How to Become an Animal Rescue Volunteer

Animal lovers everywhere cringe whenever they hear of cruelty to an animal, or about animals that are abandoned and sent to shelters where they will be euthanized. Have you ever wondered what you could do to help an animal in need?

The Dog Transport Volunteers is a group that looks out for animals by helping get them to new homes. Denise Whitaker is a Volunteer Animal Rescue Transporter with this organization and she would like to spread the word in the hopes that more people will offer their services and more animals will be saved.

ANGEL: How did you hear about The Dog Transport Volunteers group?

DENISE: I was browsing the Pet section on Craig's List and someone was looking for a volunteer to drive an hour to help get Remy, a brittney spaniel, into safety from a kill shelter.

ANGE: How long have you been with the organization?

DENISE: Remy was my first transport in November 2007, and I was hooked ever since I did that one. She was found outside starving in TN and they organized a transport to get her into a rescue in Maryland.

ANGEL: What exactly is entailed in a rescue?

DENISE: If an awesome dog/cat gets turned into or picked up by a kill shelter, they will make a few phone calls to rescues to see if anyone can take them or if anyone can foster them. From there, the rescue organizes a transport, where they line up drivers along the interstate from the kill shelter to the rescue/foster home. Each driver usually drives about an hour until the dog/cat makes it to safety. It could be 4 drivers or it could be 24...just depends how long the trip is, how many dogs, and how many states it's running through. Sometimes the transport will take 2 days, so they will have to find someone to keep it overnight mid-way transport, until the transport starts back up the next morning.

ANGEL: How many rescues have you helped with so far?

DENISE: I have done 15 so far...and if they gas prices weren't so high; I could do a lot more. That's why they need more volunteers to help so it doesn't put so much strain on only a certain amount of drivers.

ANGEL: How are you contacted for a rescue assignment?

DENISE: They all post on the transport website - where you can read all the dates and times for each weekend that the transports are coming through your area. You then email the person/rescue organizing the transport and they set it up from there. They will tell you where and when to be. There are numerous transports each and every weekend for the entire United States; it's not just limited to one specific region. Also, once you start working with the Transport Coordinators, they will email you to see if you can help out or if you know of anyone.

ANGEL: Do you have pets of your own?

DENISE: Yes, I have one indoor cat and take care of 3 feral cats. I can't foster or don't have the heart to volunteer at the Humane Society, so I figured this is the next best thing. I have a car and if I have a few extra bucks, I am more than happy to help out our four-legged friends.

ANGEL: Have you always been into animal rights and helping animals?

DENISE: All my life...I was the one that would bring home the injured bunny or baby bird.

ANGEL: Are you a member of any other organizations that help animals?

DENISE: Not really a member of anything else officially, but in my development I was able to stop the feral cats from multiplying. This will be the 3rd year that we have not had any kittens born. I also donate to the local humane society when possible.

ANGEL: What do you "get back" out of helping with transports?

DENISE: I don't really get anything back, at least not physically or monetary. But, nothing beats the feeling I get when I'm driving up the interstate and I look over and see this beautiful "diamond in the rough" that somebody discarded like a piece of trash, and he looks over at me with those big brown eyes...like he is saying thank you. You can just see in his expressions and when his tail wags how grateful he is that he was saved from being euthanized. Sometimes the feeling can be overwhelming, but it's an awesome feeling knowing that I helped save his life...and all it cost was a little gas money and a little bit of time. It's also rewarding when I get emailed pictures of a dog with its' new family...and I helped get him there!

ANGEL: Is there anything else you'd like to ad?

DENISE: Anybody can help, I urge everyone to participate in a transport at least once. I will say that it can be addicting, I always seem to find myself looking at the transport posts each day to see if there is a transport coming thru my way every weekend.

If you would like information about The Dog Transport Volunteers, you can visit its Web site at http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/dogtransportvolunteers/. This group of volunteers is helping many animals that would otherwise be put to sleep. It is a very rewarding endeavor and they can use all the help they can get so if you are an animal lover and would like to volunteer your time and services, be sure to contact them.