Home to Heal

After re-evaluating all 48 dogs, the USDA gave the green light to move 16 dogs to interim foster care so they could begin healing by decompressing from the stress of shelter life. On October 21 2007, the first of three of the dogs left their VA shelters to travel to new locations with two east coast rescue groups. Two days later, BAD RAP representatives loaded up a rented RV and began a cross-country road trip to bring 13 dogs to new lives with three different rescue organizations on the west coast. The group worked quietly to avoid alerting the media. Charting the long trip involved steering around towns where breed specific legislation threatened the dogs' safety. Even so, a necessary potty break was cut short when a sympathetic traveler warned the drivers that they were in unfriendly territory.