We’ve been sharing our adventures here for quite a while, so when an opportunity came up to do something we’d never done before, we said, “Yes! We’ve got this!” When you think of Pleasure-Way Vans/RVs, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
Incredible build and quality?
- Incredible build and quality?
- Home wherever you go?
- Freedom?
- Adventure?
- Exploration?
- Hidden places waiting to be discovered?
- Life lived out in the wild?
All of those things are absolutely true (and more)… but what if we told you it can also be life-giving and life-saving transportation?
Let’s back up to the beginning.
The rescue we adopted our pup, Apollos, from years ago put out an urgent plea: three shepherd-mix puppies were scheduled to be euthanized in a high-kill shelter that same day at 2:00 p.m. They desperately needed a foster. We had never done anything like that before. And after losing our sweet boy the year prior, we didn’t think we were ready for another pup. But a temporary situation… maybe.
I had to talk Anthony into it. He eventually gave in (never underestimate a determined wife).
I made the call and told them, “We can help!”
That very night, three of the most adorable, nervous puppies bounced through our door. We named them immediately to make life easier:
• Stella — long-legged, black and white, beautiful with upright ears
• Shiloh — the darling little runt who looked just like her sister but smaller with floppy ears
• Bear — the fluffiest fawn-colored boy with a black-masked face and floppy ears
Let’s be honest — we’re not here to sugarcoat it and say it was easy. It was a completely new process and took real work. We implemented a structured routine to keep up with all the puppy energy you’d expect from baby shepherds (which is especially challenging for me, Lisa… because I am the least structured person in any area of life).
Now here’s where Pleasure-Way enters the story.
After two months, our sweet girl Stella had a family ready to adopt her. Shiloh had a potential adopter as well, so we loaded the pups into PetraTheVentureVan and headed out on Part I of our pup-saving adventure from Orange County to San Diego.
Stella’s adoption was an instant match. She jumped right into their car and off she went to her forever home. (And don’t worry — the rescue thoroughly vets every adopter.) We still get updates and photos, and Stella is thriving.
Shiloh, however, did not find her match. She simply didn’t connect with the person she met. So back home we went with Shiloh and Bear.
But this is where Part II begins.
It turns out Shiloh’s perfect family lived out of state… in Utah! And thankfully, we just happened to have a home-on-wheels that could double as a rescue delivery vehicle.
Say no more. The door opened for our very first cross-country puppy-delivery road trip.
You might be wondering how we found such a perfect family in another state. We had an inside scoop… it was my brother and sister-in-law.
Anthony was slightly concerned about the overnight stop and fitting two large crates inside the van. Putting both pups in one crate would have guaranteed a sleepless night — they love to mess with each other. But we made it work. One crate went on the floor by the slider, the other on the bed next to us. We squeezed in tighter for one night, and it worked perfectly.
The biggest challenge? The pups had only ever gone to the bathroom in our backyard. So we took lots of walks to help them learn it was okay to go “out in the wild.”
At each stop, they instantly embraced exploring new places. Watching them bounce through grass, discover their first pond, and tilt their heads at ducks while trying to understand this big new world was pure magic.
When we arrived in Utah the next day, Shiloh burst into the house to meet her new family and her adorable Shih Tzu brother. They bonded almost immediately, and our hearts could not have been happier.
And Bear? The last pup who patiently tagged along on every delivery?
Well… he had already found his forever home.
With us.
We thought our hearts weren’t ready to love again, but these pups showed us that sometimes all you need is puppy love and snuggles to heal.
This journey was filled with road trips, family visits, and delivering puppies to their forever homes — and we can honestly say it has been one of our most rewarding adventures ever.
If you’ve ever thought about fostering pups… or using your van as a life-saving puppy transporter…do it!
