The First Transport
(Look for pictures below!)
It seems like only yesterday but, January 28th, 2023 was our first puppy transport! The puppy's name is Ross Gellar (for all you F.R.I.E.N.D.S fans, there was a series of puppies with names from the show) and we were to pick him up at a rest stop on 95 in Rutherford from the transport that was coming from Georgia at 9am. Mark, being the morning person he is, was excited to get to play with a new puppy, so even he was ready to go! I was nervous for our first one and thankfully Mark was cool calm and collected, like usual. We see him come off the transport and Mark takes him in his arms and the poor little guy is scared and shaking. We quickly get him to the car, making sure to not put him down (Rule #1 of puppy transport, do not put them down, get them in the car as quickly as possible - they are flight risks). We for sure did not want one of the dogs to get loose and run away.
The car situation looks like this.... I am driving. Mark is sitting in the back of the car with a huge smile on his face. Ross is seated next to him calming down. Now, we both feel that we have better control of a dog when they are in a harness rather than just a collar, leash and slip lead. Plus, the harness is a lot safer to hook them to with the seatbelt attachment securing them in case of an accident. So, we have made it a point to provide a harness to almost every dog that we have transported and recently started giving each dog we transport a seatbelt attachment as well. Before we get on the road, we put Ross into his new harness and make sure he is safe and secure. Then we put on some easy listening music, something like The Piano Guys to help them relax and feel a bit more secure. Now that everyone is strapped in, hooked up, and calming down to relaxing music....we are off to his foster home on Staten Island.
Throughout the ride, you can just sense that Ross' anxiety and stress are fading slowly. He starts to settle down and snuggle with Mark a little bit alternating from curling up next to him and standing on him in what we will come to call, Stella Pose. Picture Mark in the back seat and Stella standing on his right thigh with all of her weight on her small, pointy, "mountain climber feet" and hunching down a little to look out the window. That was Ross.
Now, this being our first, we did not know what to expect when we were dropping him off. His foster family met us outside and they were excited to get him. We do the transition and go to get back in the car both of us looking back over our shoulders at him playing with his temporary family. I turn back around and look at Mark only to see his eyes a little red and wet with a tear coming down his cheek and find myself having the same reaction. We obviously did know that he was going to a good home, even if it's temporary, and that he was not ours, but it is still tough to give away a dog you have bonded with even if that bond formed in just an hour. We pile into the car, each grab a tissue and start to head home.
Turns out, we would get to see Ross a second time for our second transport! 2 weeks later, we had the opportunity to transport Ross from Lake Hopatcong, NJ to NYC to a longer term foster situation.
If I told you that the more you do these types of transports the easier it gets to watch them go, I would be lying. Every one of the transports is tough for it's own reasons: you get attached, they get attached, we both get attached, you know a little about their pasts and where they came from (so you get angry), whatever the reason is, each one is tough.
Stay tuned for the next post where I will talk about the first time we took a dog to their "fur-ever" home!
ROSS GELLAR
Thinking it's time to expand your family? Want to explore rescuing a dog of your own?
Thinking maybe fostering is more your speed? --> CLICK HERE <--
Maybe you can't adopt or foster but can help in another way?
Remember to, #adoptdontshop #becausetheymatter. There is no love like the love from a rescue! ❤️🐶❤️
Comments
Post a Comment