We are thrilled to announce that we are planning to move forward with Operation Frodo 1650 in 2023, and I would like to share with you the initial plan for this exciting event. Please note that all information and plans are subject to change.
MEET THE DRIVERS
Meet the people who are making this years Operation Frodo possible. Meet the drivers
What is Operation Frodo 1650?
Operation Frodo 1650 is a shelter rescue program designed to transport as many shelter dogs as possible from the Heartlands of America to the West Coast in a convoy during December 2023.
Why the name Operation Frodo 1650?
The name Frodo comes from the first dog saved by Animal Rescue Rigs, and 1650 represents the approximate distance in miles from Omaha, Nebraska, the start point this year, to Portland, Oregon, the end of the initial drive.
Why Omaha to Portland?
This route was chosen because it was tested last year and is very familiar to the planning team. We also have rescue partners in Omaha, Nebraska (Bassett and Beagle Rescue of the Heartlands) and Portland, Oregon (Cascade Beagle Rescue).
What are the suggested dates for Operation Frodo, and what is the planned route?
The initial plan is to arrive in Omaha, Nebraska, on December 16th and then proceed as follows:
- Arrival in Omaha, Nebraska, on December 16th
- Day One: Omaha, NE to Denver, CO on December 17th
- Day Two: Denver, CO to Salt Lake City, UT on December 18th
- Day Three: Salt Lake City, UT to Boise, ID on December 19th
- Day Four: Boise, ID, to Portland, Oregon, and 8 dogs go onto Seattle on December 20th
The route was chosen because each weekday morning, it’s in a primary media market, and each leg should take between 7-10.5 hours to drive with stops for dogs and human relief and meals. Here is a link to the proposed route: https://maps.
How will teams be formed and funded, and who can do this?
Operation Frodo 1650 is designed for content creators and their sponsors. Groups of two participants will find a sponsor who will provide a vehicle, funding for fuel, food, lodgings, and any miscellaneous expenses. Four teams will consist of two content creators, one sponsor representative, and at least one dog.
What is the purpose of Operation Frodo 1650?
Primarily, it is to take unwanted rescue dogs from high-populated areas to their forever homes on the West Coast. The secondary goal is to raise enough funds for Animal Rescue Rigs to obtain and build a dog rescue transport to be donated to a shelter that can use it to help save the lives of rescue animals. The event is also designed to raise funds and publicity for the dogs and the rescue organizations that participate.
How do early volunteers sign up?
To join the initial organization team, please get in touch with Nicole Wakelin at [email protected].
What is the sign-up procedure?
Animal Rescue Rigs will form an events committee that will begin the fundamentals of planning and organizing the event. Volunteers and participants will be informed via the Animal Rescue Rigs website and social media of event information when that information becomes available.
What is next?
If you sign up as an initial volunteer, you will be contacted by the team. Nicole Wakelin is your first point of contact if you wish to contribute in some other way.
History of Operation Frodo:
Operation Frodo 2022 began in the planning stages many years before 2022 with the planning and building of the first rescue Rig Paws one. After the truck was delivered to Bassett and Beagle Rescue of the Heartlands, the journey from Omaha, NE, to Portland, OR, began on December 20th, 2022. This was a concerted effort by Animal Rescue Rigs, a US 501c3 registered charity, and a handful of volunteers, to make a meaningful difference in the state of animal homelessness in the United States. Operation Frodo 2022 got over half a billion impressions (510 million). Much like the JRR Tolkien story, this epic Frodo Baggins journey had similarities to the Tolkien original. In Operation Frodo, four beagle friends made a treacherous journey in temperatures of up to -70 from Omaha, Nebraska, to Portland, Oregon. With the help of Nissan, Jeep, Subaru, and a band of journalists, this journey not only found homes for our beagles forever but also allowed five other dogs to be rescued.
Animal Rescue Rigs is a national charity that builds and supplies animal rescue organizations with vehicles so they can use their raised funds to rescue animals instead of buying transportation. Animal Rescue Rigs (ARR), vehicle designer Kenny Pfitzer and a long list of aftermarket companies built Paws One, a 2018 Nissan Titan rescue truck. A team of volunteer journalists used their own money and air miles to drive 1650 miles from Portland, Oregon, to Omaha, Nebraska. The drivers left Portland, Oregon, on December (date), and different team members flew into cities along the route to take turns driving the vehicle.
The journalists and volunteers donated all the flights and hotels. The team finally arrived at Bassett and Beagle Rescue on December (date), where it will be used to save and transport some of the 185,407,416 homeless dogs and cats in the USA to their forever homes.
Once in Omaha, the journalists used a loaned Grand Wagoneer L to drive the now-famous four beagles back to Portland. Frodo Baggins, Galadriel Baggins, Noel, and Snickers. The journey home became treacherous, with closed roads, blinding snowstorms, and temperatures reaching -70 degrees. Humans lost their lives on the streets our travelers took during the storms gripped America in its icy hand. Our team got stranded in snowy conditions. They ended up in a snowbank, off the road, and only thanks to the vehicle they were driving they managed to extricate themselves. After seven days on the street, the drivers and dogs arrived safely home on Christmas Eve.
Thanks to this mission, not only did the original band of beagles find forever homes, but four more beagles were able to fill their spots in the rescue. One of them, who had been hit by a car and needed urgent surgery, was found to be pregnant with a single puppy during an x-ray. The puppy was born not breathing, but thanks to a team of veterinarians who would not give up, he was saved. The puppy is alive and well.
Are you ready to do something purely good? Join us in Operation Frodo 1650, and let’s make a difference in the lives of rescue dogs.