Thank you for helping get these kids ready for the road!  Here are some rules you need to be aware of, and tips to make it easier for you.

•  Each dog must at a minimum be sent with a collar. A slip-leash is fine, but not in place of a collar. Prong collars and choke chains are NOT acceptable.

•  You will be sending several items of paperwork with the dog. At the very least, they will be accompanied by a health certificate / Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, rabies certificate, and transfer of ownership paperwork. You may also have vet records, medications, etc.  Please put all records relating to ONE dog in an envelope and seal it. If you are sending the dog(s) in a crate, please then tape the envelope to the crate.

Clearly label the front of the envelope with the receiver’s name, address, and phone number(s). Include the transport coordinator’s name and phone number on the front. In addition, please include a description of the dog whose paperwork is in the envelope. If you have a way of attaching a picture to the envelope, that’s even better. One way to do this would be to print all of the required info and picture onto a sheet of paper and then securely tape the page to the front of an 8-1/2″ x 11″ manila envelope. A sample of such a sheet is attached HERE and can be downloaded and saved for your convenience.

EACH DOG ON THE TRANSPORT MUST HAVE A SEPARATE ENVELOPE. An exception to this would be a litter of puppies who are all traveling together. In this case, the paperwork for the litter (and their mom) should all be contained in one envelope together.

Please note, while the reason for this is to assist the drivers when there are multiple dogs on a transport, there is a secondary benefit to this as well. With the information provided on the sheet, if the dog becomes separated from the transport, drivers and volunteers immediately have a description to give to local AC, police, and searchers. Everything is spelled out for them and they don’t need to rely on their memory, which will not be at peak performance under the stress of the situation.

•  Please create an emergency ID tag. There are a number of ways to do this, here are just 2 examples.

EXAMPLE A:  First, take a standard 3″ x 5″ index card and write:

“My name is [insert dog's name]. I am on a volunteer transport to my rescue. If found, please call Kelly Gibson at 619-405-5456 IMMEDIATELY. She will be looking for me and will be frantic with worry!”

Put the index card in a snack-size Ziploc bag and seal it. Wrap the Ziploc bag around the dog’s collar with the words facing out. Completely wrap it in clear packaging tape so it can not come loose from the collar during transport.

EXAMPLE B: Use a small luggage tag or key tag to record dog’s name and the number of the transport coordinator. Attach tag to dog’s collar as you would a standard ID tag. Here are some of the types of tags I’m referring to, along with links to a webpage where they can be purchased (who I am not affiliated with!).

key tag1 key tag 2 key tag 3

•  Please do not feed the dog(s) a full breakfast the morning of the transport. While they may travel in cars fine for short trips around town, they may get carsick on a trip of this length.

•  Please send food for the overnight. Each dog should be accompanied by the food to which his tummy is accustomed.The easiest way to do this is usually to measure out one serving and place it into a Ziploc baggie. Label the bag with the dog’s name so that if there is more than one dog on the transport it is given to the appropriate overnighter. Remember – this may need to be adjusted if there is more than one night to the overnight or if you are sending more than one dog.  Please ask me if you have any questions.

•  Please be sure dogs are treated with Capstar or another flea/tick treatment a minimum of 24 hours prior to transport. Volunteers are opening their homes and their cars to these dogs to help them get to safety. If we send dogs with fleas that then infest their personal dogs or their homes we will have lost a very valuable volunteer.

Stay tuned for updates…I seem to learn something new from every transport I do.