There have been rumors that the USDA is going to start cracking down on transports. AAL has been following the letter of the law on the transports. All dogs are fully vetted with travel certificates and temperament tested as well as tested as companions with each other before being approved for tranpsort. This is why you will see dogs on the IN website that do not make it over to the MA site.

As a result of other organizations that do not follow our higher guidelines, it seems that all tranporters could get a bad name. For this reason AAL wants to set up our own "in house transport" system. We would like the drivers to join our rescue (of course no dues and you would only be doing this transport once or twice a month, unless you wanted to be more active) and be official volunteers of AAL. We would know far more about the capablilities of the person transporting for us, as well as, have their vehicle specifics and their dog handling ability.

What I would like to do is set up a three leg system from Muncie to Cleveland, then Cleveland to Rochester, and lastly, the Rochester to MA. Lee and I or other volunteers here in IN would be able to fill the Muncie to Cleveland leg with no problem. I am looking for a couple volunteers to come on board from Cleveland to Rochester also, and another volunteer or 2 for the Rochester to MA leg. Hopefully Lisa will join our group and commit to that leg. We would like to have back up drivers, too.

I also want to implement a transport pay of 25.00 to 50.00 per adoption fee when the gas is over 2.00 a gallon (predicted for this summer). This would give us a gas petty cash fund to reimburse drivers. Putting this system together with careful thought to protect our drivers and our dogs is our ultimate goal. We also want to maintain a high quality organization that specializes in making the right match for the dog and for the people.


Thank you,


Patty Strayer
Vice President AALI
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/adoptalab.html
adoptions@adoptalab.org

Linda...I hope I am posting this in the right place, if not, just delete me.....LOL

I live in Williamstown, Ma........which is about 40 minutes from Troy, NY (just outside of Albany, NY). I also am about 40 minutes from Lenox/Lee, MA.

I can't promise to be available for all transports, but please PM me if you need someone for any of your Western MA transports.

Nikki

Nikki, I sent your info into Patty & Ann (the powers that be ;)). It sounds to me that you're in a perfect location. I know we have someone around Rochester, but, we need several people to cover for each other, etc.

We also have Lisa Engle and she is wonderful. I would like to have 3 or 4 for each leg, then, they would only have to drive once every month or 2. I know Lisa has been doing the last leg, unsure exactly where she lives. We may be able to have 2 runs a month if we have enough volunteers.

This is great and I appreciate it very much.

Linda,

I'm in Lancaster, which for Massachusetts people means "the Leominster, Fitchburg, Bolton area" - 'cuz no one knows where Lancaster is! We're the really, really little dot on the map. Two months here and I'm already educated. . .

Lisa, how far are you away from Nikki then? (Heck I don't even know where MA is.....Just joking!!)

Nikki is almost exactly as far from me as I am from Lee - 101 miles as opposed to 109 (according to mapquest, by which I live my life). In fact, if Nikki (hi Nikki!) was doing a run and couldn't necessarily do the really long leg, I could pick up at Lee which would split things up a bit more.

BTW, I just found out where Delaware is. The only reason I know where Massachusetts is located is because I went to college here. How incredibly sad is that? Then again, I dare a northeastener to point out Mexico on a map LOL :).

Moved from Rescue Section for more people to see.

Lived in MA all my life........NEVER heard of Lancaster. :)

I live right on Route 7.......which runs straight thru to Lee/Lenox.

Anybody From Ohio Want To Help?

I'm in for a few...if I can be of any use.

Anybody From Ohio Want To Help?

I would! I have a hectic schedule with school any everything, but I would love to help whenever I can!

This may be a stupid question, but do the dogs have to be crated during the transport? Because a crate definitely will not fit in my car (been there done that). Murph and Conner are fine in the back seat, but I just wanted to make sure that the lab being transported could sit in the back seat.