From collaborating with the ASPCA to a last-minute partnership to keep the Love Train going last August, this is a vehicle upgrade over two years in the making.
In December 2023, plans got underway for a new Love Train van, thanks to the incredible contribution of an HSHV supporter. We reached out to the ASPCA’s transport team for vendor recommendations, given their own 45 vehicle fleet, and soon we were working alongside them, from our initial van purchase to the five different stages of outfitting required to equip our vehicle for animal transport.
But even the best laid plans encounter speed bumps, and what was meant to be a one-year process, turned into two when we learned the required specialty HVAC system was no longer being manufactured. The HVAC system was stage two in the outfitting process (cameras, HVAC, outer wrap, flooring, and walls) and needed to be installed before we could progress on any other components.
For a year, the manufacturer researched, designed, and tested a brand-new HVAC system for our van (and for what will be the standard in ASPCA vans going forward). Why was this worth the time to get right? Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are critical parts of animal safety. In our previous van, the driver needed to manually monitor the temperature of the kennel area, but the newly designed system has auto heating and cooling, which automatically adjusts to maintain a set temperature. This ensures animals will always have a safe and comfortable ride.
Equipped just like the ASPCA’s fleet, our new van has a few additional upgrades that will greatly improve the ride for the animals and our Love Train driver (and proud Love Train pup parent), Mike. A bulkhead between the cabin and the back kennel space provides noise reduction while also functioning as the housing for new cameras and the temperature monitoring system. These safety features will alert Mike if there are any issues that may impact the animals. The back of the van also has built-in kennel locking mechanisms, keeping kennels secure on the walls, and preventing them from sliding across the floor.
While the new van’s HVAC system was going through final testing over the past summer, our (now retired) Love Train van was on its last wheel. In August 2025, our Love Train team was on their way to Tennessee when notably, the van wouldn’t go above 25 mph, and the kennel area was running hot. This wasn’t safe for our driver or for the puppies, and the van needed an immediate tow. Not wanting to leave puppies in need, our Intake Manager Toni sent out a call for help, and the Capital Area Humane Society (CAHS) in Lansing graciously let us borrow their transport vehicle. Thanks to this quick partnership, we were able to keep the life-saving efforts of Love Train going, transporting 30 puppies for us and 10 adult dogs and puppies for CAHS!
Now, just in time for Spring 2026, our old Love Train van is officially retired (with 290,000+ miles) and our new Love Train van is here! Its inaugural trip was on April 8th. 30 puppies made the journey from Tennessee on a sponsored transport. Thanks to the support for our Love Train program, hundreds of puppies will continue to find their forever families at HSHV this year!
HSHV’s Love Train program has been transporting animals to our shelter since 2016, encouraging adoption and helping save lives in areas with high euthanasia rates. For more information on Love Train please visit hshv.org/LoveTrain.