Successful first rescue for Ed and Rebecca.

After introductions, we decided to break the rules and give Jetta a much deserved drink of water. It appears she may have become a bit dehydrated during the flight as she drank a large quantity of water. We just crossed our fingers that we could make it to Butler County without an “accident.”

Time to tank up for the next leg.

After saying our goodbyes to Steve, his co-pilot Dave, as well as a little guy I think may have been Steve’s grandson, we made Jetta comfortable and were on our way. Once in Pennsylvania, the weather started to get a bit nasty. We ran into a bit of icing as well as moderate turbulence that lasted for quite a while. Jetta wasn’t too happy either as she had a bit of a mishap because of what I am sure was an upset tummy.

Soaking up some sun and attention.

Melinda and Christy from the Australian Cattle Dog Rescue met us at the airport in Butler County. They are fantastic ladies, and we know that Jetta is in good hands. This rescue was a complete success and we look forward to our next adventure.

Melinda and Christy from the Australian Cattle Dog Rescue

Regards,
Ed and Rebecca Abrams
N231BL at Frederick (FDK) Maryland

Load 'em up and ship 'em out.

Nikki has already been adopted to a family in the Northeast . Kelly told me,once he gets into her rescue, it will be easy to find Cimba his forever home!!

PNP Pilots , PLEASE watch for Cimbas post for transport from east TN to Jacksonville, FL. I’m sure he would appreciate a lift!

We're all set.

My SPECIAL THANKS goes to, April Dunning, Stephanie Gooch, Donna York, and Kelly Smith. You guys are the BEST!!

Excellent job and teamwork by all,
Jim Carney
Pilot – PNP – TN

From South Carolina To Weyers Cave, Stray Dog Finally Finds A Home

Jack Ward pets Angus, a Border Collie mix who has had a pretty hard life. Thanks to the South Carolina-based rescue group Pilots N Paws, the dog was flown to Weyers Cave and into the arms of Melissa Bahleda — head of PARTNERS! Canines. She says the dog came to her thin, dirty and with heartworms, but, after six weeks of treatment, things are finally looking up for Angus. He has found a home — and a family. (Photo by Justin Falls / DN-R)

Jack Ward pets Angus, a Border Collie mix who has had a pretty hard life. Thanks to the South Carolina-based rescue group Pilots N Paws, the dog was flown to Weyers Cave and into the arms of Melissa Bahleda — head of PARTNERS! Canines. She says the dog came to her thin, dirty and with heartworms, but, after six weeks of treatment, things are finally looking up for Angus. He has found a home — and a family. (Photo by Justin Falls / DN-R)

“Yay! Getting adopted?” the PetSmart staff called out across the aisle.

“Well, they’re here to look,” laughed Melissa Bahleda, holding Angus’ leash as Jack Ward leaned down to say hello.

To call this black Border Collie mix “death-defying” might not be an exaggeration. He’s had a wild past, flying from South Carolina to Weyers Cave to land in Bahleda’s PARTNERS! Canines rescue.

After surviving a six-week heartworm treatment, he’d put some weight on his ribs, a little shine in his coat and had a few tricks ready to impress the family coming to meet him.

Taking Flight

Bahleda said Angus “slipped through the cracks” to make his way to her organization.

A rescue group in South Carolina she’d worked with before called to plead Angus’ case. As a large-breed mixed dog, his chances for survival in that area’s overcrowded shelters were slim.

But someone in the skies stepped in: transport program Pilots N Paws.

The non-profit organization is devoted to bringing animal rescues and volunteer non-commercial pilots together to relocate animals from overcrowded, tenuous circumstances to more stable situations, whether to a new family or another rescue program.

Through their online bulletin boards, pilots and rescues arrange transports nationwide. According to co-owner Debi Boies, they’ve collaborated with pilots in 50 states, and even have international ties in Canada and Mexico.

Pilots volunteer both their time and finances. “It’s a very generous gift,” said Boies, who helped found the organization in 2008.

