WOOD RIVER, Neb. (AP) - With great efficiency, an organization transported a cat from Austin, Texas, to Coos Bay, Oregon, over a four-day period.
Thirty-five drivers handled separate legs of the journey, which began on Thursday morning and ended on Sunday evening with the cat in the arms of someone who wanted her, The Grand Island Independent (https://bit.ly/2lwrNdx ) reported.
How much did the transportation effort cost?
Nothing.
The job was coordinated by Kindred Hearts Transport Connection, which is operated completely by volunteers. The people who drive the animals, put up the pets for a day or two and monitor the trip all do it for free.
“Nobody gets paid,” said Beckie Spilinek of Wood River, who’s involved with Kindred Hearts.
At least 75 Nebraskans volunteer their time to KHTC. A couple dozen of those people live within an hour of Grand Island, Spilinek said.
The group transports dogs and cats all over the United States.
“They’ll step up to drive for anybody that needs help,” Spilinek said.
About 90 percent of the dogs and cats transported are about to be euthanized. KHTC volunteers find a new home for the animals - either a temporary or permanent one.
Pet shelters around the country are full, Spilinek said. There are simply too many dogs and cats.
Pets might need a new home for a variety of other reasons. Maybe the pet owner has moved and can’t keep the animal. Homeless pets are more apparent in the winter months, when the animals gather near homes looking for food and warmth.
There are also darker reasons why an animal might need a new home. People organize dog fights all over the country, including Nebraska, Spilinek said. In addition to a distaste for euthanasia, KHTC participants don’t like to see animals abused.
KHTC volunteers in Nebraska usually drive only about 85 miles before handing the animal off to the next volunteer. The normal legs in Nebraska are Sidney to Ogallala, Ogallala to North Platte, North Platte to Kearney, Kearney to York, York to Lincoln and Lincoln to Omaha or Adair, Iowa.
More volunteer animal transporters are needed in Grand Island, she said. Drivers are especially desired during the week, when most people are working. Participants may also house a pet for a night to make sure connections are made.
Spilinek sometimes serves as a driver herself. She also monitors trips that KHTC volunteers take, making sure they go off without a hitch.
The people involved in saving pets do a lot of networking on the internet. They visit sites such as petfinder.com and exchange Facebook private messages.
Some of the volunteers are extremely active. One man in Cheyenne, Wyo., drove 29,000 miles last year.
KHTC said it gives animals hope “one leg at a time.” The nonprofit organization, based in Sorrento, Fla., was started by a woman named Sherry Mastrogiacomo.
Spilinek also drives for an organization called Liberty Ride Transport.
Spilinek owns three dogs and five cats. One of those dogs came from a litter of 13 that her daughter rescued before they were thrown in a river.
It’s a satisfying feeling saving an animal’s life, said Spilinek, who’s in her mid-40s.
She named one dog Lucky because she arrived just before the animal was to be put to sleep.
That dog was a pit bull, which is Spilinek’s favorite breed. “They’re the sweetest, biggest babies,” she said.
Spilinek works with places such as the Lexington Animal Clinic and High Plains People for Animal Welfare (PAW) in Sidney. She also works with several individuals in Denver who specialize in specific breeds.
Spilinek is not a fan of “backyard breeders.” Those people, she said, produce dogs strictly for profit.
In December, Spilinek helped reunite two Great Danes with their owners after a rollover accident on the interstate near Elm Creek.
KHTC refers to itself as an “ethical, state-of-the-art, safety-conscious animal relocation organization.”
People who can’t drive for the organization may support it by buying shirts, which are sold as fundraisers.
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Information from: The Grand Island Independent, https://www.theindependent.com
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