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Waggin’ the way home
Pet transport program debuts in Logan County

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Humane Society Serving Logan County Executive Director Lori Plummer, left, places “Barney” in a kennel inside the PetSmart Charities Rescue Waggin’ as PetSmart Charities Coordinator Erin Crawley looks on Monday afternoon. The Rescue Waggin’ was on hand for tours Monday, prior to departure to New York at 5 a.m. today.

EXAMINER PHOTO | DOUG LOEHR

By Mandy Hochstedler
Examiner Staff Writer
05/06/08

A total of 27 dogs from the Humane Society Serving Logan County will travel to a new home today in Fairport, N.Y., as a result of the PetSmart Charities Rescue Waggin’ program.

The program provides a special transport vehicle to move adoptable dogs from shelters with high pet overpopulation, such as here in Logan County, to shelters where the dogs are more in demand. Today marks the first day of the local shelter’s participation with the Rescue Waggin,’ which will continue with dog pick-up dates every month.

“We receive about 1,100 dogs from the community each year, way more than we have room for,” humane society executive director Lori Plummer said Monday afternoon.

“This is a great program. It’s another resource for helping to get adoptable dogs out there.”

Ms. Plummer said the Rescue Waggin’ will help control the pet population and reduce the humane society’s euthanasia rates by at least 50 percent.

“However, this does not replace spay and neuter as a means of population control,” she said. “We still very much need people to sterilize their pets.”

Dogs chosen for the Rescue Waggin’ must go through a special screening process.

“Our employees will test the dogs’ sociability with people and other dogs, and look to see if they have any toy or resource guarding issues,” Ms. Plummer said.

“They have to grade at a certain level to be chosen for the program.”

Next, pictures and information about the dogs are sent to “destination” shelters, which pick out the specific dogs they want to receive.

The dogs chosen by the destination shelter then travel in style in an air conditioned and heated Rescue Waggin’ that contains 42 kennels. They can be monitored by the Rescue Waggin’ driver, who rides in a separate cabin, through closed circuit TV.

Since the program’s inception in 2004, more than 19,000 animals have been transported, according to a release from PetSmart Charities. The program exists in the Northeast, the Midwest and the Plains, and may expand to some of the Southern states as well.