[ARCHIVED THREAD] - SemperFi Dog Rescue--OPERATION BELLA BOOST IS COMPLETE! She is HOME! Pics of journey start page 2! (Page 1 of 3)
Posted: 5/4/2023 11:28:10 PM EDT
|
FINAL UPDATE: I want to say a huge, huge THANK YOU to all of the arfcom members involved in getting little Bella home. Everyone from Jordan, who saved her last-minute, to Mr. and Mrs. xxfonziexx who offered her a forever home, all of the people who relentlessly bumped the threads to help us put the relay together, those who bought Tshirts and donated to SemperFi Legacy Rescue, and ESPECIALLY TO THE DRIVERS. Eight Arfcom members across Tennessee and Virginia gave their time and energy, and their precious spring weekend, to drive one small dog a very long way. One of them kept her overnight. Two OTHER forum members, one in Georgia and one in Tennessee, stood by as backup in case any driver had issues. Others along the way offered help if there was a need. From every state in the eastern US. Every time this happens, I'm amazed. This time I'm a little overwhelmed at the amazing work these people have done. When y'all wonder if everything is going to hell, come back and read this thread. An awful lot of the world is still good. Thank you is not much, but it is what we can give. So...Thank you all, so, so much. ~Kitties UPDATE 5/21/23: Bella is with her new mom and dad! She is on the last leg to her forever home. Posting pics as soon as they upload!  Bella Boost is happening this coming SATURDAY, May 20th, and will end on the 21st with Bella home in Pennsylvania! Thank you so, so much to all drivers who have volunteered, AND to those of you who volunteered who ended up not being on the route, or timing not working! Thank you to all who are serving as backup, as well! Life happens, so please watch this thread. This is the BEST forum on the web and I am so grateful to be part of it!  ~Kitties UPDATE 5/8/23: This transport is happening the weekend of May 20-21, as most drivers are available that weekend. Still a couple of legs to fill. Check bottom of this page for details to see if you might be the right fit to drive one of the remaining legs! We need Bristol, TN up I81 to Roanoke or Lexington, to cut some time off of one driver's route if we can. (He is willing, but lives in NoVa and it's an insanely long drive) If you live in Southern VA or the Bristol, TN area, and could give little Bella a ride, that would be awesome! And thank you! A sweet little 10-year-old girl named Bella got pulled out of the shelter in Georgia! She is going to Arfcom member @xxfonziexx ! We are going from Dalton, GA to Easton, Pennsylvania. Looks to me like I75 to Knoxville, then 40 to somewhere north of Knoxville, then at some point, it turns into I81, and goes all the way to Easton, PA. (xxfonziexx will drive a bit, and take a few miles off of that.) BUT... We are in North Georgia, across the east end of Tennessee, the LONG WAY through Virginia...from one corner to the top...a tiny bit of West Virginia, a tiny bit of Maryland (I know...a communist state when it comes to firearms), and a bunch of Pennsylvania.  That's a LONG WAY. Almost 12 hours. We are looking at next weekend if possible. (This is open to change. I was just reminded that next weekend is Mother's Day.) Can anybody help? Y'all, meet Bella: On the way to safety after getting rescued!  Safe in the hands of SFDR:   She is a sweetheart. Loves everyone. She is a good rider. She might try to pull you off your feet, but I'm guessing the least of us will be okay with this one.  Let's go Arfcom! Can we get this baby home? Chime in if you live along I75 to Knoxville, I40 north of Knoxville, or I81 anywhere along the route! As always, you should not be put in jeopardy to help SFDR. If you need help with fuel, we will make that happen. |
|
Quoted: I'm doing an arfcom meet next weekend, which is also Mother's Day. You picked a bad weekend for a transport, IMO. I can do Chatt to Knoxville the following weekend if it gets re-scheduled? Oh crud! Yes, I didn't think about Mother's Day weekend. We may need to move the transport. Thank you for bringing that to our attention. That said, dates are always open to move for when drivers can move, so that's an easy fix. |
|
Quoted: Oh crud! Yes, I didn't think about Mother's Day weekend. We may need to move the transport. Thank you for bringing that to our attention. That said, dates are always open to move for when drivers can move, so that's an easy fix. I'm between jobs at the moment, medical issue. So I can actually start the trip on a Thurs if that's best? In short, my schedule is flexible. Keep me posted if I can help. |
|
Quoted: I'm between jobs at the moment, medical issue. So I can actually start the trip on a Thurs if that's best? In short, my schedule is flexible. Keep me posted if I can help. Thank you! Watch this thread. I will start sending IMs once we get more people checking in. |
|
Quoted: I live in WV close to I81 and could do a leg of this trip May 12 or 13. I could overnight the dog if necessary. Possibly the route between Harrisonburg, VA and Harrisburg, PA? @Soot4Brains Thank you! One of the members reminded me that May 13 is Mother's Day. Are you still in if it is the weekend after that? |
|
Quoted: Thank you! What is the Tri Cities? Quoted: Quoted: I'm in Chattanooga and off on Mondays and Tuesdays. Can easily make a trip to Knoxville or to the Tri Cities if planned out. Thank you! What is the Tri Cities? Tri Cities is Johnson City, Bristol, and Kingsport up near the TN border on I-81. All three of them are in a rough equilateral triangle, so people have taken to calling that whole area the "Tri-Cities" |
|
Thank you in advance for anyone who can help out with this transport! There's a thread about this little girl in the Rescue forum: https://www.ar15.com/forums/general/Here-s-a-story-with-a-happy-ending-With-your-help/200-2642433/ I'm just going to copy and paste a bit of what I posted over there: She'll also be joining two other Semper Fi rescues here. I got Sabrina from Mark a few years ago (and drove out to KY to get her from him). Like Jordan mentioned, I also made the drive back out to KY last year when Mark got sick and brought Rocky home with me. I work from home most days, and the two of them can almost always be found sleeping on my feet under my desk. She'll be in good company here. Sabrina is on the right and Rocky is on the left in this picture: Attached File |
|
Quoted: Uhmmm, no. That's Johnson City, home of ETSU. Quoted: Quoted: Tri Cities is Johnsonville, Bristol, and Kingsport up near the TN border on I-81. All three of them are in a rough equilateral triangle, so people have taken to calling that whole area the "Tri-Cities" Uhmmm, no. That's Johnson City, home of ETSU. Don't ask me why I wrote Johnsonville, I still can't figure out why. |
|
Quoted: @Kitties-with-Sigs if this happens the 20th/21st, consider the leg from the I66/I81 interchange up to about Harrisburg, Pa - or thereabouts - covered. That would be awesome. We could get out to the Harrisburg area to meet you, and that could be the end of the transport. Now we just need to get her far enough north to meet up with you. |
|
Okay I'm doing this because I am not familiar with this route, and have no sense of the reasonable legs. I'm really visual and map oriented so I'm going to put some enlarged maps here... starting with the northernmost section and progressing downward--so it's split up but is in order of a real map of this route. Then I will tag people who have offered and y'all please help give me some specific points on the map (even if the town is not listed) so I can see what is filling in and what we still need?    
