Graciously Provided by The Clarksdale Press Register
By Jessica Bays

A website called PilotsN Paws is saving the lives of many animals by providing a meeting place for those who rescue, shelter or foster animals, and pilots and plane owners willing to assist with the transportation of animals. It’s just one of the ways people like Pat Burgos help to ensure the safety of the animals that she said are rescued from kill shelters and homes where they have been neglected.

Troy Catchings/The Clarksdale Press Register...Mac Doss, a pilot with Pilots-N-Paws, (left) and Pat Burgos look at two dogs after they arrived at the Clarksdale-Coahoma County Airport to be placed in foster homes.

Burgos said in the past she has picked up two dogs in two visits for her sister, who helps find homes for rescued dogs. The two dogs she was meeting Thursday afternoon at the Clarksdale-Coahoma County Airport would make her third visit, bringing her total to four. “These animals were rescued in Mena, Arkansas—probably given up because people couldn’t take care of them anymore,” Burgos explained about the Xolo named David who would be cared for by her sister who would find a home for him, and the Japanese Chin named Lotty Dotty who she herself would keep for a couple of weeks before finding her a foster home. Ginny Holder, regional representative for Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky for JCCARE, a non-profit rescue group specifically for Japanese Chins talked with Burgos’ sister about finding a foster home for Lotty Dotty in New Jersey, but they settled on letting Burgos keep Lotty Dotty until she could find her a home.

Troy Catchings/The Clarksdale Press Register... Pat Burgos holds a Japanese Chen at the Clarksdale-Coahoma County Airport on Thursday. The dog will live with a foster family until a permanent home is found.

Holder said they retrieve the dogs through owner surrenders, or rescues and shelters that have them in danger. They are placed in their foster care program and adopted out, while the elderly and ones with medical issues remain in their care if adoption is not feasible until the end of their life. “I have never personally worked with Pilots N Paws, but I know they are a tremendous help in transporting these rescue babies from states where they are flooded with unwanted dogs, to places where they can be fostered and placed for adoption,” said Holder.

“Rescue groups and foster families are better able to care for the dogs, and Pilots N Paws helps with transportation in a major way.” David and Lotty Dotty were found on the Pilots N Paws website by a pilot named Marc Doss who agreed to meet Burgos at the airport where they would be given over. Doss said he’s been transporting dogs through Pilots N Paws for about two years and has probably made 12-15 trips so far. “It’s just like a bulletin board. People post they need dogs to get from point A to point B. I just browse for dogs nearby that can make the trip,” said Doss. He added,” I’ve been flying for about five years, so I figured I might as well do something good out of it by rescuing animals.”

Burgos said she wishes that more people could help out by taking in dogs like David and Lotty Dotty and helping them find homes. “It’s about giving the dogs a better life that they probably didn’t have where they came from,” said Burgos. “Dogs don’t deserve to be treated like that. If more people would help financially through donations or being foster parents for dogs it would be wonderful.” For more information about Pilots N Paws visit pilotsnpaws.org and for more information about JCCARE visit japanesechinrescue.org.

Jessica Bays is a reporter for the Press Register and can be reached at 662-627-2201 or at news@pressregister.com.