Since 2005, the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals has transported 80,000 cats and dogs to partner rescue groups, adoptive and foster homes, spay/neuter appointments, and veterinary providers with our Wheels of Hope transport program. Our six transport vans run seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, to help NYC’s shelter pets and feral and stray community cats. This month, we are bringing you stories of organizations and individuals who are saving the lives of animals in New York City with the help of our Wheels of Hope. We hope you enjoy these Wheels of Hope: Tales from the Road!
“I can say without hesitation that without the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals’ Wheels of Hope transport program we wouldn’t be able to do the work we do,” states Waggin’ Train Rescue’s founder, Jane Kleinsinger. Waggin’ Train Rescue, a non-profit organization, was initially founded in 2001 to address the increased number of dogs that wound up in New York City’s shelter system in the aftermath of 9/11.
Today, most of the dogs the organization rescues still come from Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C). “Most of them need a few weeks of quarantine (for kennel cough) before they can go to their adoptive homes,” Jane explains. “Wheels of Hope takes them to kennels we use for this, and when they’re healthy, transports them to their forever homes all over New York, New Jersey, New England, and Pennsylvania.”
In Jane’s experience, the Wheels of Hope team is responsive and able to mobilize quickly. “Within minutes of submitting a transport request for an animal, I hear back with a confirmation. Immediate action is then taken to plan for their next destination,” says Jane. “I wish airlines worked as efficiently!
“We save between 200–300 dogs per year,” Jane says, “almost all of which have ridden on Wheels of Hope vans.”
Keep the Wheels Turning for NYC’s Animals!
Our current Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals Wheels of Hope fleet has driven a combined 1,415,198 life-saving miles! Our oldest transport vans each have now logged more than 300,000 miles, and our maintenance costs continue to rise with each vehicle’s mileage. In order to sustain the incredible pace we have set for NYC’s animals, we now are in need of a new Wheels of Hope transport van.
This month, as we race to help even more animals find homes for the new year, please join our campaign to keep the Wheels of Hope reliably turning in 2015 and beyond. Your tax-deductible donation will help us continue to help others save precious lives and bring hope to the littlest New Yorkers in the new year. Donate now at http://bit.ly/TurnWheels.
