Honey & Me: How a Cross-Country Trip, 16 Dogs in Tow, Changed Everything

(This is the second in a two-part series about Operation Frodo EV: an 1,811-mile mission to rescue 16 homeless beagles. Part 1 revealed that this was the first-ever cross-country dog rescue effort relying on battery-electric vehicles. Part 2 takes you along on the journey.)

I must admit, I’m a sucker for a pretty face, and that certainly applies to Honey, the 7-year-old beagle that accompanied me on a 4-day journey from Omaha to Portland earlier this month. She was one of 16 beagles being delivered to new homes out in the Pacific Northwest as part of Operation Frodo EV.

We began our journey in Omaha, Nebraska where the hounds were being fostered by members of a dedicated group of dog lovers. Each of the canines had a hard-luck story: some rescued from cruel and uncaring puppy mills. Others found wandering homeless after being abandoned by hunters at the end of small game season. Several young puppies faced the prospect of winding up in medical research labs.

Then there was Honey, the victim of a hit-and-run left on the side of the road to die before a Good Samaritan scooped her up and got her to a veterinarian just in time. Her body had been badly broken, Honey’s left rear leg likely needing amputation. But she was a spunky little soul who wouldn’t quit. She started putting weight on the leg and the surgery was cancelled. Despite the hell she’d been through, Honey proved to be a delightful companion as I headed cross-country, along with 15 other dogs and a baker’s dozen crew of automotive journalists, analysts and PR folk.

(Nik) Miles and Miles

In the typical year, about 6 million dogs and cats will wind up in shelters, millions more getting dumped on the streets. As many as 1 million will land in “kill shelters” and eventually be euthanized. But the problem has, if anything, grown worse lately. And you can add the challenge raised by efforts to end the use of dogs in medical research labs. A total of 1,635 beagles have been rescued from the now-closed Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. Thousands more continue to be subject to research at other labs across the U.S.

Enter Nik Miles, a fellow journalist and canine lover extraordinaire. Back in 2021, his beloved beagle passed away and he went looking for another. Sometimes the search for just the right pet can take a strange detour and, in this case, Miles wound up connecting with Basset and Beagle Rescue of the Heartland. Rather than a typical shelter, it’s a loose-knit collection of dog lovers who open their homes up to lost and unwanted animals. Members like Kathi Ortmeier collectively foster as many as 350 beagles and bassets a year. The challenge is to then find the animal permanent homes.

Operation Frodo

When Miles explained he was taking his new beagle back to Portland he was asked if he could manage transporting four more of the group’s rescues. It turns out that the popularity of dog breeds is quite regional. Shepherds, for example, are wildly popular in the Mid-Atlantic states, while Labrador Retrievers top the list in California. Texans love French Bulldogs. Beagles, it turns out, are a favorite among dog fanciers along the Pacific Northwest.

“By moving (unwanted dogs) from one part of the country to another, you solve the problem,” said Miles. Operation Frodo was born — the name honoring  a character in The Lord of the Rings, as well as the beagle Miles adopted.

Snow, Sleet and Hurricane Winds

That first trip was a challenging one, Miles and several fellow journalists discovered, as they piloted  a big Wagoneer loaned them by Jeep across Wyoming during the worst snowstorm in in a century. At one point they slid off the road into a ditch but eventually dug out and slowly made their way to the Pacific Northwest.

I signed up for my first journey in December 2024 and, while the snow was far less onerous, the wind blowing across the Wyoming plains more than made up for it. “Gusts up to 80 mph,” read the advisory signs, a figure that, along the East Coast would qualify as a hurricane. Our intrepid group made it through, though the trip took an unexpected turn for me. I fell in love with Melvyn, one of the older beagles, and decided to take him home. As he was too big to take into a Delta Airlines cabin I rented a car and made the return trip to Detroit solo. Last December I made my third rescue mission and, despite my wife’s warning, fell in love once again – this time with a border collie/basset mix. Somehow, I convinced Delta to let me take Clyde onboard.

Las Vegas Lays Odds

While Operation Frodo normally takes place in December, our loose-knit group has added a handful of mid-year missions. In June 2025, we were able to raise money to buy 13 beagle pups that were originally scheduled to go to medical labs. They were joined by Big Booty Judy, a nearly 50-pound beagle that, yep, I quickly fell in love with. Wife Jennifer offered me a choice: “If you like, she can come back to Michigan…but you’ll have to find another place to live.” Judy, I’m pleased to say, has landed a loving home out West – and has also lost nearly 20 pounds.

Nonetheless, I heard Las Vegas bookies were running odds on my bringing home another dog when I headed out again earlier this month.

The trip was an unusual one, arranged by Sam Abuelsamid lead auto analyst with Telemetry Research. He lined up four battery-electric vehicles and we set out with dual intent: not only to rescue those 16 dogs but to prove you could easily make it across country in an EV. As I noted in my first story last week, the trip was surprisingly uneventful from that standpoint. We had a brief digital glitch with one of the EVs, but the four otherwise made the trip nearly as smoothly as any gas-powered model we’d used in the past.

Honey

Typically, each of the “Knights of Frodo,” as Nik Miles has dubbed us, will be assigned a couple dogs to watch each night. In my case, however, I only bedded down with Honey. I’d expected her to be a challenge considering the injuries she’d suffered in her hit-and-run. Other than needing to be lifted on the bed because she can’t jump with that back leg, however, Honey was as active as any other beagle in the menagerie.

And, I have to admit, it grew harder and harder, each of those four nights on the road, knowing I would have to hand her off once we reached our final stop in Portland. But I also knew that she had a wonderful home waiting for her out west – and that the family she’d go to had experience dealing with dogs who’ve had serious health issues. Still, I’d be lying if I didn’t have a few tears (all right, a lot) streaking my face during our last midpoint stop in Ontario, Oregon.

“This Will Change You”

Nik Miles offered a simple advisory before I headed out for my first Operation Frodo back in December 2024. “This will change you,” he said. And it has. In so many ways. I no longer think of myself as “owning” my three hounds – which include Melvyn, Clyde and Miles, the Lab mix we adopted in 2023 – as well as three cats. I am their “Kahu,” a much more appropriate term native Hawaiians use. It translates as “guardian,” “protector,” or “caretaker.” It means “You’ve formed a sacred bond,” explained dear friend Emily Gail, a long-time resident of the Big Island.

Sometimes, we only have a few days together, as is the case with Operation Frodo. Still, what I’ve seen after finishing my fifth cross-country mission is how it affects all of use involved, both dogs and humans. As we began this latest trek, many of the beagles were scared and withdrawn, perhaps fearing a repeat of what they faced before being rescued in Omaha. Yet, after each days drive, I’ve now found, they become more and more relaxed, more playful. More trusting. And, as we reached our destination in Portland, they seemed truly excited. Yes, I may be anthropomorphizing things here, but all 16 seemed ready to begin their new lives.

Nope. Sorry, those who were betting on me to bring home yet another dog this year. There were several I’d have been happy to join my family. The good news is that most are now in permanent homes. The others have found loving fosters. And, I’ve learned, at least one of my colleagues is seriously considering a return to the Pacific Northwest to adopt one of the beagles in foster care.

I’m not the only one whose life has been changed.

(The author would like to thank all those who have helped in animal rescues and who have turned to adoption, rather than buying from puppy and cat mills. Even if you’re looking for a specific breed you can find them at rescue centers and foster groups like Basset and Beagle Rescue of the Heartland that specialize in specific breeds.)