SPECIAL FEATURES:
Email
Fly me away: Pilots, volunteers unite to rescue animals
Pilots N Paws has transported thousands of rescue animals, often flying them hundreds of miles from where they were found so they can find forever homes.
Wed, Jan 30 2013 at 12:03 PM
Related Topics:
Photo: Pilots N Paws
When animal rescuers found an emaciated German shepherd wandering the streets of Somerset, Ky., in December 2011, they knew the dog wouldn’t fare well in the overcrowded local shelter. Luckily, they found a German shepherd rescue group willing to care for the dog. The only problem? The group is based in Tampa, Fla.
Animal rescuers posted the dog’s story to the Pilots N Paws website, a place where rescuers, animal foster families and volunteer pilots coordinate life-saving relocations for animals in need.
Pilot Susan Delgado of Atlanta, Ga., saw the post and volunteered to fly to Kentucky to get the malnourished dog, who was full-grown but weighed only 35 pounds. Delgado didn’t have her own plane at the time, so she flew a rental to retrieve the dog and then drove him to Tampa after he spent a few days being spoiled at her Georgia home.
“He was just a gentle giant. If you told him to sit, he’d sit. He’d clearly been someone’s pet, but maybe they’d fallen upon hard times. He was just the most loveable dog,” Delgado said.
The German shepherd ended up being adopted by the Florida woman who fostered him. Five weeks later he was a healthy 88 pounds.
Pilots N Paws, an S.C.-based nonprofit organization, is the force behind stories like this one. The idea came to animal lover Debi Boies and pilot Jon Wehrenberg in 2008 when they teamed up to rescue a Doberman pinscher from a Florida shelter. Today, the organization has a network of 3,000 pilots and 12,000 volunteers who rescue animals, organize transportation and provide foster homes to dogs, cats and other animals. Since the organization was founded, it has rescued more than 12,000 animals.
“There’s no shortage of dogs that need homes, and there are plenty of people willing to give them homes. The problem is getting the dog to the right place. That’s where we come in,” said Kathleen Quinn, Pilots N Paws executive director.
Flying to forever homes
But Pilots N Paws isn’t just for shelter dogs. Volunteers have flown cats, dogs, snakes, pigs, rabbits, rats and donkeys to new homes. In 2010, the organization even worked with Navy SEALs in Afghanistan to fly an injured Steppe eagle to a New York bird sanctuary.
Still, Quinn says the organization primarily transports dogs. Most of the dogs come from overcrowded shelters where they’re likely to be euthanized, but others are simply going into retirement.Rocky, a Belgian Malinois, was one such dog. He was employed by the U.S. Army as a land mine-detection dog in Afghanistan, but he developed glaucoma and could no longer work. Military dogs aren’t guaranteed a trip back when their service is complete, but Pilots N Paws teamed up with CDH International and Puppy Rescue Mission to transport Rocky to a new home in northern California.
And while many rescue dogs are flown to their new homes, others are taken to facilities where they can be trained as service animals.
“What’s great about that is the dogs aren't only getting a home, but someone in need is also getting a companion,” Quinn said.
But sometimes an animal doesn’t need rescuing at all; he or she just needs a temporary new home while their owner goes overseas.
“We also work with members of the military to get their pet to a friend or family member while they’re deployed. They do so much for us, and we want to do something for them in return,” Quinn said.
How it works
When an animal is in need of transport, a rescuer makes a post on the Pilots N Paws forum and gives details about where the animal is and where he needs to go. If the location falls within a volunteer pilot’s flying radius, the pilot receives an email.
Then, if the pilot can make the flight, he or she works with animal rescuers to arrange for pick-up and delivery. But not all transports are a simple direct flight.“Pilots are often limited to 250 miles for one leg, so we need volunteers to foster animals until their next leg of the trip. It’s a sort of layover for dogs. Sometimes a volunteer will even drive a leg of the trip if need be,” Quinn said.
Delgado, who’s flown about 100 animals to their forever homes, says that 20 percent of her flights involve coordinating with another pilot.
“Many people assume that we fly the animals places we’re already going, but the majority of the time they’re flights we’re taking because of the dog or cat. It combines our love of flying with our love for animals, and it’s great to do something for someone who can never repay you,” she said.
All photos courtesy of Pilots N Paws
More animal rescue stories on MNN:
You might also like:
Sign in with one of these accounts to add your comment.
EDITORS' PICKS
Advertisement
TODAY'S MOST POPULAR ON
- 20 ways to reuse coffee grounds, tea leaves
- 15 famous people who mysteriously disappeared
- 13 natural remedies for the ant invasion
- Jon Stewart explains the ‘Monsanto Protection Act’
- Best air-filtering houseplants, according to NASA
- 10 false facts most people think are true
- 15 houseplants for improving indoor air quality - A breath of fresh air
- 9 habits that may do more harm than good
- 8 hair care treatments you can make yourself
- Why you should not plant bamboo in your yard
NEWSLETTER
Advertisement
THIS IS SUCH A GREAT THING THAT IS BEING DONE GOD BLESS PILOTS N PAWS AND THE VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE HELPING THEM GET THESE BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS TO THEIR FOREVER HOMES!!!!
Amazing!! Thank-you so much!!!
FANTASTIC!!! Thank you pilots! Thank you! Thank you!
What a great cause.Animals need our help and it is so fantastic to see this happening.Thank you everyone!
PILOTS AND PAWS IS A GREAT ORGANIZATION FLYING ANIMALS TO THEIR FOREVER FAMILIES!!!!
The majority of dogs that arrive in rescue centres are between 6 months and 3 years of age and weigh more than fifty pounds. Any breed of dog can arrive in a rescue centre though some breeds are more prevalent than others. how to get followers on instagram
Glad to see P-n-P's great work being spread to the rest of the world. I have had the wonderful opportunity to work behind the scenes with P-N-P as a volunteer data poster, sending routing information out in an attempt to get lovable and deserving fur-heads to their forever homes.
WONDERFUL ! ! ! !
Thank you for for what you do for our "family" members - our furry friends. You are awesome and thanks Freekibble for bringing Pilots N Paws to our attention.
We have used Pilots N Paws to transport cats from Charleston, SC to Greenville, SC, from shelter to rescue. We appreciate them and thank them so very much for all they do to help critters in need.
KitsNKats Rescue
Great organization. A bunch of wonderful & caring people just looking to help animals. Doesn't get much better than that.
Thank you so much for what you do! You guys are awesome!
The pilots for Pilots and Paws are SAINTS. Thank you all, for all you do for these precious animals. Bless each and every one of you.
military dogs, rescue dogs, etc..are not gaurenteed a trip home?????
this can't be true..they are soldiers too
God's Bless you! You do the work of angels.
I have worked with Pilots and Paws a couple of times. You guys are the BEST! Thank you for what you do.
Such a heart warming story. Great praise for these animal rescuers!
These folks are great, great, great!!!
Thank you to Pilots and Paws and all the pilots!!!
Wonderful, thanks for posting!