Beagles, Vans, and a Cross-Country Mission: How Three Automakers and a Handful of Humans Saved 14 Dogs

By Nik Miles

Sometimes, the story isn’t about horsepower. It’s about heart power.

This spring, three vehicles crossed the country not for a car rally, not for marketing, but for mercy. Their cargo? Fourteen beagles, rescued from a livestock auction in Missouri—a place where, yes, even in 2025, it’s still legal to sell dogs to research labs.

We got to them first.

The mission was organized by Animal Rescue Rigs, a nonprofit I founded to help shelters and rescues with one of the most overlooked needs in animal welfare: transportation. Most rescues are run on fumes emotionally, logistically, and literally. They fundraise for food, vet bills, and crates, but few have the means to get animals out of danger and into homes. That’s where we come in. Spearheaded by an amazing rescue in Omaha, Nebraska called Bassett and beagle rescue of the heartland, we’ve been able to get dogs out of the Midwest.

This time, we didn’t just need wheels—we needed horsepower with purpose. Volkswagen, RAM, and Kia delivered.

The Vehicles That Made It Happen

Let’s start with the 2025 Volkswagen Atlas. Its expansive cabin and calm highway composure made this SUV a sanctuary on wheels. There were also ventilated rear seats, a whisper-quiet ride quality, and enough space to comfortably house crate-dogs and caretakers alike. The Atlas helped make the impossible a reality. These dogs had never seen a window, let alone experienced a climate-controlled road trip. The Atlas was their first-ever brush with comfort.

Then came the RAM ProMaster. This isn’t your plumber’s van. This is a full-size, high-roof hauler, reimagined as a mobile rescue unit. It carried the bulk of our gear from crates, food, and water to fans and cleaning supplies. Also onboard were a few volunteers who, quite frankly, deserved first-class upgrades. The ProMaster never flinched. It was a workhorse with a conscience.

The unsung hero of the trip was the 2025 Kia Carnival. Minivan? Sure. But in this case, it was a luxury coach for our most fragile passengers. Once the rear seats were removed, the Carnival became a flat-floored mobile recovery suite. Dual sliding doors, a cushy ride, and easy access for tired volunteers made it the surprise MVP of the drive.

Why This Matters Right Now

Beagles are still being bred, bought, and sold for laboratory testing in the United States. While most Americans would recoil at the thought, it remains legal, common, and largely invisible.

These are small, docile, and tragically forgiving creatures. Their genetics are similar to ours and their personalities make them easy to handle. Even after repeated trauma, beagles still wag their tails at strangers. That’s what makes them ideal for testing and what makes it so tragically wrong.

The auction we targeted operates legally. Unwanted hunting dogs, overbred pups, and unsold litters are sold to whoever can pay—sometimes breeders, sometimes testers. In some regions, when hunting season ends, dogs are dumped in the woods in a practice called “fielding.” It’s legal. It’s horrifying. And it creates a flood of dogs with nowhere to go.

So we went.

What It Took To Pull This Off

The cost of the journey was roughly $6,000. The funds did not come from a company or a celebrity influencer campaign, but from ten donors. These ten humans saw a sad story and chose to rewrite the ending.

Among them were Shirley Sanders and DriveShop, whose generosity helped us purchase the dogs from auction and cover the 2,000-mile journey west. Their support wasn’t flashy, but it was vital.

Sometimes the cavalry isn’t loud. It’s quiet. It fits in a spreadsheet, shows up in a Venmo receipt, or hands you the keys to a van and says, “Go.”

Where Did the Dogs End Up?

Nine found safety and sanctuary at The Asher House, a 240-acre rescue haven outside of Portland, founded by Lee Asher, whose love for animals is rivaled only by his reach on TikTok. The remaining five beagles continued north to Seattle Beagle Rescue, where they’ll be fostered and adopted into loving homes.

When the convoy rolled into Oregon, the dogs were trembling, huddled, and silent. Within thirty minutes of arriving at The Asher House, everything changed. They stretched their legs, barked, and chased each other across the grass.

They knew.

The Bigger Picture

This wasn’t just about saving dogs. It was a reminder of what can happen when people, and brands, choose to care.

Volkswagen, RAM, and Kia didn’t just supply vehicles. They made this mission possible. Not hypothetically. Literally. Their vans and SUVs weren’t in a showroom. They were in Kansas, Colorado, and Idaho, rolling west with crates full of vulnerable lives.

There’s a version of this story where those beagles disappear into cages, labs, and silence. Thankfully, that’s not the story we’re telling.

Final Gear Change

I asked Lee Asher whether he ever worried that by saving these dogs, we were inadvertently creating room for more to take their place. He looked at me and said, “You can’t think like that. You have to imagine what would’ve happened if you hadn’t stepped in.”

That’s the truth behind every tail wag.

Like what you’ve read? Stay in the driver’s seat with more insider automotive insights. Follow @NikJMiles and @TestMiles for stories that go beyond the press release.