Sissy is my co-pilot

It was another large number of dogs and cats on the transport Saturday - 34 dogs and puppies, and 2 kittens.
My passengers were all really well behaved, sweet dogs. First in was Thumper, a 50 pound Australian Shepherd mix. He hopped right up and into his crate like he was ready for an adventure.

Next loaded was Aussie (Austin), a red merle Austrailian shepherd, who had just been neutered Friday. It was a delicate surgery because he was cryptorchid. His testicals never fell, and one was found attached to a kidney. Poor baby! We carefully lifted him into and out of the car. I walked him first and when he had a bowel movement he cried out in pain. I felt so terrible for him, to be just out of surgery and have to travel all day.

I also had two scruffy dogs, Holly and Mickey D. And then there was a little heart stealer named Sissy. She's a scruffy Jack Russell Terrier. I tethered her to the front seat and she curled up and went to sleep. I scratched her ears and petted her all the way to Charlotte, then Mari grabbed her for her lap for the leg to Salisbury.

Thumper

Aussie


Holly

Mickey D

tan puppy

Mari had two puppies who weren't getting along in the one crate, so I put one of them in my extra crate and the cutest little tan retriever mix rode with me to Salisbury.

I love driving transport. I can't imagine a time when I wouldn't jump at the chance to participate. Most of the people we meet are great, and I look forward to seeing them every time.

Thursday afternoon Mari and I drove to the horrible Gaston shelter again and pulled one dog and transported it to Huntersville. This is the shelter we swore we'd never go to again. BUT.... we knew we couldn't live with ourselves if we avoided the place to ease our minds, and left dogs there that could get out with our help. So we went. One of the shelter workers brought the dog out to our car. Then he handed me the leash and said, "Oh, by the way, she's aggressive to strangers. That's why her owner turned her in."

LOVELY. So here we stand, two 50+ year old women, with a 50 pound dog that needs to get up into the back of Mari's Ford Expedition. The dog was scared spitless. We weren't much better! But I finally steeled myself, talked to her in a low voice, and with my very best Dog Whisperer-style calm, assertive mindset, I slowly picked her up and put her in the crate. Then sighed a huge sigh of relief! She hadn't so much as looked at me. :-) Of course, I had pictured myself with a bite to the arm or neck. But she was a very good girl. She was nervous, sat in the crate all the way to Huntersville. She calmed down pretty quick once she got out of the car and went into a pen. She even wagged her tail before we left.

You just never know!

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Thank you!!