Trains, Automobiles, and Planes – the First Dnipro Shelter Rescues Arrive in the US
We kicked the new year off with a bang – our rescues from the Dnipro Shelter arrived in the US. Getting them here was no easy task. First, three volunteers with four dogs took a 20 hour train ride from Dnipro to Chelm Poland. The dogs were terrific passengers. On the train they looked out the window, said hello to fellow passengers, snacked, and of course, napped. Marly, the wisest of the crew, hopped up on the top bunk with the help of one of the volunteers and took in the scene from there.
Once they arrived in Chelm they were greeted by Anna and Josh from the Sochi Dogs team. They said good-bye (and thank you!) to the rescue team from Dnipro, went for a short stroll, and with no time to lose, got into the rental car for the next leg of the journey. The next three hours would be spent driving to a boarding facility in Warsaw. It was dark and with nothing to see out the window, everyone snoozed in the back seat. By the time they got to Warsaw it was close to 10 PM, everyone got a late dinner and settled in for the next couple days.
Since each flight only allows only a limited number of dogs, the group had to split up. Lemon and Marly flew with Josh, spending only a day in Warsaw, while Darcy and Arie hung back to fly the following day with Anna.
Obviously, when each group arrived at the airport early in the morning they were seasoned travelers. They mostly sat quietly in their crates waiting for the attendants to check them in, except for Darcy, she was upset to be in a crate when there were so many people around who could potentially give her pets and treats. After check-in they went through security and then on to the plane!
The Sochi Dogs team collected them in New Jersey where Lemon and Darcy already had family anxiously waiting for their arrival, while Marly and Arie settled into foster homes until their perfect match came along.
