I had seen a posting on a transport board about two dogs that needed a lift from a boarding facility in South Los Angeles to Sunland to catch a transport in progress. I offered to take one at a time, since I had never dealt with two large dogs at once and felt it was impossible. However, when there was no way to get the other one picked up, I decided to give it a whirl. It was after all, only a half hour drive.
I didn't know the exact size of the dogs, but since they were a bonded pair, I hoped I could handle TWO dogs in my truck at he same time. One sat in the front bucket seat, the other in the extended cab portion. It was quite a harrowing ride through the foothills as the one in the back freaked out almost the whole way. I had him tethered & harnessed behind me, but he kept trying to pace, tangling the seatbelts, panting, drooling, nose running. To this day the seatbelt is still broken, having been yanked so far out it can't go back in. So, needless to say, no visual aids on this ride; I had to concentrate on just getting there safely.
But it was quite cool to see what "real transports" are like. Cosmo and Cozmic were to hop into a van taking ten, yes TEN, greyhounds from Arizona to Nevada City. Someone volunteered their fenced in yard, and in gender-segregated rounds, the greyhounds all got out of their crates for a five minute potty break, and then were wrangled back up and put back into their crates. Cosmo and Cozmic got settled in, and in less than half an hour from the time the van pulled up, they hit the road.
Below is my follow-up email to the coordinators and rescuers after I returned home.
Cosmo and Cozmic are on their way! They are definitely a bonded pair. I don't know if "german shepherd dog" is the default at the animal shelter to call these dogs, but they really aren't german shepherds. The pictures didn't come through on the email, but their paperwork had their names on it. (by the way, the paperwork says they're both intact and unaltered. I didn't get a look under Cosmo, so I can't be certain)
The female (Cozmic I think) is the smaller, white with some tan markings, very sweet and stable. She could be part cattle dog or german shepherd.
The male, Cosmo, is rather large, might have some rhodesian ridgeback in him (all tan with a few black markings around the muzzle), but he's stocky like a very small version of a mastiff with a wide head.
Cosmo was more frantic, panting heavily, drinking a lot of water, and constantly needing to move around. i asked Cozmic to help me calm him (since she was serenely lying down in the front seat) and she licked his face and he tried to lie right on her (and she didn't mind at all). They shared one very small water bowl and both their faces were in it at the same time with no issues. I think they just might love each other. :)
I passed along their paperwork, and they both had collars when I picked them up from boarding.
I hope they get a home together somewhere. She may not need him, but she likes him and he definitely needs her.
And thank you Judy for being there when I arrived. Even though I got them both in the vehicle, I couldn't have taken them out and gotten them settled without assistance.
Stephanie.
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