Throughout the years, she’s seen cases she described as “heart-wrenching.” She said the worst situations prompt nightmares, but she passionately believes in the mission of Pilots N Paws: to give animals a second chance, and educate owners on responsible pet care.

Volunteers don’t have to be plane-savvy; to get involved in a variety of capacities, visit pilotsnpaws.org.

Wild Child

Although she’s drawn to rescuing Border Collie mixes, a heartworm diagnosis would normally be a deal breaker for Bahleda.

Luckily for Angus, she didn’t know the extent of his condition until the pilot left him — and his heavily highlighted paperwork — in her care.

Heartworm is curable when treated properly, but the six weeks and more than $600 in medical expenses were no small undertaking.

“When I told my husband what would be involved in treating him,” recalled Bahleda, “he was like, ‘Are you kidding me? That’s like 10 percent of your annual budget!’ But [Angus] has proven himself so worth it.”

His life in South Carolina was likely spent outdoors, Bahleda guessed. He was dirty, thin and “a pretty wild child” when he got off the plane. “He had no manners,” she said.

PARTNERS! Canines, which earned its non-profit status in 2001, blends Bahleda’s love for dogs in need with her skills in training. Last year, the organization gave more than 1,000 dogs a second chance. Visitpartnerscanines.org for more information.

Bahleda works mainly with local shelters, taking in and adopting out dogs with great personalities, but whose time in the shelter systems is up. Transporting animals is also a large part of the organization, taking up to 28 dogs at a time to other programs with space.

“I really feel like they know that I’ve helped them out,” said Bahleda.

Angus’ gratitude is apparent. “He knows that I’ve saved his life, and he thanks me every day.” She turned to the Ward family: “And whoever adopts this dog, he’s gonna be like that, too.”

Here To Stay

In the training area, Angus made rounds from Tammy Ward, to Jack, to their teenage children.

“I need a walking buddy!” Tammy said, Angus’ tail swishing in response.

During a vet visit following the death of the family dog, a flier about Angus caught their eye.

At the first meeting at PetSmart, the family stood politely around Angus and asked questions. After all, they were just “here to look.”

But, as their concerns about his health and behavior melted away — thanks in part to an Angus-led search around the store for a tennis ball — the decision to adopt became easier by the minute.

Angus’ long journey culminated last weekend when he arrived at the Ward home, ready for a new start.

The family has welcomed him with open arms.

“He is such a wonderful, loving dog,” Tammy said. “He’s awesome. We love him.”

Contact Samantha Cole at 574-6274 or scole@dnronline.com

***Special Thanks to PNP Pilot Mary McCutcheon for flying Angus to his new home.***

Todd next to his Cessna 421 and the cats on board. Meow.

The situation for many pets in Egypt is very difficult. There are no government laws regulating animal welfare. Many people buy pets from deplorable pet shops and then dump them in the street or vet office when they no longer want them. Purebred Persian cats cannot survive in the street against the feral street cats because the Persians have had their survival instinct bred out of them. Paul was one cat who came over from Egypt to the USA. He was in a very bad pet shop and the owner of the shop was using the cats for breeding. The pet shop kept him in a bird cage and only fed him bread and water. When Paul became sick, the owner threw him in the street. A kind Egyptian lady who lives on the same street saw him and took him in. Bousy, Chloe, and Lilly are the three other cats who flew on Todd’s plane to AZ. They were all abandoned by owners who left them to die.

We thank our partners Subaru and Petmate.   Their support is critical to accomplishing our mission.

Maybe it wasn't James, but Bond came to Beatle's rescue.

They picked up Beatle in Scottsdale, AZ, and flew him to Bakersfield, CA.  His new parents were waiting for their new family member and drove Beatle home to Madera, CA.

Brian admitted that once his wife saw Beatle, she almost cancelled the trip so they could keep him.  What a sweet dog!  Yes, there will be a next mission.

Thanks to the Bonds, and welcome aboard!

