Monday, March 5th, was yet another beautiful day to fly in the Midwest, smooth air and visibility from horizon to horizon. It also was a day that shined with hope and a chance for a new life for 11 pups, rescued from euthanasia by Sheril Weber, a vet tech in Southern Kansas who has a heart as big as the sky. She rescued 10 lab-boxer puppies from an owner who had already killed the mother dog. Joining the pack of 10 was a Schnauzer pup surrendered by a puppy mill.

Jim, take us to first-class please.

Sheril quickly went to work and found that the good rescue people of Hands, Hearts and Paws in Omaha, Nebraska would foster the whole brood! From experience, she also knew that the Kansas City area has a very active group of pilots eager to help.

Are we there yet?

I was privileged to fly to Pittsburgh, Kansas to pick up the pack. I can tell you that the pups may have been abused, but they sure didn’t miss any meals! Those little guys had packed away the groceries somewhere.

Okay, half of us are here. Where are the rest?

When Sheril arrived, they were in one extra large crate in her SUV. They were so scared that they were bunched on top of each other in the back of the crate. Until you peeled them apart, you couldn’t tell there were 10.

Really, there are 10 of us in here, keep digging.

It didn’t take long to load and I was on my way to Kansas City to meet Ryan Westward and Daniel Chandler for the final leg to Omaha and a chance for a new life. Ryan and Daniel are two, among many, frequent PnP pilots in the Kansas City area.

Ryan has a new best pal.

Without the extra effort of Sheril Weber of Girard Animal Hospital and Debbie David of Hands, Hearts and Paws in Omaha, the ending would have been swift but not happy for these 11 pups. Ryan, Daniel, and me? Well, I always tell people that we are just the taxicabs. I am truly privileged to know these pilots and rescue people.

Jim Bordoni

I love you Dan!