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This spring, James locked eyes with a dog on PetFinder.com. His name was Dale and the eyes that caught James’s
attention revealed sadness. When James watched a posted video of Dale first meeting his foster family after the
long trip to Pennsylvania from South Carolina, he saw that Dale was just what he was looking for—medium-
sized, super affectionate, licking his fosters’ faces, wagging his tail, and exhibiting a playful energy. James immedi-
ately fell in love, and submitted an application to adopt Dale from The Crossings Animal Society (CAS).

Earlier, when the Corona virus first struck and before James ever set eyes on Dale’s photo, CAS had decided to
begin the North to Home program, rescuing homeless dogs from the Mary Ann Morris Animal Society (MAMAS)
no-kill shelter in Bamburg, South Carolina, and finding them a foster family first, then their forever family, here up
north.

Mindful of the risk to both the volunteers who transport the dogs as well as the foster parents who wait for the
dogs to arrive in Pennsylvania, both MAMAS on the Move (MOTM) transport and CAS instituted many safety
precautions to protect everyone from COVID-19.

The MOTM COVID-19 transport protocol is strict, ensuring that all transport volunteers are safe. Normally, after
traveling since 6 AM on Saturday from MAMAS, the dogs overnight with a volunteer family in Maryland or Dela-
ware before continuing on. During quarantine, the overnight stays were eliminated and the dogs traveled straight
through to Pennsylvania or New Jersey. Only recently were the overnight stays reinstated, allowing the dogs
some rest.

CAS’s job begins with the final leg of the transport, from Newark DE to Washington Crossing PA. About an hour
before the dog’s scheduled arrival, the foster family arrives at CAS. They park in front of the building, then walk
to the back parking lot, where a table is set up for completing and signing paperwork. They are given a first aid
kit, a collar with ID tag, slip leads, and pumpkin and rice (in case their foster dog develops an upset stomach).
Once all the business is taken care of, the family waits in their car for the dog’s arrival.

Meanwhile, our North to Home transport drivers, who are CAS volunteers, are completing the last leg (of 13-14
legs total from South Carolina) from Newark to Washington Crossing. When