From a friend;
Had my first taste of ugly dog trafficking today. This trailer packed full of dogs and puppies stopped at our hotel in Allentown PA this evening.
I took this picture and wandered down closer. Crates stacked floor to ceiling, most had multiple dogs in them. Dozens of people walked dogs ohhing and awwing. The transport owner stepped in front of me and asked what I wanted. I looked in the trailer and said really? If a breeder ever had that many dogs packed into crates like like they’d be crucified. Someone said “he’s not a breeder, he’s a rescuer!” I said how much to transport? He said I only charge $185 a dog. I said no you’re not a dog breeder, you’re a dog trafficker.
I started to walk away and he stepped in front of me and wouldn’t let me pass. I said please get out of my face. He screamed at me “I’M IN YOUR FACE”, with a lovely spray of spit. I probably should have called the police right then but I must tell you crowd was getting rabid. One woman screamed at me I was an asshole and I should get my head out of my ass. If they had rocks, I think I would have been pelted.
Boy, people are losing their heads and brains when it comes to this nonsense. My educated guess on his take for this transport? At least 150 dogs in this trailer. A neat $27,750. It’s just a damned shame people don’t get this concerned about hungry, poor children in this country than they do about this supposed load of these poor Texas dogs heading to the Northeast for adoption.
The ultimate virtue signalling accessory, so-called “rescues” are being farmed, imported, and sometimes stolen to supply the insatiable demand. Don’t fall for this scam.
An update — the original writer of this account has now withdrawn her Facebook post from public view, due to threats and abuse from purported dog rescuers, (some of which you can read for yourself in the comments here). Nice people, these.
Sept.20th Update: A look inside the tax returns and more.
Rescue Road Trips is a nonprofit, based in Ohio, and founded in 2005. There are people in the North who want to adopt dogs & puppies who have found themselves in high kill shelters, or they are out roaming the streets. RRT’s works with rescue groups in the South to get those dogs northward bound into homes. In the South, a great number of dog owners turn their pets in at animal shelters. Animal shelters according to law can legally euthanize owner turn-ins immediately. Stray holds are 72 hours, after which the shelter can put the animals down. Kill shelters are not a pretty sight. Some shelters use the heart sticking method to kill dogs and puppies, kittens and cats. Some of them use gas chambers for mass euthanizing. Google heart stick facility to learn about this horror. In reading the post that the woman named Vicki plastered on Facebook, she stated that she approached the RRT truck and looked inside. Then she assumed the worst and accused the driver of being a dog trafficker. The transport which was on its way North to deliver dogs who would otherwise be dead, was on its way to deliver deserving dogs to loving adopters and foster homes. Go to RRT’s FB page and watch the video of the dogs arriving in CT and the excited adopting families waiting for them. I’m not surprised that the people and driver’s reactions were not welcoming to their accuser upon being grilled and then accused of stealing pets out of backyards and reselling them. Nothing could be further from the truth. The dogs are all vetted before their road trip. Volunteers meet the truck along the route Northward to help exercise and water the dogs. Watch a rest stop video on RRT’s facebook page. I do not understand why there are those people out there in the public, who apparently consider shelter dogs not worthy of getting adopted out of bad situations; from the street and southern shelters. The original poster should have kept her head instead of making accusatory remarks, and then afterwards she should have educated herself on who Rescue Road Trips is before slandering them and their work on a public social media website.
We can’t afford $185 per dog…
I know. eh…every dog trafficker, er rescuer, has to have their cut…and $27,750 doesn’t go as far as it used to…
Sure wish somebody would start rescuing cattle…must be of because of bovinephobia being so rampant. Some animals more equal than others…
Whoa, slow down. This article is soley based on one persons observation and a single picture. Two seconds of fact checking would show you that Rescue Road Trips has a bestselling book written about them! These Digs come from the Deep South where there is a horrible overpopulation and stray issue. They have been completely vetted, including all shots and being fixed.
We rescued a puppy from last trip and his two sisters were on that truck. They were probably created together as they are used to bring in the same crate together.
This man lives for saving these lives, how dare you write such a horribly biased article against him and Rescue Road Trips.
Shame on you!
