Guidelines

ALL DRIVERS and OVERNIGHTERS

DO NOT LEAVE AN UNCRATED ANIMAL UNSUPERVISED IN YOUR VEHICLE, EVER! Tragedies occur daily.

NEVER TRANSPORT A DOG IN A TRUCK BED! Covered, uncovered, just NO!

If you see something, say something to the rescue, immediately!

Assume that EVERY animal on transport is a flight risk, ALL ADULTS SHOULD BE DOUBLE LEASHED, one of the leashes should be attached to a SLIP COLLAR or should be a slip lead. 2 leashes attached to the same collar is NOT double leashed, there MUST be 2 collars and 2 leashes on every adult dog! My suggestion for puppies is also a small slip collar/leash, anytime they are out of the crate, they're quick and I've seen more than 1 try to climb out of an x-pen.

On the subject of leashes, a retractable leash should not be used on transport, it's easy to drop it if a dog wants to suddenly chase something. The safest thing is to put your hand through a leash handle and have a leash in both hands.

Being flexible is crucial to make a run fun for everyone. Runs are scheduled carefully, but traffic issues and car problems often arise and throw the best laid plans out the window. As with most things, how changes are handled makes all the difference between a good day and a miserable day, try to make every day a good one.

When you get out of your vehicle TAKE YOUR CAR KEYS! There have been several instances of a dog locking itself into a car by stepping on a door lock to look out. If you have window/door locks, please use them, very disconcerting when a tethered dog stands on the power window control while you are on the highway.

Please be mindful of the heat on asphalt in the summer, burned paws are very painful. It is probably best to get into the habit of backing into a parking spot by grass, easier to load and unload from SUV, makes the backend lower.

Please charge your cellphone the night before transport and be sure that it is fully charged when you start your transport. It is important that the rescue, and the drivers meeting you, can communicate any changes by phone. Carry your car charger with you.

Have the phone numbers of the Transport Coordinator, the shelter and any drivers who you are meeting.

ALL body parts of a K9 passenger should be inside a moving vehicle at all times, kind of like at an amusement park, keep everything inside the vehicle until the ride has come to a full and complete stop!

Please read each request to see if you are able to accommodate everything on the run, number/size of animals, whether or not a crate is coming, if there is a crate, does it fit in your vehicle, can the dog(s) be tethered. A good rule of thumb, more than 2 dogs should not be tethered in the same vehicle, all puppies, and most dogs under 20 lbs. should be crated.

Please be considerate of all drivers on a run, be at the meet location, with enough gas to drive your leg, before the dog arrives. The start of your leg is actually the end time of the previous leg, help to get the dog out of the arriving driver's car, walk it, water it, and load it into your vehicle. Please pick up any trash, and 'deposits' from the dogs. The arriving driver needs to be present, assisting, until the dog is secured in the departing vehicle.

Do NOT allow a child to be in control of a dog outside of your vehicle, that could result in disaster.

Overnighters need to be fully prepared to keep their guests in a safe place, usually away from resident animals, when taken outside, a double leash should be used.

Do NOT feed in the morning before transport, unless you have a severely emaciated dog. If you would like to fill a leg(s), please follow the directions on the post to make an offer. Most runs are flexible, if you can do part of a leg, make an offer, there could be someone hoping for the other part of the leg.

IF A CRATE IS SENT ON TRANSPORT, USE IT!

If a run is identified as NPOG, No Paws On Ground, this means that the dogs have not received all of the vaccinations necessary to fully protect them from disease. They MUST be placed on a ground cover, preferably in an XPen, they must be carried to the ground cover. Ground covers could be shower curtain liners or vinyl table clothes, many of us who do 'puppy breaks' regularly, buy shower curtain liners at a dollar store, use them once and throw them away. If the puppies are large, we use a slipcollar and hold it while in the XPen. ALL NPOG MUST BE CRATED!!! I also put a shower curtain liner under every crate that has a NPOG puppy, makes cleaning MUCH easier if there is 'output' in your crate/vehicle. Please don't sign up for NPOG if you are unable to follow the protocol, puppies lives could be endangered, it is more work than an adult, but...puppy breath!

The Transport Coordinator will set up a PM thread to facilitate communication throughout the day of transport. The thread will include all drivers and is a good way to learn if the transport is running early or late, please use this thread for this transport's related information only.

A transport "kit" should include: paper towels, trash bag, water bowl and water, slipcollar/leash, many dogs will chew through a tether enroute, please have one available for your leg even if leashes are being sent.

Before opening a car door, make sure that the dogs are secured, either by tether or crate. Wait until the next driver is available to assist with the transfer, this is a buddy system activity.

TRANSFER 1 DOG AT A TIME! There have been several fights during transport, resulting in both medical attention needed for a driver and a dog and dogs getting loose, do NOT allow dogs to interact.

Make sure that windows and car doors are closed if you step away from the vehicle. Dogs have been known to escape while you are walking the next one, even if tethered or crated much to everyone's surprise!

Dog(s) should be offered water during the 10-15 minute allotted break time. I've found that sometimes they will drink in the car/crate when they won't outside.

ALWAYS double leash, one should be attached to a slip or martingale collar, never attach 2 leashes to the same collar.

Transfer paperwork to the next driver or the final destination before handing off the dog(s).

Notify the Transport Coordinator when the dog has been handed off to the next driver or when the run is complete.

After each run, all bedding used and crates, crate pans, XPens should be cleaned with bleach.