In light of some recent events, I felt compelled to again approach the topic of rescue transport. In particular, I would like to highlight some key safe practices in transporting rescue animals.
Volunteer rescue transports are somewhat different than commercial transports. First and foremost, volunteer transports are typically smaller since they rely on personal vehicles rather than commercial ones. They also may be able to accommodate special needs in ways that commercial carriers cannot. Pregnant dogs, for example, are frequently transported via volunteer transports and even sick dogs may be transported on a solo trip.
Still, there are generally agreed-upon standards for the condition, care and safety of these animals on transport, and I will attempt to highlight what I consider “Rescue Transport Best Practices” here. Bear in mind that these are my standards, and feel free to use the comments below to point out any that I may have missed.
The sending shelter was being extra careful with these two wiggly puppies, outfitting them with both collars and harnesses.
Health & Safety standards for animals:
· Each dog should appear disease and parasite free at time of transport.
· Each dog should have a Health Certificate or Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, signed by a veterinarian within 2 weeks of the transport date.
· Each dog should be spayed or neutered, or be destined for a rescue which spays/neuters 100% of its pets prior to adoption.
· Any known behavioral issues should be noted on the run sheet.
· Dogs should be given the opportunity to walk around and eliminate at least every 4-6 hours.
· Dogs should be offered water at each hand-off.
· Dogs should be fitted with snug-fitting collars and sometimes harnesses also, at the beginning of transport, and the fit should be checked at each stop.
· Dogs should have an ID tag on its collar with an emergency contact phone number listed.
This bonded pair was safe to travel crated together.
Standards for the Drivers:
· Drivers should be experienced in rescue transport or have discussed in detail with an experienced mentor how volunteer transport works.
· All dogs should travel in an individual crate whenever possible or only be crated with familiar dogs. If a dog cannot be crated, it should be tethered with a regular leash away from the driver.
· Drivers should monitor the local weather and traffic conditions that may impede or hinder the transport’s progress. Any expected delay should be immediately communicated to the transport coordinator so an alternate plan can be developed, if necessary.
· Drivers should monitor the animals in their care for signs of stress and indications of illness, and communicate anything unusual to the transport coordinator.
· Drivers should bring necessary equipment to ensure the dogs’ safety. My personal transport kit includes various sizes of crates, paper towels, a spray bottle of bleach water, extra collars, leashes, and high-value treats in case of an escape.
· Drivers should check the security of collars before releasing a dog from a crate and before putting it into a crate for the next leg of the trip. Any loose collars should either be replaced immediately, or at a very minimum, the next driver should be alerted to double-up on leashes. A driver should NEVER loosen a collar or harness without it being absolutely needed or if they have talked to their coordinator/ monitor first.
· Drivers should only volunteer to drive a number of animals they are comfortable with. If they are ok handling 2 at a time and there are 4 on transport, they should ask the coordinator if they could get a second driver for that leg or extra help at hand-offs.
· If a driver is not familiar with a transport coordinator or the receiving rescue it is the driver’s duty to ask questions and screen the group they are volunteering for to ensure they are sending animals to a safe environment. If questions are not answered to their satisfaction, they should not drive for that transport.
Can you spot what's wrong in this picture?
Standards for the Transport Coordinator:
· The experience and reputation of the transport coordinator is paramount. Inexperienced transport coordinators should mentor with an experienced on until sufficient proficiency is gained. This may take 3-6 months depending on the number and type of transports handled in that time.
· There should be a number of vehicles per leg to transport coordinator ratio. For my comfort, any more than 3 vehicles per leg: 1 transport coordinator is too much for one person to coordinate.
· For multiple vehicles on a transport leg, meeting points must be very clear and one person should be appointed at each hand-off to monitor animals, check for paperwork and report to the coordinator.
· To the best of their ability, transport coordinators should monitor the local weather and traffic conditions that may impede or hinder the transport’s progress, and make alternative plans when a delay or cancellation is warranted.
· Transport coordinators should expect a phone call or text after every hand-off, and if they don’t get one, they should be on the phone to confirm things are going okay.
· If a coordinator will not be available for the hand-off calls or for emergencies they should have another person appointed to take these calls and be available to drivers at all times in-transit.
· The transport coordinator should have an established relationship with the sending and receiving organizations or should be able to provide ample information on the screening or referral process they used. This should include site visits, checking with other rescues local to the potential receiver, local animal control reference and vet references. Many states require permits to run a rescue, and a transport coordinator will verify that a group has the appropriate licensing or permits.
· The transport coordinator should be familiar with the route and have sufficient contacts along the route to address problems should they arise.
Special considerations:
· Any cats traveling on transport should be crated individually, and should not be released from the crate until they have reached their final destination. In the case of multi-day transports, they may be released at their secure overnight location. Cats should only be let out in-route if it’s a medical emergency and only after all windows and doors are closed and locked on the vehicle.
· Near-term pregnant dogs should travel in small transports only. Ideally, they will be the only passengers. If they go into labor, they should be crated continually, until they reach their destination.
· Puppies under 8 weeks, by law, cannot travel without their mother. Even after 8 weeks, this also should be a small transport with no exposure to other passengers. They should be crated continually, until they reach their destination.
The rescue railroad derailed at my house when Cooper had severe tummy trouble mid-transport. The coordinator and sending rescue stayed up until 2am with me as I had him checked out at the OSU Veterinary Hospital, made multiple phone calls and emails daily while he mended at my place, and then arranged for a local temporary foster a few days later.
Obviously, these are ideal standards and it’s not infrequent that a transport may vary from one or more, due to the specific details of any given transport. For example, when transporting two large mastiffs, one transport opted to transport them uncrated, since even one crate that would accommodate a mastiff would not fit in most personal vehicles. It’s also worth noting that experienced drivers all start out as beginner drivers, and of course we want to offer opportunities for learning. Nevertheless, it’s important for the rescue transport community to adhere to guidelines that offer the most likely, safest outcome for the dogs and the drivers involved.
So tell me, fellow transporters, are there safe practices that you use on transport that I omitted? Do you have stories of where safety practices went right? Or a transport where safe practices weren’t followed, and things fell apart?
