Hwy 50 Freedom Ride

My name is Lauren Lundy, and I am a volunteer transporter for HWY 50 Freedom Ride. HWY 50 Freedom Ride started 12 years ago when college student, Brittany Higgins, found out dogs were dying in rural Colorado shelters. Instead of feeling hopeless, Brittany would drive to the shelters every weekend with as many dogs as she could fit in her car. 12 years later, Brittany and her small team of volunteers have saved thousands of dogs’ lives. Each week, we network and transport dogs in urgent need from rural shelters along Highway 50 (La Junta, Rocky Ford and nearby towns) to rescue groups in Denver, where they are cared for until they are adopted. New dogs come into the shelters every day, and their only hope is HWY 50 Freedom Ride. We refuse to let these dogs down, but in order to keep moving, we need help.

 

In 2020, our very old and very unreliable van broke down. With $5-10 average donations, we did not have the funds to purchase a new one, so our volunteer transporters agreed to use their personal cars. This worked okay during the height of the pandemic when our weekly transports slowed from 6-10 dogs to 2-3 dogs. However, since the world has gone back to some level of normal, we’re ramping back to a pre-pandemic level of dogs in need.

 

Without a transport van, we are risking our ability to save dogs simply because we don’t have the means to get them out. So, we need help purchasing a new (used) van that is safe, reliable, and can last us for years to come. A new van is the only answer to save the dogs who need us right now and in the future. Included in the breakdown below is our immediate list of needs for 2022:

 

• $30,000 for a used van with <75,000 miles (ideally, we get a great deal from a dealership or private seller)

• $5,000 for annual gas ($100/weekly transport)

• $2,000 for annual insurance to cover the van and our transport crew

• $3,000 for winter tires and van maintenance costs

 

We hope to raise funds by the end of March to be ahead of the dramatic increase in dogs we see during summer. Eventually, we’d also like to fundraise to help pay for the medical and behavior expenses our rescue partners take on with HWY 50 dogs (we had several amputations, pregnancies and severely abused dogs in 2021 that needed extra fundraising).