WHAT IS TRANSPORT?

This page was created to help explain what a relay transport is and what you can expect if you volunteer to drive a "leg" of a transport. The only requirements to be a volunteer transport driver are a vehicle, flexibility and the desire to help give a dog a second chance in life. Be forewarned though, it can be VERY addictive! Most transported dogs are going into either a rescue group to be evaluated, re-trained and re-homed or into a low-kill shelter or no-kill sancutary where their chances of being euthanized are greatly reduced. There are several reasons why a relay tranport takes place: The most common reason for a transport is to spare an animal's life that is in danger of being euthanized (often referred to as being on "death row") at a kill-shelter. The dog may be a breeder or puppy mill surrender. The dog may be an owner surrender. The dog may have been adopted from a rescue and is on their way to their new home (often referred to as their new "forever" or "furever" home). A relay transport involves many people to be successful. All of these people are volunteers who are willing to volunteer their time and gas money to help a dog get to a safer place. The transport can be for only a few hundred miles which can be completed in a few hours or as far as 1200 miles or more which can take as many as three days to complete. Each volunteer driver takes one or more "legs" along the route. Each leg is usually from 50 to 120 miles. Each driver picks the dog(s) up from one volunteer driver, drives their own leg, and then hands the dog(s) off to another volunteer driver. This continues until the transport day ends or until the dog arrives at its' destination. A transport includes the following people: the sending rescue or shelter, the drivers, the receiving shelter/rescue/adopting home and the transport coordinator/monitor. A transport begins when a shelter or rescue contacts a transport coordinator stating that they have an animal that needs to get from point "A" to point "B". The transport coordinator's job is to gather all information on the dog(s) that need transporting, and the sending and receiving shelter or rescue. The coordinator then maps out the route into legs and a time line, types this information into an email and posts to rescue lists or sends an email directly to a potential driver. Volunteers then email the coordinator stating that they will take specific legs of the transport. Once the transport is filled (drivers have volunteered to fill each leg along the route), the transport coordinator will email each driver asking for specific information. This information needed is usually their home and cell phone numbers, the type of vehicle they will be driving along with a license plate number and a description of the volunteer (height, hair color, etc). This information is only shared with the people who are actually involved with the transport, not to the general public or rescue lists. This information is needed so that drivers can identify each other upon arrival at their pick up/hand off locations. Transports usually take place on Saturdays and Sundays. However, sometimes emergencies arise where a dog needs to be moved immediately and the transport may have to take place on a weekday to get the dog to a safer place. Sometimes the transport is long and may need to take place over several days in which case it may have to be started on a Friday or finished on a Monday. Transports usually begin between 6 am and 9 am depending on the length of the transport. Some can run as late as 10 pm to midnight. Some transports go across country, others are only a few hours away from the start point of the run. Most transports coordinated by MoStar are for dogs/puppies. However, occasionally we might have a cat/kittens, reptiles, birds. A good transport coordinator will keep in constant touch with the volunteer drivers both during the planning stages of the transport and the actual run. The coordinator's job is to make sure all paperwork is in order (rabies certificate and health certificate), and that the animals being transported are being sent with leashes, collars, identification, water, food, etc. The transport should be monitored by the transport coordinator or a designated transport monitor during the entire duration of the trip. Drivers are never on the road alone  ~ the monitor should always be only a phone call away to answer questions and help to solve any problems that may arise during transports. (e.g. weather conditions, traffic problems, the dog(s) being transported get sick en route, a driver's vehicle breaks down, etc.) At the end of their leg, each driver hands off the dog, the paperwork and anything traveling with the dog to the next driver. One of the drivers needs to call the monitor to let them know the hand off has been made and that everyone is ok or report any problems. The monitor will usually send out several emails during the transport so that all drivers can keep up with what is happening with the transport. These emails can include potential problems (e.g. the transport is running 15 minutes late/early) or just to share how the dog(s) are doing and any funny anecdotes that have happened along the way. Transporting can be a very enjoyable way to volunteer. There are no weekly commitments ~ volunteer as often or as little as you want. You get to meet all sorts of breeds that you might not otherwise have a chance to see. You get the satisfaction of knowing you have helped an animal to a safer or better place from where it came. Your location, size of vehicle, and availability are no obstacle. No amount of help is too small. All we ask at MoStar is that if we email you a transport request and you are not available for that particular transport, please let us know so that we don't keep emailing you for the same transport. It doesn't matter if you can't transport all the time. Lack of volunteering for transports is not cause for removal from the database. We understand that folks have lives outside of their volunteer time and just ask that they help when they can.