HPR owner Lesley McBurney began volunteering with RRW in January. "These beautiful animals are so precious when I pick them up from the previous driver," she said. "Sometimes they're a little nervous or tentative, but once you show them kindness and affection, they give it right back. They deserve to be loved and cared for, and that's what this whole process is all about."
The network covers about a dozen Midwestern states, and hundreds of volunteers rotate on different weekends. Most volunteers drive once a month, with some doing it more often. It's a relay that begins in Missouri on a Saturday morning. Drivers pick up the dogs at designated spots and then drop them off an hour or two later at the next rendezvous point. The process continues through Sunday and sometimes into Monday, until the dogs arrive at their destinations on the East Coast -- in states like Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire and New York. Most legs last between an hour and 90 minutes.
"Some of these dogs have been abandoned or mistreated, and it's sad to think of the lives they may have lived to this point," said Lesley. "That's why it's so gratifying to know that they're on their way to homes where they'll be able to love and be loved in return."
Rescue Road Warriors welcomes volunteer dog rescue drivers and appreciates donations to the cause. For more information, call Lesley at HPR: 330-534-1200.
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