weekend houseguests...

I am absolutely thrilled to have two very special guests staying at the house this weekend!
Actually, two very special puppy-angels:
Brittany and Kristen!

waiting for Brittany and Kristen to arrive!

New Hampshire does not have the same overpopulated pounds and shelters as they do in the South. We have lived here now for two and a half years and have never... never seen a stray dog....incredible! It is said to be because of strict spay and neuter laws, but quite honestly (having been born, and raised and lived in the South I will say) it is primarily a cultural issue. It is just not okay here to mistreat, dump, let your dog run lose, or chain your dog to a bumper as it is in some places in the South.

So, the empty shelters here partner with the overcrowded shelters in the South and bring up dogs to find homes!

Here is information from the Shelby Humane Society's website explaining about the Shelby Partner's Program.... you can click on the photo to go to their site.

Shelby Humane Society's Shelter Partners Program, founded in November, 2006, is a volunteer driven (literally) transport program providing second chances for thousands of shelter dogs.
Shelter Partners moves pets from Shelby County, which is experiencing extreme animal overpopulation, to shelters in states where the success and enforcement of animal and spay and neuter laws and initiatives limit the number of pets available for adoption. Shelby Humane works with a dedicated group of partner shelters to find new forever families for dogs being transported. With rare exception, the dogs and puppies transferred are placed with adoptive families within a few days of becoming available for adoption at our partner shelters.
This program would not be possible without the dedicated volunteers who are willing to drive 19-23 hours to make these life-saving trips possible. We are always in need of additional drivers so we can make more trips and save more lives!
Please visit our Shelter Partners picture page which includes adoption day photos and updates for many of the dogs that have benefited from this wonderful program!
Save a Life - Sponsor a Dog for Our Next Shelter Partners trip!

Each Shelter Partners trip costs SHS $750-850. For $50, you can sponsor one of the dogs leaving our shelter to go to New Hampshire. We will send you a picture of the dog that benefits from your kindness and any information we have about it.

It was over a year ago that I first found the blog One Dog at a Time (while blog hopping) of two sisters who had just completed their first rescue trip driving dogs to New Hampshire. I was heartsick to find their blog literally two days after they returned home, as they had had van trouble, and I could have/would have helped them had I known. I contacted the sisters, Brittany and Brooke, and introduced myself and gave them my contact information for their next trip. I wanted them to have a NH contact, a "just in case" name and number.

From that point, we became fast friends and in May (on their second rescue trip) Ella and I were able to meet them in person! You can read about it HERE!

Sisters Brittany (left) and Brooke, with Ella at the Nashua Humane Society

Gorgeous "puppy angels"- Brooke, Kristen and Brittany

On this trip this weekend, Brittany (right) is coming with her friend- Kristen (center in photo above) and they are driving 33 lucky shelter dogs from Alabama to New Hampshire!

They will depart Alabama Friday morning and drive straight through, arriving in New Hampshire early Saturday morning. They will drive to two NH Humane Societies in different parts of the state to drop off the dogs.
Usually the girls have to head back immediately, but I am thrilled that Brittany and Kristen have taken some vacation days and will stay with us over the weekend!
The girls requested antique shopping! I want them to see and get to know New England, so I have lots of shops and sight-seeing planned!
(you will be greatly missed Miss Brooke...)

To see the adorable dogs they are transporting this trip and to follow their adventure, go to
One Dog at a Time blog (also on my sidebar).
The three girls also make dog collars that they sell on etsy! A portion of sales go to fund their rescue trips, so that the shelter doesn't have to pay for them. Be sure to check our their fun designs at the link at the bottom of my blog!



Ella modeling a One Dog at a Time collar!



Safe travels to the pups and the wonderful puppy-angels driving them!
Can't wait to see you!
xo,
joan