We’re 40% of the Way There.
We’re officially 40% of the way there — and I could really use some help getting us the rest of the way.
I’m so profoundly grateful to everyone who’s supported this rescue effort from the very beginning — and continues to. This has been one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done… and I’ve done a lot of difficult things.
This entire situation has been profoundly saddening. But I’m moving forward to see this rescue mission all the way through — in honor of all of you who have been with us since Ava and her babies first came to us… and in honor of Ava and her remaining puppies, of course.
Cowboy is now back with us.
I wish I had our reunion on video.
When I first walked out, he was barky and reactive — overwhelmed and unsure. I knelt down with my body turned sideways. His owner asked if she should ease the leash and let him come to me, and I said, “of course.”
He rushed over immediately.
Smelling… smelling… processing…
And then it clicked.
His whole body broke into full wiggles and joy.
It was precious. One of the sweetest moments I’ve experienced in a long time.
I’ll be saving his neuter for when we arrive safely in South Carolina — as it will be less expensive there. (His neuter is included in this fundraiser.)
Cowboy is also going to need a lot of behavioral work once we land. Seeing how dysregulated he’s become, and how much support he’s going to need, truly saddens me.
Anyways, after speaking with multiple moving companies, listening to the sales pitches and promises, reading the fine print, and going through review after review of horror stories… I decided not to use movers. I simply cannot afford anything unpredictable popping up — financially or emotionally.
My nervous system - literally- cannot handle anything more than what it’s already carrying. I’m barely holding all of this as it is.
So I’m going with what I did when I moved out here to California: a shipping container.
NOT PODS — that was a total nightmare (unexpected added costs, their driver tearing up the driveway at the rental property and then refusing to take accountability, PODS not paying for the damages, etc).
The cost for the shipping container is $5,592.
All of this is coming directly out of pocket — no credit cards for any part of this move.
I’m planning for eight to nine days of travel, with intentional decompression stops each night at Airbnbs with fully fenced yards to help with the dogs.
This crew is not yet a cohesive dynamic, and their on-leash behavior isn’t where I want it to be (except for Ronin’s).
Motels and hotels would mean shared walls (and likely barking with unfamiliar noises), pet restrictions, cramped spaces, and navigating multiple separate walks late at night in unfamiliar areas — all while managing my physical limitations given the condition of my hips.
With Airbnbs, we can find homes with fenced yards so the dogs can decompress safely each night and get outside to relieve themselves without me having to make multiple trips.
The cost for even one night in an Airbnb is high — anywhere from $200 to $400 for a modest place to stay. It’s really unbelievable.
Here's our Route Map:
Day 1 — Dec 2
Murrieta → Tucson
410 miles — ~6 hr drive
Day 2 — Dec 3
Tucson → Las Cruces
275 miles — ~4 hr drive
Day 3 — Dec 4
Las Cruces → Abilene
430 miles — ~6 hr 20 min drive
Day 4 — Dec 5
Abilene → Shreveport
355 miles — ~5 hr 30 min drive
Day 5 — Dec 6
Shreveport → Oxford or Tupelo or Southaven
Day 6 — Dec 7
Mississippi → Conyers, GA
~5–6 hrs
Day 7 — Dec 8
Conyers → Columbia, SC
210 miles — ~3.5 hrs
I'll expect the shipping container to reach us about a week after arrival, so I'll be camping out on the floor until then.
I'll also need to hire help to unload the container and reassemble the larger items in there ($300–$400).
I definitely plan to post videos throughout the trip — what we’re doing, how the dogs are settling, the behavioral work once we've landed and decompress.
I'm REALLY hoping to find a dog treadmill on a Black Friday sale - or even on Facebook Marketplace- so we can begin structured work immediately once we arrive. I can't emphasize enough how much this will be needed.
With each of our nervous systems completely jacked and out of whack right now, the dogs are definitely going to need this in a big way.
This move is enormous — emotionally, logistically, and financially — and I’m doing it for one primary reason: to keep Ava, Cowboy, and Winnie safe and protected — and to prevent them from being confiscated during Animal Control’s upcoming follow-up (there's a 4 dog max per household law here).
Relocating is the only option to ensure their long-term wellbeing since I haven't been able to find capable fosters or good, responsible, committed, loving, invested adopters.
Support with this last portion is what will allow me to secure the container, book our safe overnight stays, and get the dogs to South Carolina without incident.
There, I’ll be able to operate as I once did — getting everyone into a stable groove, providing them with structure, safety, security, need-meeting every day, and doing so in a place where their presence is accepted. There will be no pressure to rush them into homes; we'll have and I'll be able to give them the support they need and the right families.
Please, if you’re willing and able, share their story and share their plight. Our GoFundMe is 40% of the way there, and we need all the help we can get:
Dog food for the trip can be found in the Amazon Wish List. We leave on Dec. 2nd, so please make sure delivery is made before then:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3FO6IN56H45BD...
100% of all profits from the sale of any Dog Mom University courses, any of my books, items from the Shop, and the dog walking meditations album are going directly toward our move and seeing this rescue effort all the way through.
