WINDHAM — It was hard to tell whose squeals were louder yesterday in the Park and Ride lot off Route 111, those of the Southern dogs or their new Northern owners.
One by one, the animals, after 24 hours on the road, clambered down a ramp from a converted horse trailer to waiting arms.
New pet owners Carol and Timothy Healey of Derry and their son, Dan, nuzzled Cameron, an affable lab/shepherd pup of about 3 months.
"His tail is going crazy," said Carol Healey, cradling the little dog.
Unions between pets and their new owners happen about 45 Saturdays a year in the Route 111 Park and Ride lot.
For about five years now, Peterson Express Transport Service of Cookeville, Tenn., has made Windham a stop along a Northern swing that includes drop-offs in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, said transporter Kyle Peterson.
New England rescue organizations such as Golden Huggs of Burlington, Vt., and Providence, R.I., Canine Guardians For Life of Wolfeboro, and Lucky Pup Rescue of Kennebunkport, Maine, serve as intermediaries between rescue groups in the South and the owners.
"We're kind of like matchmakers," said Debbie Johnson of Golden Huggs.
Judith Apy of Canine Guardians spent 20 years singing opera for the New York Metropolitan Opera, but she said she finds her work pairing owners with dogs more rewarding. Many of the animals would otherwise be euthanized, said Apy, who has placed more than 300 dogs with owners in the past five years.
She said she works with Peterson because he's approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and she has found him to be trustworthy.
Yesterday, Apy paired Karen and Phil Russo of Salem with a second dog, Lu Lu. A month ago, the Salem couple adopted Jackson, a terrier mix, through Apy and picked him up at the Windham Park and Ride.
Yesterday, Jackson came along to meet his new housemate.
If first impressions mean anything, they should be good friends.
The influx of Southern dogs into the Northeast has attracted criticism from those who say some of the new arrivals are unhealthy dogs that have not been seen by a veterinarian.
Johnson and Brigitte Ritchie, also of Golden Huggs, said some transport services truck in unhealthy animals, but all of the dogs Peterson brings have been spayed or neutered, have up-to-date shots, and have been seen by a veterinarian.
Peterson said he transports only for rescue societies, not for breeders or pet stores. He said he is licensed by the state of New Hampshire.
Several new pet owners said they found what they wanted — the right kind of dog, the right sex, the right age — through the Peterson transport service to Windham.
"These are dogs that you might not be able to get locally," Johnson said.
She said prospective owners first find their pets online, most often at Petfinders.com.
The animals are linked to rescue societies and shelters. From there the prospective owners find out how to adopt these animals.
When Peterson hit the road Friday morning in Cookeville, Tenn., his trailer and another carrier had 130 homeless dogs and two kittens.
The animals came from Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida and Georgia.
Yesterday in Windham, the new owners came from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Owners pay between $300 and $400 for their pets, Peterson said. This covers adoption (spaying or neutering, shots and veterinary examination) and transport fees.
The Healeys paid $300 for Cameron. Within an hour he had a new name — Mojo.
They said their home has been too quiet since their dog of 11 years, George, died on July 8.
Mojo will help fill the empty space.
"He's going to put a lot of joy in our lives," Carol Healey said.
