14,083
SHELTER ANIMALS TRANSPORTED
TO SAFETY
SINCE 2020
$212K
FUNDS RETURNED TO LOCAL RESCUES AND COUNTY SHELTERS
371
TRANSPORTS LAUNCHED
TO NORTH RESCUES SINCE 2020
22
SHELTERS AND COUNTIES SERVED IN NC, SC,
AND KENTUCKY
The Shelter Dog Transport Alliance
Who We Are
We are an alliance of more than a dozen county animal shelters and rescues throughout the South with the aim of working together to ensure every shelter animal gets a second chance at life!
A recent study by Best Friends Animal Society has North Carolina ranked #3 for the highest shelter euthanasia rate, behind only California and Texas. In order to tackle this statistic, our alliance partners with animal rescues in New England, as well as Canada, to relocate dogs and cats to safety and into loving homes when our shelters become critically full.
Why We Do It
We decided to initiate this transport program because we never want to see any adoptable animal euthanized simply because a shelter is full. Our aim is to reduce overcrowding in our shelters so that we always have room to compassionately care for those that are abandoned or neglected. Because of space limitations, many of our shelters have waitlists for people wanting to surrender animals. This has sadly led to the regular practice of individuals dumping helpless puppies and kittens, elderly animals, or unwanted animals by roadsides or in empty fields.
Our Ultimate Goal: Be a Life-Saving Bridge!
As we give homeless animals a new chance at life through relocation, we're simultaneously working towards addressing the root cause of overcrowding in our shelters by supporting spay/neuter initiatives. We often refer to transport as a 'Life Saving Bridge', offering safe passage to those in immediate need of saving, which then frees up resources to move towards a future where euthanizing companion animals is a thing of the past.
The Shelter Dog Transport Alliance is a life-saving village that
will not rest until our State is no longer a deadly statistic
DOG TRANSPORT
Transport is a life-saving outlet that not only spares precious lives, but affords us the additional breathing room to focus on making sustainable changes to address overpopulation. When shelters are inundated with unwanted strays, owner surrenders, and medical emergencies; they exist in survival mode, simply moving from one crisis to another. When shelters have manageable populations, they can be proactive in addressing animal welfare challenges within their own communities.
If you are a reputable rescue or humane society and wish to partner with us in making a difference, please contact us. It takes a village to do what we do, and there's simply no way we can do it without our rescue families up North.
CAT TRANSPORT
The Shelter Dog Transport Alliance was founded on the premise of ensuring no shelter animal ever has to lose their life due to lack of space. For cats and kittens in North Carolina, this is an all-too-common reality due to overpopulation. Transport often is a shelter cat's last hope, so we are grateful beyond measure for this life-saving outlet.
If you are a reputable rescue or humane society and wish to partner with us in making a difference, please contact us.
OUR STORY
"Our transport program was founded in January 2020 during a visit to an overcrowded WNC rural county shelter. The shelter director desperately needed help with bigger adult dogs, slow to warm up dogs, medical cases as well as seniors. Unfortunately, in our shelter systems these types of dogs are sadly the ones left behind. We knew Northern transport was a rescue option, however, the giant leap of getting a dog from a rural, underfunded North Carolina shelter to a reputable, rescue in New York or Canada seemed like an impossible reality. We had no backing or support from a large Humane Society, we had never worked with a rescue beyond our State, and we had no van...but what we did have were some of the greatest underdogs in the world, and for them we were committed to making the impossible possible.
Two months later we had everything needed to run transport, and so we initiated our first trip North with 31 souls on board. Thanks to the kindness of friends, family and strangers, a whirlwind tour of NY rescues; away we went that March evening! Today we have over a dozen 'rescue families' North to whom we regularly transport our shelter cats and dogs, while supporting over 22 county shelter systems and rescues throughout the State of North Carolina, South Carolina and Kentucky. We have 3 transport vans in our fleet--BigHun2, Big Sam and Big BB, who offer transport services North free of charge to any shelter dog or cat in need.
The Shelter Dog Transport Alliance was founded on the premise of uniting shelters and rescues near and far to maximize our life- saving capacities. We knew our small transport program would never alone have the impact we wished to see. So, we put our faith and efforts into creating a culture of compassionate partnerships in which the power of 'We' is harnessed for our most vulnerable. I cannot alone save them all, but I sure know our alliance of rescue families and local shelters are going to try. If you would like to be a part of this extraordinary mission, please reach out to us today. Our shelter animals are counting on us"
Shelter Dog Transport Alliance Founder
Natasha Kush
