Pilots N Paws flights are ALWAYS rewarding, always exciting, always happy and sometimes heartbreaking.  Such is the case with Molly Piper.

Little Molly Piper was named for a sweet rescue angel named Molly Vaughn,  and Piper, after the planes that transported her for emergency medical attention.  Molly Piper, the dangerously sick cocker spaniel, found herself in a shelter in North Alabama, needing emergency care that they couldn’t provide.  Tired Dog Rescue agreed to take her, but needed to get her to their emergency Vet in Gulfport, MS quickly.  As of midnight on Friday night, we didn’t know if the transport could be possible on such short notice, but Saturday morning at 7:00, it was finalized.  3 pilots and an army of animal advocates re-arranged their schedules to help this little girl.

Molly Piper was very sick, too sick to stand, too sick to eat, but not too sick to wag that little nub of a tail and give kisses freely.  She had us all wrapped around her paw and reduced grown men to tears.  We moved quickly,   without a lot of time to stop for photos and little more than a quick thank you to the previous pilot as they gently handed her over.  The Gulfport Airport cleared the runway while the pilot was still 25 miles out, knowing that this was a special emergency. We all met online afterward, where we anxiously awaited updates from the Vet.  Terry Maguire-Casillas was so good to keep us informed and we all cheered when she told us Molly Piper ate some chicken, then we all sank when she said she had a bad night.  For 1 week, we read reports ranging from better to critical back to better. For 1 week, we pulled for this little sick girl. For 1 week we prayed.  Then, we all cried, together and separately, as Molly Piper took her last breath this side of Heaven.

Little Molly Piper didn’t have a fair chance at life, but she left this world knowing she was loved beyond measure!  She had a huge group of followers that were touched by her sheer will to live, her loving attitude and her sweet demeanor.  Isn’t that a legacy we would all like to leave?

Special thanks to Pilots, Dustin Beck and Kevin Tomczak, Paul and Lilly Gardner, and Owen Bordelon and Tammy Brinkley, to Terry Casillas of Tired Dog Rescue, Stephanie Pruitt, Stephanie Gillespie, Molly Vaughn, Jean Potter and Dr. Sutton and his amazing staff.

Fly High Molly Piper~

Lilly Gardner, PNP Pilot