“Michelle, can we move a couple of dogs the Saturday after Thanksgiving? Do you think that we can find drivers?”
“I don’t know, we can try,” was Michelle Zdybicki’s response.
“Let’s put it out there. I’ll drive to Kearney if I have to.”
Later, Michelle contacted me, “Are we still trying to run this transport? The whole state of MN and IA is under a Winter Snowstorm warning on Saturday.”
“We are still on…let me see about running Friday morning.” I checked with the two families that would be receiving Pinto and CeCe…a daughter and mother, living a state apart. Friday was a go. Susan and Kevin, who were adopting Pinto would overnight CeCe, Susan’s mother’s new baby Corgi and get her back on transport Saturday morning. It was all coming together beautifully…and now, moving right along to the second half of this story…
WARNING: AHFK Dianne is referred to as a Tasmanian Devil.
AHFK Board Member, transporter, and longtime foster, Kris Adams reached out to me, “There are 7 Corgi pups being released by a breeder near Valentine NE. If I take some in, get them vetted, would you post them for me? My mom wants one of the female tricolored pups. Or, if we can get them all to you, can you find rescue for the other 6?”
We can and we did. We even had a Pilot for Paws pilot volunteer to make the trip to Valentine NE, pick up the pups, drop one in Albert Lea MN and continue on to the rescue in Northern Minnesota with the other 6. However, an hour into the flight, the pilot had to return home, she had lost all her electronics. Now what??? The pups had already been released, and no way were we sending them back to the breeder.
We were instructed that the 7 pups had transport to Sioux Falls SD. I left work early and made the 3-hour trip to meet up with them. The temp was 27 degrees and the windchill was brutal. Those 7 pups traveled from Valentine NE to Sioux Falls SD in the back end of an open bed pick-up truck, no tarps, no wind barriers, just open wire crates with nothing to shield them from the frigid temps. I was extremely happy that I had packed extra thick mattresses and blankets into the mutt mobile and once they warmed up…they slept the entire three-hour trip back to Albert Lea. The Pilot, once her plane was secured with her mechanic, made the drive to Albert Lea to secure the other 6 Corgis for the Northern rescue.
Cece, as Momma Albus named her, was vetted and we prepared her for transport to Colorado. Along with Pinto, now referred to as her step-fur-brother, made that Black Friday transport to Kearney NE and then onto Centennial CO the next day. Upon Kris’ posting of a successful adoption and transport, Anouk Eliza Roman, the initial networker for the 7 Corgis, made a comment about the route CeCe took to get home. Kris’ response, “Amazing what happens when like-minded people work together…Though, with a little Tasmanian Devil named Dianne Snater, nothing is impossible.” Kris, I accept that with the utmost honor and respect. THANK YOU!
And, Thank you, Momma Albus, for opening your heart and home, your life and love to this little girl. Thank you for your unwavering support of AHFK. We are furever grateful to you and your entire family.