LAST CHANCE HIGHWAY FAQ

What do you want viewers to get from watching the show?

Shelly and Kyle want people to feel comfortable adopting dogs from the South, and for more people to adopt rescue dogs rather than buying dogs from breeders. They also want people to understand that dogs they take to shelters don't always get adopted. About 60% end up being euthanized according to the ASPCA. Animal Planet is proud to give Shelly and Kyle this opportunity to communicate their messages.

Why do Shelly and Kyle take dogs out of the South and transport them to new homes specifically in the Northeast?

There is an over population of dogs unfortunately in the Southeast where Shelly and Kyle are based and there is large population of people throughout the Northeast looking to adopt dogs, so they act as matchmakers between the two.

In speaking with Shelly about her experiences, most of the people that come to her looking to adopt a dog have been to their local shelter and didn't find the right fit for their families. When they reach her, they are looking for puppies and a variety of breeds that they weren't able to find locally because they aren't available in large numbers in shelters in the Northeast.

Why is there more of a pet over population problem in the South than there is in the North?

It is hard to answer this with certainty, of course. A possible reason is that in many Southern states spay and neuter laws are inconsistent and the ones that do exist are a challenge to enforce because areas are more rural and vast. In some cases, like Putnam County in Tennessee, where Kyle lives there aren't any spay and neuter laws to enforce. Conversely, many states in the North have more comprehensive spay and neuter laws and have more resources to enforce them and to educate people. It is also easier to spot a stray dog in an urban setting vs. a large rural area, which means fewer strays roaming around and able to reproduce.

Another possibility is because of the warmer climate, dogs tend to spend more time outside and around other dogs which often leads to a faster growing population.

When Shelly picks up stray dogs to put up for adoption, how does she make sure they don't already have a home?

Shelly would never take a dog away from a family that loves and provides for it. When she rescue strays in rural areas along the road, she always checks for tags. If the dog doesn't have tags, she will ask around, knocking on doors for example, and try to find out if anyone knows who it belongs to (or in many cases, who has been feeding it scraps here and there). If the dog does have tags or if she gets relevant information, she will track down the owner.

Lots of times, Shelly runs into people who have more dogs than they can care for so she will always offer to take the animal and help to find it a new home. If they don't want to give up the dog and it has not been spayed or neutered, she often offers to do so out of her own pocket and then returns the animal to its owner.

There have also been instances where several people call Shelly to let her know about a stray dog they've seen walking around. This was the case in the first episode with Rusty—people called her and said they saw the dog roaming for months. She went knocking door to door to see if Rusty had a home or if anyone knew who owned him before she took him in and eventually decided to make him part of her family.

If "Last Chance Highway" viewers learn one thing from the show, what do you want them to take away?

Spay and neuter your animals! Through the show Shelly and Kyle are really trying to reduce pet overpopulation and raise awareness about this issue, among many.

Do people who have adopted dogs ever send them back?

Almost all of the dogs placed by Shelly are a great fit for many amazing families. Very few have been returned. If a family feels their dog is not a good fit, Kyle will pick it up and bring it back to Shelly, free of charge. The dog will stay with Shelly or with another foster family until she finds it a permanent home.

How do you screen adoptive families to ensure each dog is a good fit?

Every family applies to adopt these dogs on PetFinder.com. Each prospective adopter completes an application that details their living situation, if they have kids, what type of dog they are interested in, and previous pet experiences, etc. Shelly reviews each application, including doing a vet check to make sure the family has been forthcoming about the care of their animals. Also, she conducts phone interviews with the families. Shelly approves the prospective families, in each instance, only after completing this due diligence.

Do you follow up with every single family to make sure the dog is doing well?

Shelly does follow-up and is in touch with many of the families who've adopted dogs weeks after placement to see how things are going. In the early days, she often gets calls and emails from them as soon as they get home to tell her how the dog is settling in as well as photos. She still gets letters and photos from families who adopted dogs years ago.

Why can't Kyle drop off dogs in Massachusetts? Is it true it's illegal?

Kyle is licensed by the USDA federally to transport dogs to their new families. At the state level, Kyle is registered with the states that require it and in compliance with all of the states' laws where he drops off animals. In Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Dept. of Agriculture officials have made it extremely onerous to bring the dogs directly into Massachusetts, and Kyle has elected not to seek licensing in that state as a result.

Among other requirements, Massachusetts requires that every dog brought into the state by anyone other than an individual be quarantined for two full days in a state approved facility and that each one be given a check up by a Massachusetts vet. Since every dog Shelly saves has already been fostered in Mississippi for approximately a month and has been checked and treated by a Mississippi vet, Kyle feels it would add more stress for the animals and add unnecessary vet office costs for adopting families (i.e., to require the dogs to then be held again in a Massachusetts shelter and rechecked by a local vet).

His company tries to select drop off points that are centrally located for the vast majority of people, within the surrounding states. Ultimately, it is a person's prerogative to determine whether or not they want to travel to one of the pick up points to receive their pet, and many happy adopters do opt to pick up their dogs and legally carry them into Massachusetts.

What type of care do the animals receive during transport and what health precautions are taken?

P.E.T.S LLC adheres to USDA regulations and in some cases exceeds them. Each pet being transported is required in advance: to have an interstate health certificate and a copy of their medical records, to have been quarantined for two weeks; to be spayed/neutered, at least eight-weeks-old, have had two rounds of shots and to have a collar with ID. Without satisfying these requirements, an animal will not be allowed on board for transport.

Once on board, each trailer is climate controlled and equipped with USDA approved travel crates which have grates in the crates to prevent the animals from lying on wet paper. Each dog rides in its own crate and has constant access to water while en route. Kyle and his team stop to check on the dogs every 2-3 hours.

Metal water buckets are attached to each crate door. In addition, the water is supplemented with electrolytes for an added boost to the immune system. The animals are walked individually with slip leads every 9 to 10 hours and are completely taken out of the trailer for their potty breaks. Puppies are put in puppy pens since most puppies still don't walk well on a leash yet.

The trailers are equipped with air conditioners (heat when necessary), fans, a de-humidifier and an air cleaner. In addition, there are multiple windows and roof and side vents because it is necessary for air to be circulating at all times. The dogs are also given blankets during the colder months.

What types of training does Shelly have to rescue and place animals?

There is no formal license required for what Shelly does in the counties where she performs her rescues. Shelly has been rescuing animals for the past 17 years and gained a good deal of hands-on experience in this area during that time. She also works with veterinarians, vet techs, trainers and other people within the rescue community throughout the process of rescuing, rehabilitating and placing a dog into a loving home.

How much money does Shelly make from adoptions and does any of it go back into educating people about spay and neuter?

Shelly actually doesn't make money off of the adoptions. The nominal adoption fee she receives goes directly towards feeding and caring for the animals. In fact, Shelly spends on average $75,000 annually, from the money she makes through her real estate business, on vet bills, food and other supplies needed to take care of the animals she rescues.

Shelly does work to educate people in her community and outside of it. When speaking with people she encounters during rescues Shelly is an avid proponent for spay and neuter as are Kyle and Lucas. She has even offered to spay and neuter animals for people who can't afford it, at no cost to them, and is in the process of starting a focused effort to broaden that program within her community.

Read more about Last Chance Highway.