Trixie is a senior (13 years old) blind and deaf mini-poodle who got caught up in Hurricane Harvey confusion.  Mom accidentally surrendered her daughter’s Trixie to a high-kill shelter in the Texas Rio Grande Valley near Mexico while the daughter’s husband was in a hospice.

Trixie and some other lucky souls were evacuated first to Corpus Christi TX, then Houston, TX as Harvey wreaked havoc.  Eventually, somehow, the old girl ended up at a Dallas, TX vet as an evacuee.  The clinic was about to put Trixie down (figuring senior, blind, and deaf = unadoptable).  Heather Miata, a vet tech, thought to do what nobody had done before: check for a microchip.  Trixie was chipped. Heather persevered and was able to eventually reach Trixie’s mom, whose husband had passed.  The mom, who had had Trixie since she was a pup, had given up hope.  She was overjoyed at hearing that Trixie was safe, and wanted her back.

Departing after midnight on Oct. 24, Heather drove Trixie to Pearland Regional Airport in Houston, TX and boarded N20223 for a flight to Harlingen, TX for the reunion/homecoming.

All rescue flights are special, but every now and then . . . . Even the line crew guy was crying.

Heather and Wade Roberts boarded two dogs for the return, including a Husky he flew a few days later to Houston-Vicksburg MS.  After three more legs, the husky girl arrived at safety with Forever Husky Rescue.

Wade’s October total, including a two-fer Halloween flight with friend Andy Goodreaux in a rented twin: 30 rescue animals flown and 5,462 nm flown or 6,285 statute (land) miles.  The rest were flown in N20223, Wade’s Cessna Cardinal.

It would’ve been more, but Wade had some down time with a faulty instrument and a fuel leak, both remedied.  Plus dealing with flooded-home damage from Hurricane Harvey himself.

Wade flies in memory of  Cessna, Pif and Flaco, his personal rescues who have crossed the rainbow bridge . . . .

Petmate and Subaru are proud sponsors of Pilots N Paws!