Support Bruiser's Journey to Washington

This is Bruiser. He is a 4 month old foster puppy (currently located in Alabama) who was recently adopted by a family in Washington - and he needs your help to get there!

Bruiser's Story:

At the very beginning of June, this little puppy (along with his siblings) was dumped onto my property by a local stranger. My family took immediate action and registered them through a local rescue so that they could be checked over, dewormed, vaccinated, etc. And the hunt for loving families began. One was immediately adopted by a neighbor, another was adopted by my aunt, and after some time (around 2 long months) of worry and waiting, Bruiser has finally been adopted by the perfect family for him, but they're located in Washington (state).

Bruiser is a very gentle soul who loves to snuggle and nap in the arms of the sweet humans who care for him. Out of all the puppies who arrived, he was our favorite, so we were very relieved that the family who fell in love with him through our pictures, videos, and updates turned out to be a deserving family who needed a dog exactly like him.

About the Family:

In an effort to maintain the family's privacy, I'll be omitting their names. The family consists of a husband, wife, son, and daughter. The husband is a long-time friend of mine and has been searching for the perfect dog for many years. He and his wife both suffer health issues. And despite being on treatments for cancer, he still goes out hiking in nature, in the mountains, or foraging for rocks on the days when he has the energy/ability to do so. So he has been on the search for a dog who can accompany him, but one who isn't too high energy who can also offer some emotional support.

While watching my videos and reading my descriptions and stories about him, it occurred to him that this might be the good buddy he's been searching for all these years. Bruiser is incredibly snuggly and affectionate. He's also very mellow and easy to train.

The idea of adopting a dog on the opposite side of the country wasn't on their BINGO card, but when you know you know...

Upon reaching out to the local rescue where Bruiser is registered, we learned that there was going to be some extra effort to adopt him because he was in the process of being transferred to another rescue in Florida. Thankfully, the new rescue was understanding and happy to allow him to be adopted, letting us know that they would be unable to assist with a transport at that distance.

Knowing that Bruiser is going to be loved and cared for exactly the way that he should (by someone who I know is deserving and ready to be the perfect parent for him) has been relieving to say the least. If the new rescue had taken him, there's a very strong chance I never would've seen him again as adopter info is always kept confidential.

It was a lot to process, but this is the ideal scenario. It couldn't have worked out better for both the family, and for Bruiser.

About Transport:

The original plan was to try and bring him on board a flight as a carry-on for a flight that I was already planning to Oregon (to visit a friend) as the pet fee would only be $125, but he has outgrown the maximum carrier size permitted on board flights and there are no other options (no other airlines allow pets in the cabin if they can't fit under the seat).

The next plan-of-action was for his new family to hire a pet transport service. Bruiser gets carsick (something that puppies can experience that they eventually grow out of) likely from anxiety - and the idea that he would be in a kennel with an unfamiliar person was a lot for us to consider.

The quotes we received were between $1300 - $6000. This range was based on group transport (carpool with other dogs who are traveling, so it would take much longer) or solo transport (much more personal and faster travel). Some solo travel companies quoted as low as $3500. But this is quite a bit of money for anyone, no matter who you are.

After that - we decided the next best scenario was to rent a car for me to personally drive Bruiser to Washington, making many stops along the way. The plan was nearly settled, my route was formed and I already had many of my stays booked. Until...

Finally!! After much research and applying for special case accommodations, we were able to secure a flight for Bruiser to Washington via US Pet Transport Services (a Florida-based pet transport company) for $2000 on August 25th!

This GoFundMe is created in an effort to offset some of that cost so that his transition is comfortable and seamless.

FAQ:

One question I received (from one of the transport services while calling around for quotes) was: “Why can’t the adoptive family pay for [everything]?”

The answer is somewhat nuanced. Technically, they can afford it - but adopting a dog is a big investment, especially when offering them the best possible life while not being millionaires. The truth is, they’re already making costly preparations in their home - even installing a fence in their backyard, among other preparations... when they could've simply adopted a local dog. But that wasn't in the cards, and believe me, he was looking.

We’re raising funds for transport to help ease the financial burden and make the transition as smooth as possible. We truly couldn’t have dreamed of a better life for Bruiser than with this family.

Thanks so much for any amount you're able to contribute! Even $5 can go a long way!