Whoa, slow down. This article is soley based on one persons observation and a single picture. Two seconds of fact checking would show you that Rescue Road Trips has a bestselling book written about them! These Digs come from the Deep South where there is a horrible overpopulation and stray issue. They have been completely vetted, including all shots and being fixed.
We rescued a puppy from last trip and his two sisters were on that truck. They were probably created together as they are used to bring in the same crate together.
This man lives for saving these lives, how dare you write such a horribly biased article against him and Rescue Road Trips.
Shame on you!
My goodness, people get touchy when you shine a light on them.
This is symptomatic — the tip of the iceberg. In addition to transcontinental transport, here are thousands of imported “rescues” pouring in from Turkey, Korea, Iraq, China… along with truckloads of puppies being sold a “rescues” in parking lots.
Dog trafficking is now going global, all the while, legislators are busy imposing breeding bans and mandatory spay-neuter legislation to address “overpopulation”.
It’s the canine equivalent of the Keystone XL — demonize domestic pet breeding while opening the doors to foreign imports. The reason? The importers and retail rescue make much better profit on these dogs than any reputable breed does on a litter of puppies raised with proper immunization and socializtion. So, they’ve moved from mass production in the commercial kennels to mass importation instead.
I am writing this as my “poor Texas pup” lays on my feet snuggled up on a cozy fall blanket. She is tired as she spent the morning strolling around a lake with my husband and I along with our other rescue pup, followed by a visit to her grandpas house where she enjoyed a nice breeze on his porch by the ocean. This “poor Texas pup” has a life that she never would have had the chance to have in Texas if it wasn’t for the rescue group that allowed me to adopt her and Rescue Road Trips who brought her to me. Fortunately, this story of my dog is not a story unique to Rescue Road Trips as all of the dogs are wanted, loved and given the life and attention that most humans dream of. There are so many stray and unwanted dogs in Texas who are just tossed aside like garbage. Rescue Road Trips transports these dogs who would probably otherwise be euthanized, to loving families up north who are so excited to welcome them into their family they are holding signs that they make in advance, taking videos and writing emotional blog posts about this life changing experience. These “poor dogs” on the trailer are embarking on a life exploding with love and attention that the people writing these comments are clearly lacking. Educate yourselves, these dogs are some of the luckiest animals on the planet and it’s all thanks to the amazing rescue groups and Greg who does this all out of the kindess of his huge heart.
If you wanted to spread infectious canine diseases like bordatella, influenza, and parvovirus, I can’t think of a better way than packing a bunch of “street dogs” into a semi-trailer for a two day trip.
The dogs are vetted and altered before heading North. Educate yourself.
Seriously?
A breeder posts a story about a group that does rescue – makes up numbers (150+ dogs) and you are repeating it?
Vicki Kubic is gonna end up getting sued for slander.
And you are going to be an exhibit on how it spread.
Spend five minutes researching before you spread lies.
This is a lie. This guy is a very kind to animal person. He does not sell dogs either. He transports for reputable rescue groups saving dogs from cruel environments in southern states. I met him and talked to him and saw the inside of his trailer when my latest rescue was delivered from Louisiana.dd
Unless every dog spent sufficient time in quarantine prior to being put into that truck, or screened medically, the “vetted” term refers to a 5 minute exam and a set of shots.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/5-calgary-dogs-diagnosed-with-rare-infectious-disease-1.2595999
The problem is that the dogs in the “north” will be put down Becasue people “rescued” a dog off line…
And,juat how can one “vet” a home when you,can go on line and put money down and set up shipping and bam you ha e a dog.. So it so buying a dog.. And the dogs in local areas are euthanized becasue people shipped dogs in from,other states. Not to mention the issues with disease ( canine flu that came from imported dogs and killed how many dogs in the USA?? or Heartworms that used to be pretty rare in some areas but now is being seen becasue rescues are transporting HW+ dogs to those areas. ….
What happens if the rescues lies about the dog??
To bad… Becasue the rescue has your money and you have no recourse.
I have dogs that were strays and dogs that were brought from a breeder and pet stores,
And I picked the dogs and kept the strays Becasue they worked with my family and our lifestyles.
I don’t care where you get your dog from.. But having a “rescue” dose not make you a “better” person or make your dog more important..the bottom line is that there are laws and regulations that people who are invouled with dogs must follow. However many rescues and,shelters are Exempt from providing the required care Becasue they are “non profit” ..which means they have no oversight. Which is why we keep seeing animal being neglated and horders in the news..
