Dan and I had the honor of sharing our car with Daphne and Erika for a ride from Olathe, Kansas to Clive, Iowa, on a very warm Sunday, July 27, 2025.

As other pet transporters know, the most important aspect of any transport is the comfort and safety of the passengers. In this case, the primary focus for this trip the drive itself, as always.

The condition of the car — fueled up, other fluids, tire pressure and condition, etc. — all in ready-to-go order. Check!

Condition of the drivers — fueled up on water and soda, dressed for safety, real shoes for safe dog walking, for example. Check!

A look at the Missouri and Iowa Department of Transportation websites for planned roadwork on our planned routes — Check!

But on a hot summer day in Missouri, heat became a special consideration.

Fortunately, our car has a good air-conditioning system, which features air for the back seat. That’s where Daphne, the younger of the two Dobermans was tethered. So she had her own A/C system, with her own controls.

Erika was in the back section of our SUV, so we added clip on fans — with freshly recharged batteries — to keep additional air moving in her crate as we traveled along the Missouri and Iowa highways.

Often we would have put the two dogs together in the back seat. But is young and feisty and works better with Erika if they have separate spaces. Thus the seating arrangement was determined.

We safely reached Clive, where Daphne and Erika were transferred to another SUV for the next leg of their travels to Minnesota.

Again, that SUV had A/C, plus built-in rear-cabin air, with a box fan added for Erika’s comfort in the back of the SUV. And they headed off toward their final destination.

On Monday, we saw photos of the two girls, rescued by the Minnesota Doberman Rescue, safe and sound at their new homes.

Mission Accomplished!