Ace used to be named Doofus, by an uncaring owner who thought he was stupid just because he was deaf. The family who rescued him renamed him Einstein because they quickly realized he was really smart. Since I have fostered a dog named Einstein very recently, I decided to change his name (he’s deaf, so he doesn’t mind). And since Pilot Jim told me that Einstein wanted to fly the plane on the way here, I decided he must be a great pilot so I renamed him Ace.

Ace is an amazing dog. He did great on his flight here – after supervising Pilot Jim and finding that he was a more than capable pilot, he watched out the window for awhile to make sure Pilot Jim knew where he was going, and then like any smart relief pilot, he took a nap so he’d be well rested and ready to fly if Pilot Jim needed a break.

Jim confirms that Einstein was a great passenger.

Fortunately for everyone involved, Pilot Jim did not need to call on Ace’s untested flying skill, and they made it safely to the ground without any help from Ace. Pilot Jim has flown many of these flights, rescuing dogs all over the country and flying them to safety. It always amazes me how many people are out there willing to help these homeless animals. Pilots N Paws is a non-profit agency devoted to saving innocent animals by pilots donating their time, money and talents to get these animals to rescues, shelters, and adoptive homes all over the country. Huge thanks to Pilot Jim for helping to save Ace!

fter the flight, I met Pilot Jim and Ace at the airport, where we posed for a quick picture. Ace looks quite proud of himself for making it through the flight.

He’s now at my house and settling in nicely. He’s met all the other dogs and loves to play with Jefferson and Roo. Charlie is still being stand-offish, and Ziggy seems to think I tried to replace him while he was gone, but everyone else just loves Ace. He was already fully vetted by the family who rescued him so he’ll be ready to start training and trying to find a new home right away. He’s such a sweet dog that I think he’ll have no trouble finding a home.

Foster Mom JC

Josh Jakobe, Wellsville, is a volunteer pilot for Pilots N Paws, a non-profit organization that transports pets from kill shelters to adoptive families in other parts of the country. Submitted photo

Mark Taylor

mtaylor@gardnernews.com
Two of Josh Jakobe’s passions are flying his airplane and helping animals.

Jakobe, who is originally from Gardner but now lives in Wellsville, gets to combine those passions through his involvement in Pilots N Paws, a non-profit organization that transports pets from kill shelters to adoptive families hundreds of miles away.

Jakobe, who works as a systems administrator during the week, said he got involved in Pilots N Paws after his fiance Jessica read about the organization on the Internet.

“She and I have always had a passion for animals and dogs,” he said. “We hate seeing bad things happen to them.”

Jakobe said adoptors often find the dogs on the Internet.

They are willing to save them from being put down, and adopt them into their homes, but are not able to travel hundreds or thousands of miles to bring the animals home.
That is where Pilots N Paws volunteers come in.

“A little dog we flew last weekend had been in an animal shelter in Allen County since August,” Jakobe said. “He was going to be euthanized this week, but someone in Wisconsin decided to adopt him.

“We drove down (to Allen County) and picked him up, then I flew to Burlington, Iowa, where he met up with another pilot and now he is at home with his new family.”
Jakobe recently completed his fifth flight for Pilots N Paws.

He said there are several volunteering pilots throughout the Kansas City metro who have completed hundreds of flights.

“My goal is really just to get the word out there that there are a lot of animal rescues that get contacted for adoptions, but (the animals) have no way to get from point A to B. But there are  options,” Jakobe said. “The first (flight) I did was taking a dog from Tennessee to Nebraska. Time spent: Half a day. Driving might take six and a half hours, but we can fly direct.”

Jakobe said dogs tend to be good passengers.

“It’s almost like they know something good is going to happen for them,” he said. “The little ones like to climb all over, but for the bigger ones, we tether their leash to the back seat and they fall asleep. Sometimes they look out the window. It’s really funny.”

Pilots N Paws volunteers finance rescue flights from their own pockets, although some of  their expenses are tax deductible.

But Jakobe said the money is not an issue with him.

