Wheels of Hope driver Joanna Justice gave Pit Bull Gladys lots of TLC as she was moved from AC&C to A Place for Us.
Photo by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh
Wheels of Hope Transport Drivers Go the Extra Mile
As Bonnie Bassis ran up the sidewalk calling excitedly to Gladys, the young Pit Bull who had just arrived after being transported from an Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C) shelter to Bonnie's rescue group, A Place for Us, her enthusiasm apparently frightened Gladys. But Joanna Justice, the Mayor's Alliance driver who transported Gladys on her two-hour journey, had the situation well in hand. She was walking Gladys up and down the sidewalk, and when she began to bark after seeing Bonnie, Joanna sat down on the curb, held Gladys in her arms, and calmed her.
"I was quite impressed with Joanna, since not everyone would have bothered to take the dog out of the truck and walk her while waiting for me, let alone known how to calm her down," says Bonnie.
Not everyone, perhaps. But Mayor's Alliance Wheels of Hope transport drivers are a special breed. They truly care about each and every animal they transport to rescue groups and shelters that will find the animals a loving home. Their genuine concern for each animal's welfare is part of the reason they become Wheels of Hope drivers.
Last year, Joanna and her fellow Wheels of Hope drivers (a crew that currently numbers eight) steered almost 7,000 cats, dogs, and occasionally rabbits and birds, toward a brighter future. The Wheels of Hope program augments the transport capabilities of AC&C and other Alliance Participating Organizations (APOs) that accept animals transferred from AC&C and care for them until they find the right adopter. The program is one of the most effective initiatives the Mayor's Alliance has implemented, and it is saving thousands of lives each year.
The five vans in the Wheels of Hope fleet transport animals from AC&C to APOs for adoption.
Photo by Rick Edwards
But running a fleet of five transport vehicles seven days a week, year-round, isn't cheap. We can use your help to pay for gas, vehicle maintenance, insurance, and our extraordinary drivers. Won't you join the Wheels of Hope team by making a tax-deductible donation to help keep the wheels turning?
If you'd like to learn more about the Wheels of Hope program, or if you have ideas about how you might help, please visit the Wheels of Hope page of our website or e-mail us at info@AnimalAllianceNYC.org.
