By ALAN HOSKINS

Thanks to a group of pilots calling themselves “Pilots N Paws,” animals who survived the horrific tornado that hit Joplin, Mo., are getting much-needed assistance.

Tom Renfro, an associate professor in the Division of Math, Science and Computer Technology at Kansas City Kansas Community College, has made two flights to Joplin delivering dog food and other supplies and on one trip returned with a 10-month-old Labrador for a local shelter.

Pilot Sarah Owens, husband Jim and Pilot Tom Renfro with their passenger!

“Another plane brought back a litter of puppies that are being sent on to Denver,” said Renfro.

In addition to the dogs transported for adoption, Renfro wad there were many injured pets with broken legs and stitches at a temporary shelter in Joplin.

“Many dogs are being held in the temporary shelter because they have been separated from their families who are in temporary shelters or housing that will not allow pets,” said Renfro.

“Pilots N Paws” was founded to keep from having to have dogs euthanized. “Sometimes shelters are overcrowded so some of the dogs are taken to other shelters where a home can be found rather than put to sleep,” said Renfro.

“There might be a case where a family had a Lab that passed away and wanted to replace it but couldn’t find one while there was another shelter that had one that they were looking for.”

Renfro has also taken pets to Oklahoma City, Tulsa and other Midwest locations.

”Pets sometimes are transported from coast to coast,” said Renfro. “Pilots N Paws” has been featured on the Today Show/MSNBC and numerous accounts of animal rescues and flights to freedom can be found on the organization’s website at www.pilotsnpaw.com. 

In addition to dog food and other pet supplies, Renfro’s flights also included a wide variety of items such as bottled water, tarps and pillows for tornado victims. Sarah Owens piloted the plane with Renfro as co-pilot and Owens’ husband, Jim, as dog wrangler.

“Sarah is very active in Pilots N Paws and she and her husband paid for the fuel out of their own pockets,” said Renfro.

The hour-long flights to Joplin were made in a plane provided by veterinarian Jim Guglielmino and his wife, Janice McIntyre, a retired KCKCC instructor. “I’ve got the time and he’s got the plane,” said Renfro. 

The devastation as seen from the air was unbelievable, said Renfro.

“Entire sub-divisions looked like piles of twigs. New modern homes were left in piles of lumber. The path was so wide that we could not get all the devastation in one photo no matter what angle we were taking pictures. It looked like the path was a mile or two wide and eight miles long and everything was wiped out.”

PHOTO: Jim and Sarah Owens (kneeling) and KCKCC associate professor Tom Renfro pose with a 10-month-old Labrador they brought back from tornado-ravaged Joplin, Mo., as part of a “Pilots N Paws” program that transports dogs that might not have homes in one location to areas where homes may be available.

Copy and photo credit to Alan Hoskins, Kansas City Kansan