Three years ago just a few weeks before Christmas, fellow auto journalist, Nik Miles put out the call for people to help him pick up an adopted beagle from a shelter in the midwest. I responded quickly. I mean what could be more fun and satisfying than a road trip with friends that involves saving the lives of our four-legged friends?
Little did I know this would become a passion project I’d become deeply involved in planning, and it would grow significantly in both size and impact.
Who Is Frodo?
Back in 2021, Nik’s long time beagle companion, Joey, crossed over to Rainbow Bridge, leaving a huge void in his life. Shortly after beginning his search for a new pal, he came across the profile of a dog named Frodo being sheltered at Bassett and Beagle Rescue of the Heartland (BBRH). Given that Nik had other dogs named after Lord Of The Rings characters including Samwise, it seemed like fate. The only problem was that Frodo was in Omaha and Nik was in Portland. That’s when I saw his Facebook post asking for help and decided to get involved.
We learned very quickly from the folks in Omaha, that Frodo was not alone. There is an abundance of unwanted beagles in the Midwest. They’re either extras from puppy mills that haven’t sold, hunting dogs that were discarded at the end of a season, breeding females that are no longer productive, or dogs that have been used in medical experimentation. Yet, in the Pacific Northwest, where Nik lives, there are homes waiting for beagles. So a plan was hatched. In addition to taking Frodo to Portland, we’d take three other dogs that were available, recruit a few more journalists, solicit a manufacturer for the use of vehicle in return for a heartwarming story, and drive the dogs to where they could be adopted into new home.
Year 1: Animal Rescue Rigs To The Rescue
Nik’s love of dogs extends well beyond adopting them. He is also the founder of Animal Rescue Rigs, a 501c3 non-profit with a mission to build vehicles that help shelters rescue animals. The first was a Nissan Titan Pickup dubbed Paw One which was outfitted with everything from a bed slide, animal crates, a rack system, search lights, and even an inflatable boat to help rescue animals stranded in a storm. After displaying the vehicle at SEMA in Las Vegas, he decided to donate it to BBRH to help them with their mission. My job was to be a part of the team that drove Paws One from Portland to Omaha.
Meanwhile, Nik arranged for the use of a Grand Wagoneer from Jeep and had it delivered to Omaha for the return trip which was planned to take just three days. Mother nature had other ideas. A severe winter storm, with below zero temperatures and wind gusts reaching 70 mile per hour, closed the interstate in Wyoming for two days. After six hours of trying to find a way around the storm on two-lane highways and nearly getting stuck, (Nik credits the Jeep with saving his life that day) eventually he, his partner Lowell, journalist Javier Mota, and the four dogs had to wait out the storm in Fairfield Inn in Rawlins, WY. Once the storm passed, they continued on to Portland where Frodo and one of the other dogs, now named Galadriel, joined Nik’s family and the other two were placed in their forever homes via Cascade Beagle Rescue. Even with the weather, the mission was enough of a success that we decided to do it again in 2023 with the hope of expanding it to save even more dogs.
Total Beagles Rescued: 4
Year 2: Three Times The Fun
After a presentation of our of first year mission at the 2023 New York Auto Show, we were able to recruit more manufactures for year two: Subaru, Hyundai, Nissan, and Ford came through with vehicles and we were able to grow from four to 12 rescues. One big change from the first year was the route. Rather than expect people to drive the whole way over three or four days, we added Denver as a stop, splitting the drive up into multiple legs which allowed journalists the option to drive one or more segments of the trip. While this made planning more complex, it accomplished two key goals. We were able to lighten the load for each driver while expanding the reach of our message by adding more media members to the trip. I drove two days from Omaha to Salt Lake City and had a feeling this wasn’t going to be my last trip.
Unlike the previous year, the weather cooperated spectacularly. Temperatures were well above freezing and clear roads meant the drive was drama free. In addition to delivering dogs to Cascade Beagle Rescue, several continued up the coast to Seattle Beagle Rescue where their forever homes awaited them.
Total Beagles Rescued: 16
Year 2.5: A Summer Emergency
In early June this year, we got the call from BBRH that seven dogs needed to be transported to the west coast as soon as possible. This is typically a busy time for auto journalists and manufacturers, so with little time to plan, rounding up a crew was more difficult. Fortunately Chevrolet came through with a diesel-powered Suburban which was large enough to hold the dogs, three people, and all our gear. Traveling in the summer is a lot easier through these parts. And, with one just one vehicle, logistics were simple. The only hiccup came when one of the beagles slipped his harness and yours truly suffered a hamstring injury while giving chase. Fortunately we were able to grab him before he got too far, and all our charges made it to their homes without further incident.
Total Beagles Rescued: 23
Year 3: Stepping It Up Again
While planning for Operation Frodo essentially happens throughout the year, knowing this rescue would be bigger than ever, we began casting our net for manufacturers and drivers in September. After three successful runs, it was easier to gain traction and in short order we had commitments for vehicles including a Ford Explorer, Hyundai Santa Fe, Genesis GV70, KIA Carnival, and Subaru Forester. MotorTrend writer, Aaron Gold, managed to secure the magazine’s long-term test vehicle, an all-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, equipped with a new set of Blizzak winter tires courtesy of Bridgestone. Nissan and Infiniti couldn’t provide vehicles, but along with Hyundai, Genesis, KIA and Subaru, donated money to cover the cost of hotels, meals, and fuel. This eclectic group of vehicles was only exceeded by the eclectic group of writers, YouTubers, and influencers who joined us on the trip.
We left Omaha with 22 beagles: 13 puppies and 9 adults. 10 beagles were going to Portland, 10 to Seattle, and two were dropped off in Salt Lake City with our newest partner, Utah Beagle Rescue. Several of the dogs were rescued from a midwest breeder who had more dogs than she could sell (a common problem). When the breeder called to inquire about surrendering some of her litter, she said “You can come get them, otherwise I’ll just shoot them.” It wasn’t a threat, just a fact and an all too common occurence.
The mission expanded to include a 23rd dog after one of our drivers, Paul Eisenstein, fell in love with his charge, Melvyn, and asked if he could take him home. Melvyn had already been promised to a family in Portland, but after a few phone calls, Nik was able to locate Melvyn’s brother, Fred who was also available for adoption. A few days later, Paul flew with Fred to Portland to deliver him to his new family.
Total Beagles Rescued: 46
2025 And Beyond
We’re already planning Operation Frodo 2025. The dates are December 14 through 17. Our goal is to save even more dogs. If you’d like to help, please visit AnimalRescueRigs.com and click on the donate now button in the upper right hand corner.
Each year 3.2 million dogs enter shelters in the U.S. of which 1.2 million are euthanized. It doesn’t have to be that way. And even though shelters are overwhelmed, there are enough homes for the dogs if they can be moved to areas where there is a need. Operation Frodo helps to highlight this fact. Animal Resuce Rigs hopes to be a larger part of the solution. Our goal is to build a fleet of animal transport vehicles that can be used by shelters all year long to move dogs from where there are too many, to where they can find homes. We’re already in conversations with manufacturers to begin the process and hopefully will have more news to announce on that front very soon. In the meantime, if you’re considering getting a family pet this holiday season or at any time during the year, please consider a shelter dog or cat. I can personally attest these animals will bring as much love and happiness or more into your home as one from a shop or a breeder.
