North Ga. Animal Alliance takes dogs, cats to Atlanta
In the world of rescue, says Sara DeBerry, a volunteer with North Georgia Animal Alliance, networking is often the key to saving animals.
“We work with many other rescues,” DeBerry says. “That’s how you find the best homes for dogs and cats — by finding the places they’ll be mostly like to get adopted.”
NGAA networks with rescues in Pennsylvania and other northeastern states, in Tennessee and in Atlanta.
On March 22, NGAA volunteer Dave Mayo took two dogs and eight cats to the Atlanta Humane Society to find new lives, something he or another NGAA worker does about once a month.
The day started early, says Mayo. “Animals have to be gathered from various places. I picked up a dog at his foster’s house at 7 a.m. and
brought it back to my house. A couple of hours later I got another dog — Penny — that originally came from the Catoosa shelter and l met with Sara who had been picking up cats going on the trip.”
The cats came from some foster homes and from Catoosa County Animal Control.
Mayo says packing up his truck takes a little time. On this trip, Penny (the dog) and the cats went in carriers that had to be secured. One big dog that Mayo believes has some Great Pyrenees in its heritage got to be a front seat passenger, though maybe not the best one.
“Barkley has dew claws on his back feet,” says Mayo, “something that very few dogs have. Great Pyrenees is one type that does.”
Barkley, according to Mayo, was a nervous passenger from the get-go. “He’s 92 pounds and didn’t want to get into my truck. I couldn’t lift him so I secured his leash to the gear shift lever from the passenger’s side then went around to the driver’s side and coaxed him in.”
Once in, Mayo says Barkley was restless and on the trip to Atlanta
kept wanting to get into his lap — not a feasible possibility and certainly not a safe one even if it were possible.
Mayo packs plenty of supplies for his trips — collapsible water bowls, water, cleaning supplies, towels, even tools should he need
to fix something on a kennel or attach a tag to a collar more securely.
Mayo says one of his more interesting transport experiences was the time he got stuck in a traffic jam on an interstate. “I had a few dogs I thought they probably needed to relieve themselves because it had been so long. I pulled onto a shoulder and got their leashes on to walk them and some fellow
stopped and asked me if I was selling puppies.”
Transporting dogs going to Pennsylvania was a latenight venture for Mayo for a long time. “I would meet the lady making the longest part of the trip at around 6 a.m. I had to drive three hours so I had to leave around two or three in the morning,” says Mayo. “I liked to arrive early so I could walk the dogs and let them get some exercise before the remaining 12 hours of their trip.”
One transport for Pennsylvania had Mayo with 14 puppies in his truck. He says he’s also had numerous mother dogs with pups, including one with eight pups. “All the dogs are vetted before a transport, including heart worm tests and any required vaccinations and health certificates.”
Mayo says one of the greatest needs NGAA has is people to foster both dogs and cats, some short-term for transport but many more, especially cats, longer term for local adoption.
“Anyone interested in volunteering to help in any way,” says Mayo, “can go to our web site or call us. Helping save animals and finding good homes for them is very satisfying.”