“I am gonna go fly,” he said. “I am going to spend that money anyway, but I would rather spend that $200 and save a dog than putter around and do nothing.”

Jakobe said he wants to make people, especially rescuers and those with animal shelter connections, aware of Pilots N Paws.

LINK TO ORIGINAL STORY

PNP Pilots Dick & Vicki Sipp

Special THANKS and SALUTE to wonderful Pilot N Paws members, Dick and Vicki Sipp, out of St Simons Island, Georgia who transported 11 sweet pups today from Bainbridge, Georgia to the Lakeland SPCA, Florida (thanks Patt) and also to C.C.F.A. (thanks Tara.) HUGS to Beth who transported the pups to the airport! You are ALL soooo appreciated!

Willow

Pilot Dick and one of the pups!

Rescue Volunteer Tara and a cutie pup!

All Aboard and ready for our flight to Freedom!

The Rescue folks who brought Jim's passengers to Upper Cumberland Airport, TN.

The flexibility of pilots and volunteers was revealed on this flight.  Jeff Parrott and Jim Carney left a day early to fly a rescue flight from Cookeville, TN to Sarasota, FL because the forecast for the next day was not good.  Everyone still made the trip happen even with the jumbled time frame.

Their passengers were 3 Border Collie mix pups and one adult mix. All were on death’s doorstep from an East Tennessee shelter. The flight from the Upper Cumberland Airport to Sarasota, FL (SRQ) went very well! Volunteers from Ewenity Farm Border Collie Haven of Bradenton, FL were there to meet the plane and get these lucky dogs on their way to find new homes.

Thanks to all who helped save the Border Collies mixes. It didn’t matter that they were mixes because they all were great dogs and very adoptable!

Jill and Suzanne from the Ewenity Farm Border Collie Haven of Bradenton, FL with CoPilot Jeff Parrott

PILOTS N PAWS RESCUE/from Pilot Scott MessingerTHIS WAS FOR RUFF START RESCUE, PET RESQ INC. and  ELEVENTH HOUR  RESCUE IN NEW JERSEY.

 

DOGS ALL CAME FROM RURAL NORTH CAROLINA AND INCLUDED:…A CLUB FOOT BEAGLE WHO HAD WITNESSED HIS SON GET RUN OVER AND KILLED…. THIS DOG WAS FOUND LAYING ON TOP OF HIS SON’S BODY ALL NIGHT TRYING TO KEEP HIM WARM…

I'm special!

 

It's all about eyes, not feet.........

…2 BONDED SISTER HOUNDS WHOSE CRIME WAS THAT THEY WERE JUST TOO GENTLE AND KIND TO HUNT SO THEIR OWNER TOOK THEM TO THE KILL SHELTER… AS PUNISHMENT.

 

 

me and my sis.........

Big Gentle Boy, that's me !

 …4 BLACK LAB PUPS ON DEATH ROW…
FACT: : BLACK DOGS HAVE ALMOST NO CHANCE OF SURVIVAL IN A SHELTER BECAUSE THEY DO NOT PHOTOGRAPH WELL WHEN POSTED ON ADOPTION WEBSITES.

Cutie pies, all four of them!

IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROLS TO KILL BLACK DOGS THE SAME DAY THEY ARRIVE. BLACK PUPPIES ARE OFTEN KILLED DAYS AFTER BIRTH.

Thank you for saving me and my siblings !

ALL DOGS CAME FROM DILLON COUNTY, NC AND COLUMBIA COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL IN
WHITEVILLE, NC.

NOW OFF TO NEW LIVES AND FOSTERS IN NEW YORK.

SHELTER DOGS ALWAYS SEEM TO KNOW WHEN YOU MEAN THEM NO HARM.

THEY ARE ALWAYS SO GRATEFUL.
IT’S THE SAME EVERY TIME.

SOMEHOW THEY JUST KNOW YOU HAVE COME TO RESCUE THEM. ASK ANY RESCUER AND THEY WILL AGREE.