Consider being a Transport Volunteer - It takes a Village -The Rest of the Story

Written by a CP Volunteer

Yes, there are big gaps all over the country - a FL foster mom drove over 900 miles to pick up her new kiddo this weekend as there's few volunteers between SW MO & FL without making big square corners and adding hundreds of miles and many hours to the dog's transport.

Don't think if you don't have much time or don't want to do a big leg, you're not important. You may be the 50-100 miles they need to fill a transport. There are times all of us have had to say no to helping - we're sick or have other commitments - so there's no such thing as too many volunteers in one area, either. Transports moved twelve dogs this past weekend alone, using 32 volunteers. (I do the reports for the group) I know that when I was planning transports, your first contact is by e-mails - it's the most efficient way to get the word out that Transports looking for help, and it doesn't cost anyone a penny. So everyone needs to pay attention to their e-mail accounts they've given when they've signed up. REPLY to the e-mail, whether it's a yes or a no, so they can go on - don't think they'll call if they really need you.

If the coordinators aren't having any luck, the next step is to call people in the area, but that's a time consuming process, and you tend to focus on the area you're missing first, not branching out for the long shots. It also takes money to make those calls - money we'd all like to save and see being used to help another dog. The coordinators also post to CRM for help (Julie had done that), so if you think you might be close enough to help - reply to them - ask what they need - let them know you're available - don't wait for a personal call, because everyone works and is doing this around their own personal commitments, too.

I know the average is 3-4 contacts to get one yes, so that means these ladies contacted over 100 people in a few night's time trying to get these transports covered (and then there's still the hours it takes to type the plan up and find meeting spots) - some by multiple means (e-mails to work/home, phone calls to work/home/cell). In most instances, these kids come in one weekend and need to move the next, so it's a short timeframe everyone is working in. EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS - it truly takes a village. Please click here to complete a volunteer application.






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