Do you think it may be more feesible to take up a collection for the little boy to have his new doggy shipped? It may be less stress on the dog because he is going from person to person who he is not familiar with and also driving long distances in a car. I had my Coco Shipped to me for $200 from a company called Petair. maybe you may want to look into that and some of us will be willing to donate money. It will cost about the same in gas and tolls for your railroad idea. Just something to think about.
Here is their website.
http://www.flypets.com/