This is a lie. This guy is a very kind to animal person. He does not sell dogs either. He transports for reputable rescue groups saving dogs from cruel environments in southern states. I met him and talked to him and saw the inside of his trailer when my latest rescue was delivered from Louisiana.dd
This is a lie. This guy is a very kind to animal person. He does not sell dogs either. He transports for reputable rescue groups saving dogs from cruel environments in southern states. I met him and talked to him and saw the inside of his trailer when my latest rescue was delivered from Louisiana.
For you to put this here and make these comments is irresponsible. This man gets unwanted dogs to their foster or forever homes. If you weren’t too busy breeding and actually knew a thing or two about rescue, you would know it is very hard to get dogs transported. Volunteers doing it all the time but many a run has to be cancelled for lack of drivers. Some of these shelters down south do not give dogs a chance like they do in the northeast. This is why many are rescued. I belong to a Labrador group as I have a rescued (key word here) lab and Greg provides love and a safe transport to many of these animals being saved. Greg should sue you for slander. Everyone else who is also clueless and chiming in here this only has the potential to hurt animals in need. Shame on all of you. Go take a walk in the fresh air or something.
I’m not sure why this bashing is happening…… I got my pup from a rescue that uses this truck-style transport system and he and I are happy as could be. My life wouldn’t be the same without my Gryffindog!!
I’m not sure why this bashing is happening…… I got my pup from a rescue that uses this truck-style transport system and he and I are happy as could be. The money I paid to the rescue was for his veterinary bills (he was neutered and UTD on all vaccinations) and the amount for the transport. It was the same amount of money I would have paid to rescue a dog in my home state. Not a scam at all in my case. My life wouldn’t be the same without my Gryffindog!!
They must look a sight after a couple thousand miles with all the vomit, urine and feces dripping down on the lower dog
Most animal travel crates have a solid bottom tray. The airlines require this for obvious reasons.
Whoa, slow down. This article is soley based on one persons observation and a single picture. Two seconds of fact checking would show you that Rescue Road Trips has a bestselling book written about them! These Digs come from the Deep South where there is a horrible overpopulation and stray issue. They have been completely vetted, including all shots and being fixed.
We rescued a puppy from last trip and his two sisters were on that truck. They were probably created together as they are used to bring in the same crate together.
This man lives for saving these lives, how dare you write such a horribly biased article against him and Rescue Road Trips.
Shame on you!
Most animal travel crates have a solid bottom tray. The airlines require this for obvious reasons.
Oh, so they lay in their own soup…assuming they have good aim. cool
Do the traffickers require these trays?
For those who haven’t noticed the cult-like obsession of so-called dog “rescuers”, I direct your attention to the over 100 comment thread that’s been generated upon their arrival here, complete with threats.
Seriously? Why not do a little research before bashing a wonderful man who spends his life transporting discarded animals, who has a fabulous book written about him, and check in with actual rescues and adopters who use Greg’s service? I have seen some horrible rescue transports, and Rescue Road Trips is NOT one of them. And I have been the person videotaping and sending DVDs to rescue directors and calling them out for using these services. Rescue Road Trips trailer is climate controlled – that means heated and air conditioned. “Angel” volunteers show up at every stop to help walk all the dogs. They have access to food and water – some transports don’t stop so the animals don’t have breaks and food and water are withheld. Greg sleeps in the trailer with the dogs overnight. Every night he is on the road! Yes, the dogs are barking when the truck stops, because they are excited and of course stressed. What are their options? To be put down because the South doesn’t seem to understand spaying and neutering, doesn’t treat their dogs like valuable, living beings and has an insane overpopulation of animals? Everyone should be grateful there are people like Greg and all of us rescuers and adopters up North who open our homes to these animals.
Uh, there you are dead WRONG. In fact, scientific research shows carefully bred purebreds are HEALTHIER and live LONGER than random bred mongrels.
Everyone should be grateful there are people like Greg and all of us rescuers and adopters up North who open our homes to these animals.
I’m sure the traffickers are grateful…especially the ten minute vet check so they can say they’re ‘legitimate’. The more of you, the larger will be the supply. Enablers…all kinds of ’em these days.
