46 Drivers, 3,271 Miles, 3 Cats: Inside Cross-Country Pet Transport

Left to right: Smudge, Cupcake, and Purrlock

On a Saturday evening, three brave cats pulled off I-80 into Laramie in the back of a Ford Escape. The two crates that held the three cats were squeezed into the car with inches to spare. The transfer between vehicles was swift. What was happening here? Illegal sale of cats for experiments? Sale of cats to cult followers? No, nothing nefarious.

These cats were safe. They were in the middle of an epic journey (for a cat) from Worcester, Massachusetts, across the country to the Oregon coast to reunite with their cat “mom,” Olivia. Cupcake, Purrlock, and Smudge were participants, if involuntarily, in a five-day, four-night, 3,300-mile journey that involved the technical feat of bringing together 46 drivers and four overnight accommodations to get them from point A to point B. The organizer? Kindred Hearts Transport Connection (KHTC). KHTC is one of many volunteer pet transporters that organize multi-driver relays to get pets across the country, one leg at a time, in any given week or month. KHTC coordinators selflessly give their time, and drivers volunteer their time and gas, which—with the current price of gas—is no trivial act. Especially when each driver’s distance is doubled!

Back to Purrlock, Smudge, and Cupcake. These kitties spent a quiet third night in Laramie (what KHTC calls a “Slumber Pawty”). Bright and early the next morning, they met their first driver of day four, Melvin Hufnagle. Melvin got up at 4 am to drive 150 miles from Casper to Laramie to pick up his precious cargo and deliver them to their next hand-off town, 90 miles away… and Melvin lives in neither town! He came from Casper because he feared this transport might fail if he didn’t jump in to pilot this leg. This is a dedicated transporter. Over the years, Melvin has transported dogs, cats, rabbits, Guinea pigs, opossums, raccoons, a turtle, and a mini pig! Melvin ranks second for most transport miles driven in Wyoming and beyond, after Kevin O’Hare of Cheyenne. Melvin suggested Kevin might have some good stories to tell. That was the case!

Melvin, securing the kitties for the first leg of the day to Rawlins

Kevin moved to Wyoming when he retired over 20 years ago and has spent his time volunteering for local shelters and rescues in Cheyenne. His career in cross-country pet transport began 16 years ago by chance when he helped move a cat from Cheyenne to a California rescue. It slowly became clear to Kevin that there was a pressing need to move pets from high-kill shelters to rescues or adopters in other towns or states, so as time went on, Kevin transported more and more pets.

Kevin and Chip

At last count, Kevin has driven over 580,000 miles transporting approximately 3,600 animals. These figures are not exact, as he didn’t track his trips for the first couple of years. He’s driven mostly cats and dogs, along with 23 other species.

Maybe the most unique was this pair: a 3.5-foot alligator and 7-foot boa constrictor! However, Kevin says his favorite experience might be with Chip, a goat kid with a deformity. Kevin picked him up from a breeder (he thinks) in eastern Washington state and handed him off to another rescuer from Colorado, in Laramie. The original plan for Chip to go to Texas fell apart, but eventually the transport got him to a goat sanctuary called Goats of Anarchy (!), all the way in New Jersey. His name is now Willie, and although Kevin rarely gets updates on his passengers, nine years later he still hears that Willie is living the good life.

The trips that are particularly special for Kevin are the ones he calls "left-behinds"; when someone dies or is in crisis, and their pets are left stranded. The pets have to go somewhere, and that is when organizing transport to a safe place is critical. Kevin notes he feels particularly honored to help transport these animals. In fact, that’s how he acquired two senior Siamese cats five years ago. A woman in Oklahoma went to the hospital and wasn't coming home again. Although friends and family helped rehome a few of her pets (she had some other dogs and cats), a pair of geriatric cats (16 and 18) had no good options. So, Kevin went to Oklahoma and brought them home. Kevin adds, “It was still a rescue, and a long transport with a handoff to an adoptive home, but in this case, the adopter was me.”

Not everyone can dedicate their lives to animals in need of a ride, as Kevin and Melvin have done. But almost anyone with a car can take a few hours out of their day every once in a while to drive a dog or cat to the next town 50 or 100 miles away, hand off the pooch or kitty, have a leisurely lunch, and come home. In order to succeed, multi-leg transports are dependent on the average person who can accept this gig. Enjoy a road trip and play a critical part in the future of an animal! What can be more rewarding than that?

After Melvin handed off Cupcake, Purrlock, and Smudge to driver #30 in Rawlins, they spent the next two days on the road and eventually made their way to the Oregon coast, and Olivia, who flew out that day. They all took a few quiet days to adjust, explore, and just settle into their new home and lives together.

Another successful epic journey, thanks to the dozens of dedicated volunteers along the way.