Traveling across the country and back within a year produces many unforeseen, happy byproducts — “Oh, hey third cousin twice removed! You live in Nowhere, South Dakota? See you tonight!” — but it’s hard to imagine a happier byproduct than this one: PUPPIES!

Odie the Odyssey is well-equipped for human van-living, but when it comes to pets, he doth not a safe space make, so we were beyond thrilled when our travel route kept us encountering dog after dog, preventing our head patting muscles from atrophying.

Without further ado, and with limited text interruption, allow us to introduce to you the Pups of Rogue Trip 2017:

Meet Pilot. Instrumental in Rogue Trip’s initial sendoff, as well as our safe return, Pilot is a very good boy:

Meet Charley. With a soft spot for Mitch and a protective heart, Charley is a very good girl:

Meet Emmy (left) and Oscar (right). Currently living life with a toddler in their Atlanta home, they are always eager for food droppings. These are two very good dogs:

Meet this friendly coffee shop pup. Being social with strangers in Seaside, Florida is what this pooch lives for. This is a very good dog:

Meet the Mardi Gras Dog. Celebrating in the Mardi Gras Dog Parade in Fairhope, Alabama is where this lab really shines. This is a very good Mardi Gras dog:

Meet the most relaxed pooch on the bayou. This sweet thing welcomed us to our swamp tour in Louisiana, but first made us pay the belly rub toll. This is a very good dog:

Meet Sunny. Cuddly, friendly, soft and fluffy, Sunny is a very good dog:

Meet Oklahoma City’s Sebastian. He’s a big fan of back scratches, and loved sleeping with his booty on Mitch’s head. Sebastian is a very good boy:

Meet Arizona’s own MiMi and Wilson. Pictured in time-out after teaming up to pull the living room entertainment center away from the wall and chew the delicious TV cord into pieces, these are two otherwise VERY good dogs:

Meet Cole and Poe. Living the dream in their new Bend, Oregon home, these tug-of-war-loving brothers are both very good boys:

Meet Maybe. Just generally happy to welcome us to her Decorah, Iowa home, Maybe is a very good girl:

Meet Vonnegut. A yard-romping pooch with his own Twitter account, who is utterly fearless when it comes to flaming beer cans. Vonnegut is a very good boy:

Puppington is his name, tricks are his game and his claim to fame. Puppington is a very good boy:

Meet Candy. Not one to revel in the puparazzi spotlight, Candy is quiet and sweet, and she is a very good girl:

Meet YaYa. The sweetest, snoring, Queen of Queens, YaYa is family, and she’s a very good girl:

Meet Tia. She was willing to join us in the van for the second half of our trip, but in the end decided that she loved her family and her home in New Jersey more than the vagabond life. Tia is an adventurous, very good girl:

Meet Molly. Pictured with her humans, she is well-traveled, kind, loving, and I think she’s winking at you! Molly is a very good girl:

Meet Chico. Family to Hailey, lover of belly rubs and getting dirty immediately upon leaving the dog groomer, Chico is a very good boy:

Meet Tucker. Brother(ish) to Chico, dog son to Hailey, and pictured here at his temporary home at Grandma’s house in Arkansas. We may be biased, but Tucker is the VERY BEST BOY:

Meet Sparkles McDog. Sassy Arkansan and full of energy, Sparkles is a very good dog:

Meet Winston. Fierce protector of the home, Winston warms up to strangers quickly. Don’t stand up too fast or he’ll quickly remind you that this is Winston’s house and he makes the rules. He is a very good boy:

Meet Charlie. Gentle with kiddos, friendly to strangers, and master of the casual-yet-seductive pose, Charlie is a very good dog:

Meet Landon. Ever eager for a car ride or a romp around the yard, Landon has never met a stranger, and he is a very good boy:

Meet Diego. Big brother to this tiny human, Diego is patient, sweet, and a very good boy:

To all of the pups pictured, and the handful that we were too busy petting to capture photos of, thanks for filling Rogue Trip 2017 with the extra TLC that we didn’t know we were missing.

On a more somber note, three of the previously pictured pooches, including Hailey’s 15 year old chocolate lab, have since made their way across the rainbow bridge and into dog heaven. We hear the windowless car rides never end up there, baths don’t exist, and the tennis ball supply is infinite.

“Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.” – Agnes Sligh Turnbull

Tucker: 2002 – 2018

Yaya: 2007 – 2018

Cole: 2009 – 2018

What wonderful memories you all gave us. Thank you, pups.