usually within twenty-four hours. Please note that coordinators are volunteers, too, and the planning of a transport is very complicated and time-consuming. If you make an offer and do not hear back within 24 hours, please re-send your email as the coordinator may have missed it. If you still do not hear back, most likely the need has been filled.
Disclaimer
DCDR offers transport links in an attempt to help recruit drivers for coordinators who are not affiliated with DCDR in any way. ANY offers to help, or questions or concerns, should be directed to the coordinator responsible for the run and not to DCDR. DCDR does not guarantee the accuracy of the run sheets to which we link. Any updates, passenger changes, schedule changes, indications that legs are "filled" or still "needed," etc., are the sole responsibility of the transport coordinator.
Though DCDR tries to ensure that all run sheets are from legitimate and responsible coordinators, it is always a good idea to do your own research before volunteering for a transport unless you have experience with the coordinator in question. Check out the receiving rescues, ask questions about whether rescues or adopters have been properly screened, and ask for references if you have any doubts. Any good coordinator will both welcome and be happy to answer questions about what they do and where animals on their transports will end up.
DCDR provides links to transports running through the Louisville Metro area. If you are not in Louisville, there are other transport resources available. Some of those are listed on our Current Transport Needs page.
Though DCDR tries to ensure that all run sheets are from legitimate and responsible coordinators, it is always a good idea to do your own research before volunteering for a transport unless you have experience with the coordinator in question. Check out the receiving rescues, ask questions about whether rescues or adopters have been properly screened, and ask for references if you have any doubts. Any good coordinator will both welcome and be happy to answer questions about what they do and where animals on their transports will end up.
DCDR provides links to transports running through the Louisville Metro area. If you are not in Louisville, there are other transport resources available. Some of those are listed on our Current Transport Needs page.
