Milestone Transport: ASPCA Drivers Give the 300,000th Shelter Animal a Ride to a Brighter Future
Over the last six years, Haley Herman has dedicated herself to helping animals in need as a senior manager for the ASPCA Animal Relocation team. In her role, Haley drives animal transports in addition to training and onboarding all our drivers. To date, she has completed nearly 100 ground transports, covering thousands of miles. In doing these animal transports, Haley helps relocate animals from crowded shelters in under-resourced areas to shelters where those animals have a greater chance of being adopted. Last week, Haley had the opportunity to participate in an extra special transport.
On October 27, Haley drove the relocation vehicle that transported our 300,000th shelter animal! The milestone dog, Maisie Belle, was found as a stray with a broken front leg so severe it had to be amputated. Thankfully, she healed in time to be transported, alongside 12 other dogs, from the Humane Educational Society of Chattanooga in Tennessee, to Brandywine Valley SPCA in Delaware, where we hope she will find the perfect home.
Since the program launched in 2014, we have been responsible for the safe transport of over 300,000 animals — including more than 211,000 dogs and nearly 89,000 cats — on over 11,000 ground and air trips. As a leader in animal relocation, our teams relocate more homeless animals than any other organization, operating in 40 states nationwide with a network of 140 participating partner shelters.
While transporting animals may sound like a fairly simple operation, there is a lot of planning, preparation and care that goes into every single transport we do. That’s why, in honor of this huge milestone, we’ve asked Haley to give us an inside look at what an average day in the life of an animal relocation driver looks like!
A Day in the Life
“Before I get on the road, I pack my bags. I pack my uniform, waterproof boots and extra clothing to stay warm, especially in the wintertime!” Haley explains. “Then it’s time to catch my flight to whichever state I’m picking the animals up from.”
Left, Haley on her flight to Tennessee. Right, Haley conducting a pre-transport vehicle inspection.
All transports include two drivers, so after arriving to pick up the vehicle, Haley meets with her fellow driver.
“In this case [at the milestone transport] it’s Amber Yon, another ASPCA Animal Relocation driver. After we pick up the transport vehicle, we conduct a pre-transport vehicle inspection to ensure the vehicle is safe and ready for transport. Once we’ve cleared everything, we head over to our hotel to get a good night’s rest before picking up the animals the following day.”
The next day, it’s time to head to the source shelter for pickup.
“For this milestone transport we went to the Humane Educational Society in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where I, of course, got to meet our milestone dog, Maisie Belle, who was filled with excitement and was so happy to greet us with a wagging tail and a smiling face. She really loved belly scratches!”
Left, Haley and Amber picking up Maisie Belle from the Humane Educational Society in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Right, Haley and Amber filling out paperwork before their drive.
Haley continues, “Once all the animals are loaded onto the vehicle, we begin logging our temperatures in the animal cargo area so that we can continue to make sure the animals are safe and comfortable for the duration of transport.”
Once everything is secure, the transport officially begins, with specific protocols in place for longer drives to ensure both the safety of the animals and our drivers.
“At the four-hour mark of the trip, we stop to check on every animal. We give them treats, fresh water and change out their potty pads if needed,” Haley says. “If a transport exceeds 650 miles, like this one did, we continue onto a waystation. A waystation is a stopover point that allows the animals to rest for the night. They get a walk, fresh food, water and a bed.”
The next morning, the animals are loaded back onto the truck and it’s time to head towards the destination shelter, in this case Brandywine Valley SPCA in New Castle, Delaware, stopping again at the four-hour mark to check on their overall wellness, give treats and fresh water and change out their potty pads.
“On the road, we often are greeted with a huge, ‘Thank you for all that you do,’ as well as many happy waves from adults and children in passing cars. We have even received numerous thumbs up from other truckers and motorcyclists! It always puts a smile on my face to see others happy about the work we are doing for animals. Now we have QR codes on our trucks so people can scan to learn more about our work or make a donation. It’s just another way our supporters, animal lovers and the community can engage with our mission.”
Left, Haley giving the dogs water. Right, Haley and Maisie Belle at the waystation.
Once a transport arrives at the destination shelter, each animal is offloaded and on their way to find the loving homes they deserve.
Haley offloading Maisie Belle.
Then, our drivers do a full sanitation of both the vehicle and kennels so that they are fully ready for the next transport. After the long day, the team heads back to their hotels and will catch flights back home before starting all over again with a new transport. Despite handling hundreds of these transports, the impact of her work never ceases to amaze Haley.
“My heart is filled with so much gratitude knowing we not only delivered the 300,000th animal, Maisie Belle, but also 12 other dogs that will now have the opportunity at a second chance at life,” she says. “Without the work my team does, many animals would not necessarily have the opportunity to be adopted, which makes the work we do life-changing not only for animals, but for us as a team. I can’t tell you how many happy tears I have shed watching the animals get delivered to their destination shelters. There is almost always one animal that looks back towards us as if saying 'thank you.' That makes it all worthwhile and inspires us to keep doing this exceptional work.”
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