Pilot’s Note: “This was actually our second forever fight, we were welcomed with a banner, the newspaper and all – it was one of 4 Pilots N Paws flights that landed at Downtown Island Airport in Knoxville on Saturday – so humbled to be part of this group.”

From the Murray Ledger & Times
Pilots ‘N Paws delivers golden retrievers to Knoxville rescue
By AUSTIN RAMSEY – Staff Writer

A trio of golden retrievers took a venture into the skies Saturday on a flight from Murray to Knoxville, Tennessee.

The one older pure-bred and two young mix-bred dogs earned their wings in a lightweight two-seater aircraft manned by a pair of Knoxville pilots who have a passion for rescuing animals and flying.

AUSTIN RAMSEY / Ledger & Times

Members of the Murray-Calloway County Humane Society organized the flight as part of the Pilots ‘N Paws – an online forum where those who rescue, shelter or foster animals can meet volunteer pilots who are willing to assist with the transportation of animals. The website opens up an avenue of communication between those who need to get animals across long distances but lack the resources or manpower to do it.

Humane Society Executive Director Kathy Hodge said the program often acts as a catalyst where people like her and her volunteers can begin organizing times and places where pick-ups or drop-offs of animals needing better homes can be made.

Mike Williams and Bridgette Duber of Knoxville were quick to respond when local Humane Society Transportation Coordinator Shari Sherwood posted their need to move the three golden retrievers to a breed-specialized rescue in Knoxville. Sherwood said the plan had been to initially use a group of 10 or 20 volunteers from across the state to drive legs of the journey over the course of a weekend, but Duber told Sherwood she could fly the dogs out of Nashville. Still desperately trying to find driver volunteers, she said Duber emailed back once again and said she would be fine to take her first flight to the far western Kentucky area. The two arranged a time and date, and at a little before 10:30 Saturday morning, the small propellor plane broke through some low cloud cover and landed at Kyle-Oakley field where the two pilots were met by a group of families and Humane Society volunteers toting a large welcome sign on the tarmac.

After brief hellos and a quick break for doughnuts and coffee, the volunteers helped load 3-year-old Ashley, 2-year-old Hayla and 10-week-old Gus into some temporary cages where seats would usually go in the back of the plane and the flying dogs took flight on a one-way trip to Knoxville.

AUSTIN RAMSEY / Ledger & Times

Williams and Duber agreed that they were more than happy to play a part in finding good homes for the three dogs.

“We would have been flying around somewhere today anyway,” Williams said. “We might as well do something good for these dogs when we do.”

Hodge said she is touched by the philanthropic sprit of the volunteer pilots who will often go long distances for animals, footing the bill themselves.

Last year, the Humane Society in Murray and Calloway County transported about 340 animals, but only about five or six were moved by airplane. Still, she said, it’s a preferred method because it limits the stress travel can have on the animals.

“For younger or older dogs – or really any dog – it’s so much easier on them to fly. It takes much less time so they get more quickly to the place where they are going to be. After all, we’re always looking out for what’s best for the dog.”

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