One of the trickiest things about dog rescue is getting the dogs where they need to go. You may have a dog in a rural shelter who needs to get to a big city where a foster home or family is waiting for them, but what’s a dog to do?
Meet Pilots N Paws, a 501c3 non-profit organization that specializes in coordinating homeless dogs with pilots that will fly them to their destination. Sounds pretty fancy, right? It is!
Pilots N Paws coordinates rescues and private pilots in order to save dogs lives. Since 2008 Pilots N Paws has gained 1,800 volunteers, with 8200 registered users participating on the website. Their goal is to have 10,000 pilots so that no transport request will go unanswered.
Pilots N Paws is not limited to the United States. There’s a chapter in Canada and the organization has done many international rescues. They have flown dogs back from Afghanistan that solders have adopted via commercial airlines. They then pick up the final leg of the transport and fly the dog to the soldier’s homes. They have even rescued a steppe eagle from Afghanistan who Navy seals rescued after it was shot. The eagle is now in sanctuary.
If you’d like to help be a part of Pilots N Paws efforts please visit their website pilotsnpaws.org They are looking for pilots or volunteers who can help in other ways. They are always trying to spread the word to other pilots by printing out the airport flyer they have on their website and take it to their local airports.
References
1. Pilots N Paws Facebook 2. Pilots N Paws Website