For a while, it was all the rage in Los Angeles to carry a tiny purse-sized dog, such as a Chihuahua, Pomeranian or Yorkie. But, like all trends, this one faded – leaving hundreds of small dogs homeless, unwanted and alone. These pups quickly filled Los Angeles-area shelters, and many were euthanized when suitable homes couldn’t be found in time to make way for a new wave of abandoned pets.
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in quiet Utah, families and apartment-dwellers looking for a small dog were having trouble finding such a pet at the shelter. In Utah, lap dogs are a rarity in shelters and must usually be purchased for exorbitant prices from private breeders.
Then Robin Harmon, the adoption manager for Best Friends Animal Society in Los Angeles, and Jessica Almeida, rescue and transfer coordinator for the Humane Society of Utah, figured out a way to save hundreds of dogs and provide families with the companions they were looking for. The duo founded Pup My Ride about two and a half years ago to shuttle small homeless dogs between the two cities.
"It’s senseless to have dogs euthanized in one area when dogs like that are in demand in another area," Almeida told Tonic magazine. "You have these little dogs and you can’t imagine why no one would want them. And to imagine you can make someone’s dream come true, for a dog who had no future, is amazing. It is a fantastic feeling."
Pup My Ride has so far saved more than 3,500 small dogs from euthansia in California by making twice-monthly van trips to Utah. And the program has some major backing: actress Katherine Heigl and her mother, Nancy, fund the effort through their Jason Debus Heigl Foundation. In addition, Denise Richards is a regular volunteer.
Pup My Ride also rescues dogs from puppy mills – cruel operations where dogs are often left neglected and starving in their own waste, often in wire cages suspended feet from the ground. Dogs in such conditions can suffer horrible injuries, including amputation of the paws by the sharp wire of the cage.
[...] Pup My Ride connects homeless pets in Los Angeles to waiting families in UtahThe Daily TellPup My Ride also rescues dogs from puppy mills – cruel operations where dogs are often left neglected and starving in their own waste, often in wire cages … [...]