CANCELLED - Transport Help - Harrisburg, PA to Buffalo, NY

[clara4457]

I saw your pics - love GSD's. My sister has two that she adopted from Brightstar. We work pretty closely with them on a regular basis, especially if they have mixed breed dogs that they need help in placing. Since most people that go to their adoption events are specifically interested in GSD's, we have a little bit better luck getting non-shepherd dogs adopted from our organization.

Thanks for helping these two sweeties - Brightstar is a wonderful organization and do terrific work.

[clara4457]

We've had trouble filling this (probably due to it being Mothers Day and Graduation Weekend) so one of our members is driving down tonight, spending the night and then driving all the pups back.

I'll post pictures as soon as they get up!! Since we were making the drive, we ended up pulling 2 more dogs - so 11 in all

[Freedom]

I have a question about these transports?

There are some postings on craigslist here in RI recently.

1. Woman adopted a GSD from 'archies rescue,' dogs were brought up from the South. The dog had all the vet papers but had not been tested for heartworm. And when she took the dog in to her vet, they did the test and found it was Stage 3 infested. She is doing the treatment, but furious with the rescue that she didn't know in advance.

Do transported dogs not get tested for heartworm? Or is it that particular rescue? Folks have been replying to the original poster that she should have researched the rescue better before hand. Do you as a transporter worry about what you may bring home to your pets? So I was just wondering?

2. All the photos everyone on here posts of the transport dogs, the dogs look very nice. Several people on craigslist are getting their dogs matted and dirty, covered in feces etc. and need to clean them up themselves.

Is that the rescue group? I am thinking that is what it is.

[pitc9]

Oh Clara... I'm so sorry!
There are 3 coming through my area this weekend on Saturday (all within 2 hours of each other) and I can't help any of them!! And Yes, it's because of a Mother's Day gathering!

Freedom- I know you asked this for Clara to respond to.. but I'm here in thread now... so I thought I'd give you my input.

All of the transports I've done, the dogs have been tested for HW.
Some transports can be coming straight from a small town county pound, others can be coming from a foster home to a furever home, or from a shelter to foster. I worry about what I might be bringing home to my dogs, that's why I keep their shots updated, I don't use their crates unless I have no other choice, if I do use Buddy or Sierra's crates I bleach it after it's been used, and I change my clothes and clean up before even going near my dogs once I get home.

I helped moved a litter of GSD puppies for Brightstar a few months back and one ended up passing away because of Parvo! The entire litter had it!!!
There's always that chance.

[Freedom]

Freedom- I know you asked this for Clara to respond to.. but I'm here in thread now... so I thought I'd give you my input.

Thanks. No, I wasn't asking Clara specifically, just anyone familiar with the transports, and that includes YOU, ha haa.

Although I'd be willing to help, there seems to be few which pass there through RI. Never hurts to gather info, as you never know when you can lend a hand.

[clara4457]

It is up to the receiving rescue to request HW testing - most of the locals that are pulling from these rural dog pounds are just individuals trying to do all they can to save dogs in their areas. They generally have the receiving rescue pay for any vet work done prior to transport. For example, we will send the money to the local group for all vetting, health certificate and any boarding fees accrued by them before the dogs get here. In addition, we also send money to help fund their transport costs - they rent a cargo van and divide the cost of the van and gas amongst the groups getting dogs. This group tests for heartworm as part of their overall package, but not all groups do. Their concern is (and rightly so) is that they pull a dog for a rescue group and if they test HW+, the rescue will back out at the last minute - then the local group has a dog that is HW+ with no rescue commitment and no funds to treat.

Our group is adamant about commitment - once we commit to a dog, we are 100% committed no matter what the outcome and I get frustrated with rescues that don't. There are never any guarantees with rescue and as much as we try to make sure that the dogs we bring up are 100% healthy, we have in the past gotten a parvo pup (treated successfully), a HW+ dog (will be treated soon), and other assorted health issues (all treated successfully). We do what we have to do to make sure the animals are healthy. If we miss something, we work with the adopter on treatment and generally reimburse them for the vetting they had to do. It happened a few weeks ago when one of our fosters developed kennel cough. They were only in foster care for about a week, so it didn't present until they were adopted - we reimbursed the family for the medication the pup needed. The pup was probably exposed during the transport and just like a cold, you don't know you have it until you have it.

That being said, any reputable rescue is going to have a heartworm test done before they adopt out the dog - regardless of whether it was done by the sending group or the receiving group. To not do so is irresponsible in my opinion.

Angie brings up an excellent point about transports and the need to maintain excellent sanitation protocols. I have a spray bottle with bleach solution that I use on crates whenever I use the crates to transport dogs or cats. I spray it down completely and let it air dry. My personal animals are all up to date with vaccinations and I worm and flea treat my own animals regularly because I transport and foster animals with unknown histories. If any pup has an accident in my house, I clean it with bleach solution immediately. The foster pups are not allowed free reign of the back yard, rather I have a kennel area that they have access to for potty breaks or I walk them on a leash. Then I can immediately clean and bleach any areas they potty in.

This is probably a great deal more information than you wanted, but I love giving information in the hopes that more people will want to get more involved.

Clara