West Bound and Down: The Epic Cross-Country Run of Operation Frodo Returns for a Fourth Time

“East bound and down, loaded up and truckin’

We gonna do what they say can’t be done

We’ve got a long way to go and a short time to get there

I’m east bound, just watch ol’ Bandit run!

Keep your foot hard on the pedal

Son, never mind them brakes

Let it all hang out ’cause we’ve got a run to make

The boys are thirsty in Atlanta

And there’s beer in Texarkana

And we’ll bring it back no matter what it takes”

Jerry Reed didn’t know it, but when he wrote the anthem for Smokey and the Bandit, he might as well have been talking about Operation Frodo. Admittedly, we’re hauling beagles instead of beer. We’re running westbound, but other than that, it’s pretty much the same story.

Andy and Mercedes have written about Operation Frodo before. But here’s the quick 411—there are a lot of unwanted beagle puppies in the Midwest. There are waiting lists to adopt beagles in the Pacific Northwest. The surplus beagles come from being abandoned by hunters, excess production from puppy mills, and even leftovers from animal experiment labs. The less I say about all those things, the happier we’ll all be. So, we’ll just say there’s a crying need to get all these dogs moved west to safety.

For four years now, a group of automotive journalists from outlets as varied as Car & Driver, Univision, AutoExotica, and now Crankshaft Culture, led by TV and radio personality Nik Miles, have banded together with support from a variety of automakers to bring beagles to the Northwest in time for Christmas. It’s called Operation Frodo after Nik’s beagle. It’s a well-organized banzai run, stopping only when vehicles, humans, and beasts need fuel or a good pee.

I’ve been part of all four winter Frodos, (there’s a summer run now, too) and I have to say, there’s nothing like it in the world of auto enthusiast events. Not only do I get to spend 4-6 days driving across the continent with my colleagues and friends, we have literally saved the lives of 85 (and counting) utterly charming dogs. More than once, a dog has gone home with one of the drivers, and too many tears of joy to count have been shed along the way.

Motor City Madness

This year, my journey started in Detroit, Michigan. In order for the automakers to lend us the vehicles, we have to pick them up where they are. Generally speaking, that means a pre-caravan from Detroit and Chicago (and once, L.A.) to Omaha to pick up the dogs. So I flew into Detroit and picked up a brand new Chrysler Pacifica minivan for the trip. Together with my friend Paul Eisenstein of HeadlightNews.com, we took off through some fairly challenging weather, headed for Omaha.

Other vehicles on the trip this time included a Toyota Sienna and a Kia Carnival, both minivans, plus a Subaru Forester, Volkswagen Atlas, and even an Ineos Grenadier—the same kind of vehicle that carried Crankshaft Culture to the Arctic in 2024. Each vehicle held 3-4 dogs for the entire trip, and the drivers took responsibility dog care at overnight stops in Denver, Salt Lake City, and Boise before handing the dogs off to destinations in Salem, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington.

#VanLife

I have to say, I have indulged in the same genteel disdain for minivans as most car enthusiasts. Give me a hot hatch or a Miata, and I’m happy, right? But I have to say, when the task at hand is getting a barrel of yapping puppies over 1,600 miles, and you want to arrive with your mind and body still functioning, a minivan is the right tool for the job. Low floors make it easy to heft the dog crates in and out, and the cavernous space means you can also haul pet supplies, luggage, and even portable enclosures to keep puppies under control.

Three Standaout Minivans

For me, the standout vehicles this year included all three minivans. When automakers design a van for family use, they keep safety, comfort, and convenience top of mind. Blind spot monitors and cameras are critical, and assisted highway steering is nice in the ninth or tenth hour on the Interstates. The Chrysler Pacifica came with AWD and a brand-new set of Bridgestone Blizzaks, so we need fear no weather. That came in handy in Iowa when we got caught behind a major pile-up of less capable cars. We had to off-road it a bit to find a turnaround point. Once we found our way off I-80, we traversed deep snow on county roads up to US Highway 30 to continue on into Omaha. With Blizzak tires on the wheels, the Chrysler never so much as twitched on the snow and ice.

The Toyota Sienna stood out for me because it was a hybrid, and the difference in fuel economy was substantial over the long distance. Like all the minivans, the Sienna was comfortable, well-equipped with tech, and quiet. Toyota offers the Sienna with both AWD and the hybrid engine. That’s great and all, but Toyota also offers a refrigerated box in the console that will keep four drinks frosty for you. #SOLD

Among our three vans, the Kia Carnival was the most affordable. Both Chrysler and Toyota sent top-trim examples, but the Kia was a volume trim model. That didn’t matter, nor did the fact that you can’t get AWD on the Carnival. It was a great vehicle at a sensible price point, and it covered every inch of the same ground as the AWD counterparts. Plus, unless you look twice and notice the dual sliding doors, you’ll think the Carnival is an SUV. Honestly, between any of these vans and a crossover SUV, it’s a distinction without much of a difference.

They call it Puppy Love

So here’s the thing: with these six vehicles, the on-road portion of our trip was pretty much completely uneventful. That’s to be expected with modern SUVs and vans on good winter tires. About the only thing I can say for the road is that Jersey Mike’s offers a MUCH better lunch than Subway. OK, and that North America is spectacularly beautiful in winter. Even the plains of Nebraska and eastern Colorado are nice when coated in snow.

For my part, I was in charge of three eight-week-old puppies. Any one of them vastly exceeds the energy level of an adult human. With three of them, well, you just try to survive until they get tired and go to sleep on you. Of course, when they wake up, they’ll bite your ears to wake you up, too. I now have a new earlobe piercing, and I’ve shed my blood in the cause of animal rescue, and it was 100% worth it.

I’ll Be Back

What’s the bottom line? I’ll be back for my fifth Frodo next December. Absolutely and no question about it. Little Cuchulain, Boudica, and Bronwen were delivered safely to a rescue with families waiting to love them all their lives because I chose to love them for four days. That’s a profoundly good feeling you really don’t get every day.

OK, so here’s the pitch: you can help out, too. First, if you are reading this and seeing these photos and thinking you’d like a beagle, they’re great dogs, and you should say YES if you can.

Several of our Operation Frodo beagles and many dogs of all breeds are available for adoption through the Asher House in Salem, Oregon. Or, just contact your local animal shelter. I guarantee the first thing they’ll tell you is that they’re overwhelmed with good dogs (and cats) needing homes.

Ask your local shelter. Get involved. Help out. There are opportunities.

If you want to be part of Operation Frodo in particular, visit www.animalrescuerigs.com—that’s our parent 501(c)3 charity that handles all the money for this event. You can find out more about our mission and make a donation there. Thanks in advance, and I’ll see you out on the road.

All photos supplied by the author.