“All you’ll are worried about is the perfect dog blah blah blah. ”
Yes a healthy dog where parents were chosen for temperament and health. A dog that will not cost a fortune in vet bills in the long run. A dog screened for genetic conditions. Each puppy carefully chosen to match expectations of selected approved in advance owners who often waited for months or even years to get their pup.
You got nothing on the breeders. You think you are rescuing? No responsible person without tons of experience with difficult dogs should ever play the rescue lotto. I know of plenty of people who had huge problems handling rescues (if the rescues turned out healthy in the first place) when you get a pup from a responsible breeder you will avoid these problems.
“You make dogs have sex and take their puppies and sell them for 1k plus and make a profit… ”
Try to make profit form selling at 1.5K a pup. Go ahead see how this works out.
“… on you just sitting there!”
Just sitting there? What a clueless moron.
You have no idea how much effort it takes to care for a litter of puppies and a nursing bitch. How much the vet bills are. And you do it three times max (more often only twice) in bitch’s life. None makes a living breeding dogs. It is a craft and a souce of pride not income.
If you were a responsible owner the dog would not have been running loose in the first place, and you would have been screened out as a potential home for not having a safely fenced yard.
If you were a responsible owner the dog would not have been running loose in the first place, and you would have been screened out as a potential home for not having a safely fenced yard.
“All you’ll are worried about is the perfect dog blah blah blah. ”
Yes a healthy dog where parents were chosen for temperament and health. A dog that will not cost a fortune in vet bills in the long run. A dog screened for genetic conditions. Each puppy carefully chosen to match expectations of selected approved in advance owners who often waited for months or even years to get their pup.
You got nothing on the breeders. You think you are rescuing? No responsible person without tons of experience with difficult dogs should ever play the rescue lotto. I know of plenty of people who had huge problems handling rescues (if the rescues turned out healthy in the first place) when you get a pup from a responsible breeder you will avoid these problems.
“You make dogs have sex and take their puppies and sell them for 1k plus and make a profit… ”
Try to make profit form selling at 1.5K a pup. Go ahead see how this works out.
“… on you just sitting there!”
Just sitting there? What a clueless moron.
You have no idea how much effort it takes to care for a litter of puppies and a nursing bitch. How much the vet bills are. And you do it three times max (more often only twice) in bitch’s life. None makes a living breeding dogs. It is a craft and a souce of pride not income.
“…buy one from a good breeder or pet shop. ”
No, never buy from pet shops, they are as bad as the rescue industry, when pet shops can’t sell their dogs they are further peddled as rescues. Buy ONLY from breeders. No reputable breeder will ever give their pup to a shelter. Most pups from a reputable breeder will be spoken for before they are born. Most will gladly take the pup back if it does not match the new owner’s expectations. Visit the breeders, see the mother (and father if possible). Ask questions and prepare to be quized. If a breeder says “no problem” without asking questions, run and find another breeder. And be ready to wait for months. And research the breed, make sure that you have a clue what you are getting into. Inquire about health, screening for genetic conditions. Know what medical conditions is the breed prone to. A reputable breeder will gladly answer all those questions and direct you to sources of more knowledge. Finally please remember that size isn’t everything. A lot of giants will require less exercise than a 40 pound dog.
Please show a little bit of intelligence and educate yourselves before you speak about and jump on the bandwagon about something you know absolutely nothing about. Pick up a copy of Rescue Road by Peter Zheutlin before you are so quick to judge and condemn. This book made the New York Times best seller list and was written about the man you all unfairly crucify and slander. There are also many news stories and interviews done about this organization and the absolutely wonderful work they do helping to save so many lives from euthanasia and also the joy and love they bring to so many families. I ask that you take 1 small minute of your time to think about this, if the author of this post, Vicki Kubic, was so enraged about this transport and the alleged condition of the animals, and felt she was in harms way, why didn’t she call 911? That’s what anyone else would have done. She has done nothing but set herself up for a defamation of character lawsuit. Facts for everyone: tractor and trailer are 100% legal have passed DOT/FMCSA inspections, they are a fully licensed 501 3c organization, all dogs travel with a complete set of medical records, they are spayed, neutered, all vaccinations are up to date, chipped and given a Health Certificate for travel. Most of the dogs are adopted prior to transport and the few that aren’t have been welcomed into foster care awaiting adoption. There are never 150 dogs on this truck. The usual transport is 80. A far cry from Vicki Kubic’s untruths. They receive an enormous amount of love during their journey and several designated stops are made where volunteers “angels” meet them to take turns providing companionship and love to help make their journey as easy as possible. Those are all facts. Nothing Vicki Kubic put in her post is a fact. She is a hurtful person who should be ashamed of herself. I have reached out to her to discuss all of this in an adult manner. She is too closed minded to stand up and admit she was wrong about this one.
