Pilots-N-Paws Pet Charity Embarks on Massive Rescue Mission in North Carolina

According to the Humane Society, 4 million cats and dogs—about one every eight seconds—are euthanized in shelters each year.

But here is a happy ending for 300+ dogs who will be rescued in ONE morning.

As readers who care about animal welfare, animal rescue and animal rehabilitation, I thought you all might want to know about this massive rescue effort taking place.

The weekend of September 28, 80 pilots and other volunteers will participate in the Pilots N Paws “Dog Is My Copilot” Rescue Flyway, aimed at relocating more than 300 dogs from Monroe, North Carolina’s at the Charlotte-Monroe Executive airport to shelters and foster homes in other parts of the country including D.C., Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, and New Jersey.

Pilots N Paws is a national nonprofit program that gives animals a second chance one flight at a time. This unique program brings together planes, pilots and shelters to rescue and transport dogs, cats and other animals from overcrowded shelters, relocating them to organizations committed to finding them homes.

“This year’s annual flyway derives its name from our newly released Pilots N Paws book. The book, “Dog Is My Copilot,” features two dozen animal rescue flights. In Charlotte, we will be adding hundreds of new stories to the Pilots N Paws collection as our pilots fly over 300 animals to safety all in the course of one day,” says Kathleen Quinn, executive director of Pilots N Paws.

On Saturday, September 29, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., the largest single-day airlift to save dogs will occur.

How? With the help of the fantastic organization, Pilots-N-Paws.

Eighty (80) Pilots-N-Paws volunteer pilots will fly more than 300 dogs to seven different states. Keep in mind that North Carolina is a state with one of the highest rates of dog euthanasia in the U.S.

The dogs are being flown to more than a dozen airports in seven states, where volunteers from participating no-kill shelters will be waiting to find them homes.

Here are the destinations, number of animals being taken, and approximate arrival times – more specific times will be available the day of the mission:

1. Craig Field in Jacksonville, FL will take 40 animals between 11 am – 1 pm
2. Lantana Airport in West Palm Beach, FL will take  20 animals between 2pm – 4pm
3. N. Palm Beach County Airport in West Palm Beach, FL will take 15 animals between 2 pm – 4 pm
4. Lakeland Linder Airport in Lakeland, FL will take 15 animals, time TBD
5. Tampa Executive Airport in Tampa, FL will take 40 animals from 1pm-3pm
6. Naples Airport in Naples, FL will take 15 animals from 2pm-4pm
7. Salem Leckrone Airport in Salem, IL will take 10 animals between 11am-1pm
8. Pal-Waukee Airport in Chicago will take 15 animals from 12pm-2pm
9. Essex County Airport in Caldwell, NJ will take 100 animals at a time TBD
10. Greater Rochester Intl Airport in Rochester, NY will take 8 animals between 1pm – 3pm
11. Manassas Regional Airport in Manassas, VA will take 8 animals at a time TBD
12. Warrenton-Fauquier Airport in Warrenton, VA will take 20 animals at a time TBD
13. Middle Peninsula Regional Airport in West Point, VA will take 100 animals at a time TBD later

With the help of the Pilots N Paws website, rescuers and foster homes in high-kill areas are able to locate their counterparts in areas of the country where high-kill rates are not the rule. These no-kill shelters then make space for the animals being rescued. The sending and receiving pair team up with a volunteer pilot, who provides transportation.

To make this life-saving, heart-warming event a success, many more volunteers are needed. Opportunities include:

• · Pilots– Register online to fly pets from shelters to their foster or forever homes.
• · Short-and long-term foster homes– Take care of pets, ranging from overnight stays en route to extended periods, while adopters are found.
• · General volunteers – Local shelters always need help walking dogs, cleaning cages and filing paperwork.

In addition to volunteer roles, there are other ways to help:

• · Spread the word – Tell your local animal shelter about Pilots N Paws. If there’s a small airport nearby, ask the manager to let its pilots know about the event.
• · Donate – Pilots N Paws, rescue groups and shelter donations are usually tax-deductible.
• · Adopt – Consider taking one of the rescued pets into your own home.

“Volunteers are the key to our success,” said Quinn. “Without the dedication of our pilots and rescue groups, our program wouldn’t exist. The more volunteers we have, the more animals we can rescue.”

Pilots-N-Paws is an award-winning charitable flying animal rescue organization. With more than 3,000 pilots, it flies about 2,400 missions a year transporting approximately 12,000 animals. Pilots N Paws is a 501(c)(3) organization, so pilots’ expenses relating to transport flights are tax-deductible. Over 2,800 pilots fly for Pilots N Paws, which allows the program to serve as excellent example of the critical role general aviation plays in our everyday lives. For more information, or to help out with the Pilots N Paws “Dog Is My Copilot” Rescue Flyway, visit www.pilotsnpaws.org. To learn more about other ways general aviation pilots help every day, visit GA Serves America.

Petmateand Subaru are proud sponsors of Pilots N Paws and the Pilots N Paws “Dog Is My Copilot” 2012 Rescue Flyway.

You can learn more about Pilots-N-Paws at http://pilotsnpaws.org/.  Their site is chock-full of information and updates on this wonderful, life-saving organization and I highly encourage you to visit and, if you can, make a donation or buy something from the store.