On a Thursday morning, Diane Atchison loads her SUV at her Lexington home. It’s a routine she’s had for about five years. “I always have gloves, extra clothes, trash bags, lots of puppy pads. In my bag, I have paper towels, bottles of water, a portable water bowl that expands, trash bags for the puppy pads, disposable gloves, wipes, extra puppy pads, more slip leads and collars, zip ties.”
Diane is a volunteer transporter of rescued dogs and cats. Her passion for animals goes back to her childhood on a Pendleton County farm.
“We had a lot of hound dogs, specifically beagles. So, as an only child, there wasn't anyone for me to really play with. So, my animals, they were my siblings and my best friends.”
Several years ago, a battle with cancer and back surgery changed her perspective on life.
“I think part of it is after my health scares, you know, I wasn't even certain I'd ever be able to walk again after my back surgeries, and then after my cancer, life is really precious, and every day is precious, and I want to do something that matters. And it matters to me.”
Diane saw the need to save dogs and cats that had been abandoned, or whose owner could no longer care for them.
“Virtually every Thursday, I drive for a group where the coordinator works out of Cincinnati. She has been an animal transport coordinator for, I don't know, 30 years. And so, you have these very set routes that and legs. My leg is Lexington, basically to Cincinnati. I drive that most every Thursday. I get cats and dogs from generally Eastern Kentucky, Southeastern Kentucky.”
Diane receives several pages of a “driver's run sheet.” It outlines where she is going that day to pick up animals. There are reminders to exchange paperwork on the animals with the volunteer transporter she is meeting, and contact phone numbers.
“You exchange the paperwork, which is their vet records, anything you know about the animal, you know, breed, all of that.”
And not just Thursdays. Diane is on the road several days a week, travelling hundreds of miles to pick up animals. Recently she went to Powell County to pick up puppies and dogs that she says had been dumped.
Diane drove the dogs to Sheabel Veterinary Hospital in Lexington. The puppies looked almost bald from a case of mange. Dr. Michelle Jude, Medical Director at Sheabel, looked the dogs over.
“They're getting baths every other day, and they have antibiotics, and then treatment for the mange. They're just scared. So, we'll see how they are. We'll get them out, love on them, feed them, and I bet tails will start wagging tomorrow. They just need a warm bed and a full belly and some toys, and they'll be happy.”
Diane checks on the dogs before leaving on her Thursday transport trip. She’s headed to a rescue in Bourbon County to pick up five kittens. Once she has them in separate crates, she hits the road to Walton in Northern Kentucky. There she will meet another volunteer transporter named Donna Ruff. She has a large van with plenty of room for crates.
Donna says she started transporting rescues fifteen years ago after seeing the need.
“I think you just sort of see how bad it is, and some people then run, and other people kind of dive in and do a little bit, and then you do a little bit more and more, and the need is so great. It's just you can't save everything, but you can really help a lot of animals and people.”
Donna drives off headed to meet another transporter. Eventually, the kittens from Powell County will end up in Madison, Wisconsin, at an adoption center. Diane gets emotional after seeing the kittens leave.
“Oh, I feel grateful that God has given me a life where I can do this, I can afford to drive, and I have the time. I just wish we could get more animals to safer places. I wish more people would offer to transport. I understand, because it's fairly demanding, and it takes a lot out of you, but I feel I get so much more back than I give. I just wish we could save more. All the shelters and the rescues are packed. They're begging for fosters, and there just aren't enough people.”
Back home, Diane plays with her two dogs, Nellie and Hank. Both are rescues, and examples of what it means to have a good, loving home. Diane will even drive out of state to help rescues.
“About four months ago, I drove to Georgia. I drove six hours each way to pick up two mothers and seven puppies that were breeder surrenders. And some people question why would you go to another state? Well, for me, my heart is the animals. I mean, I want to help Kentucky first and foremost. But if there is the chance to get nine dogs removed from a breeding situation, get them spayed/neutered, and get them out into good rescues, then that's what I'm going to do. So, I drove 12 hours that day.”
That kind of dedication has the appreciation and thanks from Dr. Jude, who says Diane plays a key role in helping save animals.
“The transport is huge. And so, a lot of times I get calls that there are injured animals and they can't find the people to bring them to me because I'm willing to see a lot of animals, and I definitely have the time and the resources. So, she's wonderful. At the drop of a hat, she goes and picks up these dogs. She's fabulous, and nice, and kind, and she's wonderful.”
Diane doesn’t have plans to slow down anytime soon. She’s on a mission. “I feel like that's what God has put on my heart. I feel like He's, to a degree, given me a gift, and I think for what I've been through, I think I have a lot of energy, and I feel good. I just want to make the most of every day. I do. I just want to do good work.”
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