Day 1: From Spaniels to Smoke: A Rescue Run That Nearly Ended in Flames
It was supposed to be a short travel day while helping transport three Cocker Spaniels to their new forever home. Jodi, who does occasional work with animal rescues, had arranged to pick up the dogs, and we met just off I-75 for the handoff. It was a tough goodbye for the woman surrendering them—there were tears, hugs, and heartfelt thanks. But once the pups were loaded and settled, we headed west toward Tallahassee to meet the next leg of the transport chain. Then, everything changed. Just outside Lake City, only a mile from I-10, the RV suddenly lost power. I smelled burning rubber, saw smoke in the mirrors, and quickly steered us to the shoulder. We jumped out, fire extinguisher in hand, expecting the worst. Thankfully, it wasn’t a fire—but something was clearly wrong with the engine, and it was a holiday weekend. Roadside assistance options were slim, and the company we were contracted with wanted to tow us backward to Jacksonville—completely the wrong direction—and couldn’t...