|
|
Quoted: @Kitties-with-Sigs if this happens the 20th/21st, consider the leg from the I66/I81 interchange up to about Harrisburg, Pa - or thereabouts - covered. @SpiritZeroThree Edited...why is strikethrough not working?  I couldn't find I66, but now I see it! It's on the DC side of our route. That's awesome. Let's see what plays out. I'm going to ask in the hometown forums. |
|
Quoted: I can do the whole Virginia leg either weekend. @bulldog1967 Could you meet @SprintZeroThree at that I66 interchange up just to the southwest of DC? It looks like it's going to happen next weekend....the 20-21st. How far south can you go? (basically what is your normal AO?) |
|
Quoted: I'm in Knoxville area and can transport up to Bristol, dependant on date due to appts and grandkids. This looks like it's going to happen the weekend of the 20th and 21st. Once we have the weekend nailed down, drivers will decide which day (or both days if someone can overnight the dog and that makes it easier.) @PyrPaw |
|
Quoted: I can't do this weekend - Mother's Day on Sunday and I am attending a wedding Saturday 5/13. I can do either day the following weekend. I am right off I-81 exit 5 in WV. @Bubbles I *think* we have that part covered, but please keep watching this thread. Might be a way for you to make the trip easier for @SpiritZeroThree I think he will end up doing that drive from DC all the way through unless it makes sense for y'all to hand off and split the trip. I honestly don't have any sense of how long these legs are. They seem really long to me. |
|
Quoted: @bulldog1967 Could you meet @SprintZeroThree at that I66 interchange up just to the southwest of DC? It looks like it's going to happen next weekend....the 20-21st. How far south can you go? (basically what is your normal AO?) Sure. I’ll go as far south as needed. Just say the word. |
|
Okay it looks like we have the following set up so far: This is going to happen the weekend of May 20-21 ALL DRIVERS considering helping...TELL ME WHICH DAY IS BETTER-- Saturday or Sunday? Do we need to overnight somewhere so the last driver doesn't get home so late? Jordan brings Bella to Dalton, Georgia Leg 1-- Dalton, GA to Chattanooga---- We need to fill this leg Leg 2-- @USPguy Chattanooga to Knoxville Leg 3-- @PyrPaw Knoxville to Bristol (right on the Virginia border, right?) Leg 4-- Right now this is a VERY long leg...would be great if we had somebody in Southern Virginia who could drive a bit so Bulldog1967 doesn't have such a long drive back and forth.Right now Leg 4 is @Bulldog1967 from Bristol all the way to I66 near Front Royal, VA That's a really long drive by the time he gets back home. Leg 5--@SpiritZeroThree Front Royal, VA all the way to Harrisburg, PA Leg 6--xxFonziexx (THE NEW DAD) takes Bella home. Y'all know these areas. If Bulldog1967 will tell us his general AO, maybe we can cover some of the southern leg? Not sure how far SpiritZeroThree is driving? Y'all in that region, take a look. Do you see a better way to do this? ~Kitties |
|
Quoted: This looks like it's going to happen the weekend of the 20th and 21st. Once we have the weekend nailed down, drivers will decide which day (or both days if someone can overnight the dog and that makes it easier.) @PyrPaw I'm good for either one of those days. |
|
Quoted: I'm in leg two. Does that mean Sat? If so, I'm ok with that. I just want to know which day we're starting on? @USPguy We are still trying to figure that out. I am ASSUMING it will be Saturday, but I don't know. If one of the drivers needs a certain day, and everybody else is flexible, we will go with what works for everyone. Stand by for a day or so and we should have this nailed down. |
|
@SpiritZeroThree @Bulldog1967 Just throwing out an idea....might not be doable... What is the possibility that Bella could stay the night with one of you? As it stands, Bulldog1967's drive back and forth is insane. By the time SpiritZeroThree gets home it will be the wee hours on Sunday. Was just thinking if Bella stayed the night, then SpiritZeroThree went on toward PA on Sunday morning, that might make the whole thing less onerous. I'm just thinking ahead and throwing out ideas that might make the drive easier, but I don't know if y'all have dogs that might be like NOPE NOPE NOPE... or situations that might make it undoable. If so, that's okay. I just hate it when people have to put in stupid hours to do the relays, so I'm always looking for ways to make it easier on everyone.  |