“My goodness, people get touchy when you shine a light on them”
My goodness, people get touchy when you make up crap about them.
I’m from Houston, Texas and I am very familiar with Rescue Road Trips and I find the person writing this article to be uneducated and despicable for trying to give someone that is doing an outstanding job of helping to save dogs, that would otherwise be euthanized, a bad name!! Shame on her!! Obviously a breeder who is afraid she might be losing a little money on the backs of homeless dogs and only adding to an already horrific pet-overpopulation!
Seriously? Why would Pugs need a rescue group? Just like any other breed they end up in shelters or on the streets, too. 25% of dogs euthanized in shelters are purebred dogs!!
“Obviously a breeder who is afraid she might be losing a little money on the backs of homeless dogs and only adding to an already horrific pet-overpopulation!”
She may well be wrong but you are a moron if you think breeders make money on their pups.
None of you have single clue what you’re talking about. Rescue Road Trips is a legitimate 503(c) non profit. Greg Mahle is a hired transport to bring these pups to happy homes in the Northeast. I am one of those recipients. My dog was fully vetted and quarantined by the MA dept. Of animal welfare to ensure he was healthy when we received him. He makes several stops on his way through the South and up into New England and is met by volunteers who help him walk the dogs feed them and provide some love. He leaves him home in OH every other week and begins his journey into LA & AL to pick up healthy rescues. All animals have proof of their health and he is inspected by the USDA. Whether or not his truck is at capacity he still makes the trip in whatever weather is due that week. He has been on the Today Show, in the Hartford Courant, among many other news stories and the book “Rescue Road” about Greg was written by Peter Zheutlin who spent weeks with Greg on his journey. Oh and the book is on the NY Times bestseller list. Instead of listening to one snooty breeder who DID NOT have all her info before berating him and slandering his name, how about you look him up. http://Www.RescueRoadTrips.com. Obviously this woman Vicki has her own agenda. Greg collects no money on his tri. He is paid by the rescue organizations who need his transport to get these poor pups to loving homes.
You all should be ashamed of yourselves…
How do we know she was actually blocked, when she has so obviously lied about everything else?!!!
That would be wrong. Research him @ Eww.rescueroadtrips.com
Or better yet read the book published about him called Rescue Road, or look for his story on the Today Show archives, or the Hartford Courant.
Seriously people, I have some look-aid for you to drink if you’re thirsty.
True story…Vicki isn’t giving you the facts Late. She is telling you what she thinks is reality. For those of us that used Rescue Road Trip to get our babies….Greg is an angel.
Really? None of the people that are outraged about animals are outraged about aborted babies? A statement like that just shows how ignorant you are!!!!
You must be comprehension impaired. Do you know what these are: “” ? See my post again. I was quoting another person and disagreeing with them. If I was a rude person I would mention that an attention span of a retarded amoeba is common among rescue dogooders.
Take your religious agenda to another page. That’s not what we are discussing. Aren’t you late for a Planned Parenthood protest?
“Take your religious agenda to another page. …”
You must be new here…
“…why didn’t she call 911? That’s what anyone else would have done.”
You must be a liberal with fate in state employed apparatchiks.
I love when fresh meat shows up with their obvious truths.
There are never 150 dogs on this truck.
Soo, they lied about this on their website?
http://www.rescueroadtrips.com/Kylies_Report.html
The Rescue Road Trips truck typically brings 80 dogs per trip. That’s a lot of tails wagging. The most dogs he’s ever transported at one time is 150 dogs.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/canada-rescue-dogs-import-canines-disease-1.3757656
“We’ve seen a case here in Calgary where an animal was brought in with a disease … that developed a health risk for the family that had it in their home.”
