10/07/2026
Three-month-old, Darcy, who was a one-month resident of the Bainbridge, Georgia shelter, recently experienced more in 36 hours than many shelter dogs experience in a lifetime!
Around 9:00 on Sunday morning, shelter workers fed 8-pound, little GBD (Georgia Black Dog), Darcy, and informed her it was her MOST lucky day EVER! She would be starting her freedom ride that day!
At 9:30, a volunteer, Janine Thomas, picked up Darcy and headed to Columbus, Georgia to meet a Southern Mutts Rescue Wagon volunteer (me) for the first leg of Darcy’s incredible journey!
Around noon, Darcy went with me to visit my sister, Jill, in Pine Mountain (near Calloway Gardens) for a quick lunch and runaround in Jill’s fenced yard. Around 4:00 that afternoon, Darcy and I drove to Alpharetta where we enjoyed social time and dinner with the other Abernethy sisters, Kelli and Chamblee, Kelli’s dachshund, Ollie, and my dad, Lynn. Darcy also got what I expect was her first bath, which led to many snuggles and kisses with all three Abernethy sisters!
Around midnight Sunday, Darcy and I then settled into a night of whining, crying and little sleep so we could rise and shine early the next day for the rest of Darcy’s journey!
At 9:00 on Monday morning, Darcy had her first vet appointment at Crabapple Knoll Veterinary Clinic in Alpharetta where she received a clean bill of health despite a few run-of-the-mill intestinal parasites. 🤮
At 4:30 Monday afternoon, Darcy took flight in a Boeing 737 from Atlanta to Denver, in which the plan was for Darcy to remain comfortably secured in a soft carrier under the seat in front of me for the duration of the flight. Unfortunately, Darcy had other plans, made a covert escape from her carrier and pooped in the center aisle of the plane before anyone could stop her! Thanks to the flight attendants’ quick-thinking emergency announcement, the aisle was cleared of humans, and I promptly cleaned up Darcy’s steamy/smelly mess with only EVERYONE on the plane watching. 😭 Having lightened the load, Darcy was placed back in her carrier where she slept soundly for the remaining 45 minutes of the flight, completely oblivious to the mortifying drama she had caused me at 35,000 feet!
Thankfully, our second flight from Denver to Kalispell was without incident, and Darcy happily landed in the arms of her foster mom, Kristen, at about 10:00 p.m.
Today, Darcy enjoyed a warm and sunny Montana day and celebrated the first day of the rest of her LONG life!
If only every shelter pup could be so lucky. 😔