What is a rescue transport? Why are transports important? Who does these transports? Are they free?

These are just some of the questions that the public asks when we say “Transport saves lives.” ASVT provides humane road trips for homeless, abandoned dogs primarily to our rescue partner in Sioux City, Iowa. We help bring them to their “second chance” for a loving forever family.

What is a rescue transport?

“The transportation of animals is the intentional movement of animals by transport.”

Wikipedia has a simple way of describing rescue transport. ASVT likes to say it transports rescue animals to a better life.

Why are transports important?

Believe it or not… many other states actually have a shortage of puppies and adult dogs. Consequently, the last five years have seen an increase in the transports of shelter and rescue animals from areas of over population, to areas of greater demand.

Who does these transports?

ASVT does scheduled transports once a month. Many rescue groups also do transports and there are also organizations that provide transport services for rescues and animal shelters.

Our transports are driven by a professional animal transport driver. Sometimes, when we have a group of puppies that need to go quickly, one of our volunteers will load their personal SUV and make the drive to their destination.

Are they free?

Transporting animals is a very expensive operation. There are costs for health certificates, the fee for the transport driver, and boarding for shelter dogs if a foster is not available. All shelter dogs that are approved to go on transport must be out of the shelter for at least two weeks, so they have to be boarded. ASVT has to reserve at least 10 crates on the transport van to make the trip. The average cost for each dog is $200.

The transport process is handled by three ASVT Transport Coordinators. It is a time consuming process and we are fortunate to have this Task Team of three that handle it all.

• ASVT has partnerships with shelters, foster based rescues and breed specific rescues that have high adoption needs.
• These shelters/rescues have room for pets from Texas because of better spay/neuter and registration laws.
• ASVT has been sponsoring pets for transport for five years. We have visited the receiving shelters and have great relationships with the management and staff of the shelters/rescues.
• The pets are driven to the shelter/rescue by an animal transport overnight and arrive the next day.
• The pets ASVT have sent are usually adopted within 10 days. Some puppies have been adopted off the van!
• ASVT spends $200/per dog for the transport. This covers the cost of the animal transport, boarding for 14 days if a foster home can’t be found, a required interstate health certificate exam and any necessary vaccines to bring the pet up-to-date.

What is the impact of animal rescue transports? How many dogs are transported each year? In 2018 ASVT transported 160 dogs and 272 dogs in 2019 were transported. The number of animals in high kill shelters and abandoned animals ASVT rescues before they get the shelter are staggering. Statistics show that an estimated 6M to 8M dogs and cats enter animal shelters each year and even more astonishing is that 3M to 4M are euthanized (from Humane Society of the United States).

SAVING PUPPY LIVES

ASVT “puppy only” transport departed to Iowa in February.  It was driven by two ASVT volunteers in a personal van. The transport included 15 puppies. They arrived on Thursday and by Friday they were all adopted.

These are just four of the lucky puppies that made the journey
to Iowa to find their forever homes.

During the month of January 2020, ASVT took in over 50 puppies into our program. February transport gave many of these puppies a real chance for a good life.

ASVT is a 501c3 nonprofit rescue and we depend totally on community donations to make these transports possible. All ASVT staff are volunteers and do not collect a salary. 100% of all donations go toward saving the animals.

Some of our puppies available for adoption. Just submit an Adoption Application. www.ASVTexas.org

What’s in it for you?

If you have been around anyone in marketing or sales, you have probably heard the saying, “Sell the Sizzle NOT the Steak”. The “ASVT Sizzle” is the wonderful homes these puppies will find because of your generosity.

All sponsorships will receive a certificate and picture of the dog you sponsored. If you are a business, it is something you can proudly display in your office and on your website.

You can save a dog with a Transport Sponsorship. Just visit our website and make a donation using the DONATE button. Make a note that the donation is for a transport dog. You can sponsor with the entire $200 or a partial sponsorship. Or you may sponsor the entire transport! All sponsorships are tax deductible and you will receive a letter for your donation.

Please consider helping these dogs on their journey to a forever, loving home.

HOW CAN YOU HELP US HELP THEM?

ADOPT, SPONSOR, VOLUNTEER, FOSTER, DONATE!

Other ways we help our community animals is by educating youth, pay for medical expenses, food, supplies and transporting animals to areas with high adoption needs.

ASVT also sponsors a Spay/Neuter Program for community animals whose owners cannot afford to have their pets altered. This helps decrease the rise of community puppies and kittens that will end up in the shelters. ASVT requires spays and neuters for all animals in our program The accomplishments of ASVT would not be possible without partners like Ransoms Steakhouse, Wiesner Automotive, Empire Electric, Dock Line Magazine and so many more.