In this case, dogs brought in from the southern United States and Mexico in 2014 carried Brucella canis, bacteria that causes a disease that infects the reproductive organs in dogs, and can cause miscarriages in humans. Five dogs were ultimately infected, but luckily the outbreak was contained.
People and pets aren’t the only ones at risk: the exotic diseases can also spread to wildlife. For example, scientists in Ontario have identified a parasitic tapeworm, Echinococcus multilocularis, in that province’s wild dog population. They suspect it was imported with domestic dogs.
Canada also needs to worry about exotic diseases that may not seem to pose an immediate public health, another expert warns.
“One disease we have seen is Leishmaniasis. It’s a parasitic disease imported with dogs from countries like Greece and the Mediterranean Basin — a very nasty disease,” said Scott Weese, a professor of pathobiology at the Ontario Veterinary College.
Leishmaniasis can be spread to humans by insects, causing skin sores and affecting internal organs.
I realize that GOOD breeders do not make money on their puppies, but GOOD breeders are few and far between!!!!! I dare say if there’s one GOOD breeder that has responded on this sight it is close to a miracle!!!
You are really a sick puppy!! I didn’t bring the subject up, I just responded to it.
Haven’t ever seen this many comments for a humane post.But it is a full moon and a lot of crazy animal rights workers are crawling out from under the piles of self emulation crap.
Take my local post office manager-. Please..
She asked me if I needed a stray dog or cat and I said no, my wife is allergic to cats, but my grand daughter has a kitten that stays on an open porch and is not allowed in the house. She then wanted to write down the size of our porch and the length of our kitty litter box and what kind of kitty food I use.
When I told her I had to kill a couple of possums and a wild cat to keep them from attacking the kitten she went freaking infuriating insane. I thought she would call the sheriff when I mentioned trapping them in an animal trap and putting them to sleep with a 22 bullet in the back of their heads.
It is a small post office out on the island and I mentioned bringing the next trapped animal over and letting it out in her yard. She loved that idea. Then I told her the story of having to kill German Shepherd hero dogs in Vietnam instead of bringing them back home, she covered her ears, and as I left she was either looking for an inhaler, or a weapon to assault me with. I just hope she mailed the letter I left. These people are bat shiite crazy and believe in the Abortion of beautifully formed babies but then worship animals.
If my letter gets lost I plan to hang a dead possum on her porch.
This is a lie. This guy is a very kind to animal person. He does not sell dogs either. He transports for reputable rescue groups saving dogs from cruel environments in southern states. I met him and talked to him and saw the inside of his trailer when my latest rescue was delivered from Louisiana.
Claudia, this nonsense. I know plenty of good breeders. I have been a bit around the show world (not as much as our esteemed host, but there is a small collection ribbons in my house) and the people who show are breeders, there are hundreds of them and they care. And they do not overbreed, they do not inbreed and they are very careful about what they do. They have enormous knowledge, experience and pride in their creations. And they are extremely easy to find. Every larger newsstand in Ontario has breeders’ digest on the shelves.
The puppy mills are not breeders. They are not accredited with Canadian Kennel Club (and yes the US situation is no different) they do not strive to produce the “perfect dogs” others above are bitching.
The problem with the rescue industry is that it thrives on puppy mills they condemn, the mills are supplying the (already damaged) product while the responsible breeders get the bad rep from the dogooder activists.
And there are all the idiots who demand that all dogs be spayed/neutered*, the morons that demand that working dogs, that have their tails clipped for a reason get to keep them because cruelty (bull$hit) and the “dangerous breed” crowd. And finally the “mutts live longer and are healthier” retards who push dogs of uneven temperament (often unhealthy) on well meaning clueless hands while sneering at the racist pure breeds.
I guarantee you that most of the “angels” mentioned above fit this description.
So no, don’t expect sympathy from the breeder world. You picked the fight by smearing your betters. Expect nothing but condemnation.
*never spay your bitch until at least she goes through the first heat cycle, and if your vet tells you otherwise change your vet. Spaying should be done by laparoscopic surgery, if your vet does not offer it (to my knowledge no rescue vet does) change your vet.
“I dare say if there’s one GOOD breeder that has responded on this sight it is close to a miracle!!!”
My girl is co-owned with the breeder, she will be bread once (maybe twice) if all goes well health and temperament wise. There is at least one other responsible breeder who posted in this thread, most likely more.