Duke is a four-year-old, 71-pound black lab, an owner surrender to a high-kill Houston shelter. Baby Benjamin, Patrick, Rudi, Knikko and Doyle were chow/lab pups from the same litter. The pups needed to get near Nashville, TN for temporary boarding before transport to New York and eventual adoption.

Duke (black dogs get put down quickly here in Houston) needed to make it to Chicagoland Lab Rescue. Transport was originally set for Thursday, 7/10/2014, but had to be postponed due to weather, so it was rescheduled for 7/11.

Pups’ foster had no car available on Friday, so I got up at 5 a.m., checked the weather, got a flight briefing and drove to pick up the little things. Loaded the pups, did the preflight check of 223, and taxied for fuel. Duke arrived at the ramp at 7:30 a.m. The sweet boy had obviously been abused; he was extremely fearful of new men. He was quick, though, to warm up to kindness, and loved flying.

I departed Pearland Regional about 7:50 a.m. and made Vicksburg/Tallulah Regional LA/MS at 10:15 a.m., connecting with Jim Carney, an indefatigable/the hardest working Pilots N Paws pilot there is, out of the Memphis, TN area. Jim flew the pups to near Nashville, TN, and then Duke to Sikeston, MO.  Duke should now be in Chicago.

I’m told one of the lab pups has already been adopted in Memphis.

Wade Roberts

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