Freedom Drivers

This organization is committed to getting these pets a new lease on life. With the number of animals in pounds and the number of euthanized animals rising, the services that Freedom Drivers provide are more valuable than ever. On a busy day, as many as 50 kittens and cats are brought into pounds, with over 95% of them being unvaccinated and unfixed. One pound near Montreal keeps dogs for no more than a few days before euthanizing them. The volunteer drivers go out once, twice or even three times a week, sometimes driving far east to the Maritimes with no monetary reimbursement for gas or mileage. With the price of gas going sky high it is with much pleasure that DCPRF could buy gas cards to reimburse a portion of their costs. Like an underground railroad for animals the first driver picks up the animal from the pound and drives up to 100 km to the next driver, in relay style.

Over a span of 14 months, volunteers with the Freedom Drivers transported more than 2,000 animals from three pounds near Montreal to rescue organizations. Almost all would have been put down otherwise. Now most of them are in their forever homes.

There are approximately 50 to 60 drivers in the Facebook Freedom Drivers group, which over 1,000 people are apart of, but it is important to note that it is the same 25 to 30 people who are on the go again and again. The Facebook group is full of pleas for people to help drive animals through specific routes.

The volunteers evaluate the animals in pounds, photograph them, and make contact with the registered rescue organizations in Canadian cities. A pound might put some animals for adoption, but in most cases releases the animals only to rescues.

All 3 of these animals were sent to Ralph’s Retreat Animal Sanctuary which this Foundation has also contributed to. Read about this haven for abandoned & neglected farm animals in Wyebridge, Ontario at:

https://www.doncherryspetrescue.org/our-successes/monetary-donations/ralphys-retreat-animal-sanctuary/

From turkeys to guinea pigs, they save them all! Including this puppy with Juvenile Cellulitis, AKA “Puppy Strangles”.