“Flying High with Jim Carney” In their debt by Shelley Bueche
Gunner and pilot Jim Carney, aka Uncle Jim
Volunteer Pilot for Pilots N Paws (courtesy of “Just Labs” magazine)
It doesn’t get any better than this!” Jim Carney exclaims as he describes his heroic adventures as a volunteer pilot with Pilots N Paws. Pilots N Paws is a non-profit agency that was started in 2007 by Debi Boies, a former nurse turned animal rescue volunteer, and Jon Wehrenberg, a recreational pilot. Boies had been interested in rescuing a Doberman pinscher from a dog-fighting ring, but the dog was several states away from Greenville, South Carolina, where Boies lives. Wehrenberg lives in Knoxville, TN. After speaking to Wehrenberg, not only did Debi Boies find out he was interested in making the trip, but she also learned from him that most recreational pilots seek compelling reasons to fly. Boies firmly believes “it is our responsibility, as humans, to be the guardians for animals others have abandoned, abused, or simply can no longer care for.” Further she asks, “If we don’t, then who will?”
Pilots N Paws serves as a clearinghouse, matching volunteer pilots with shelters, rescue groups, and individuals seeking to find a new home for animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, and even reptiles. There are 2,100 pilots volunteering their time, transportation and related expenses, and energy for the organization.
Since 2007, thousands of animals have been saved thanks to the efforts of this dedicated team that includes land-based volunteers. The majority of the flights are manned with one pilot, and pilots are responsible for paying for their fuel. These costs are tax-deductible, and often the pilots are offered discounts once a fueling station operator discovers the details of the charitable mission.
Jim Carney to the Rescue!
Carney had been a commercial pilot with Northwest Airlines for 30 years. He retired in 2004 after his last professional flight took him from Bangkok to Tokyo and on to Detroit. He grew up on a farm and has always been an “animal person,” so when he heard about a Pilots N Paws volunteer mission assisting an American soldier in Afghanistan by helping him get his canine back to the States, Carney was immediately intrigued. He signed up and soon began transporting animals from shelters and broken homes and giving them a new lease on life. Phoenix, Joplyn, Lady Heather, and Gunner are just a few of the canine rescue co-pilots that have flown with Carney. Phoenix, a Doberman, is a rescue that Carney will never forget. “She had been abandoned and tied to a tree. My nickname, ‘Uncle Jim,’ is because of Phoenix. I picked her up in Tupelo,Mississippi, and flew her toLancaster,Ohio. She was pregnant and had pups about two weeks after she was rescued. All the pups found homes, and now Phoenix lives on a farm, her new best friend is a pony!
Joplyn is a gloden retriever found in an animal shelter after a tornado decimated Joplin, Missouri last May. The tornado was responsible for over 150 deaths, destroyed homes and devastated animals frightened by the storm. Mike Bettes, a meterologist with the Weather Channel, and producer Mike Jenkins had reported on the storm and were in Joplin for a follow up story a month later. Bettes saw a golden retriever that reminded him of a pet his family had owned years ago. Bettes was eager to adopt the dog, but thought it would be next to impossible to transport the retriever fromMissouri to his home inAtlanta. When Bettes was in the airport waiting for his plane, he received an urgent message from Karen Aquino, director of the Joplin Humane Society. She told him about Pilots N Paws and mentioned the possibility of arranging transportation for the golden retriever. “The next morning I heard from her [Aquino] again and she said she had a pilot for me,” Bettes adds, “if we could just get the dog fromTennessee to Atlanta, about a three-hour drive. So I said sure, and my fiancee Allie picked up two dogs [Mike Jenkins adopted an Australian shepherd from the Joplin Humane Society] and drove them home toAtlanta.” Bettes marvels at life with his adopted dog, Joplyn, stating, “It has been a completely new experience for me. I haven’t had a dog since high school,but this experience has been awesome. So many people want to dog sit and visit the tornado dog.”
Joplyn from Joplin headed to her new home with Mike Bettes of Weather Channel
Lady Heather is a three-legged yellow Lab mix who Carney rescued and flew to Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida. Cheryl Stine, a Lab rescue volunteer, was there to greet Carney and Lady Heather as they stepped out of the plane after landing inFlorida. “I adopted Lady Heather,” Stine explains. “She had a foster lined up, but we became very attached to each other.” Carney and Labrador Rescue of Florida volunteers have a great working relationship, and Stine adds, “Jim is a wonderful man. He says he will bend over backward when he can, and he does. He has been very generous with his time. Dogs can have a long transport otherwise [shuttling between car trips], but flying with one pilot, this is so much better!”
Lady Heather taking in the view
Lady Heather with Cheryl Stine(far right) and another volunteer with Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida
“Gunner was an owner surrender at the Collierville,Tennessee, animal shelter where I volunteer,” explains Carney. “He was having a tough time finding a home due to his size. I took him under my wing and after working with several rescues, the Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida took him. He has been adopted and lives in Sarasota. His Mom loves him!”
Gunner in the plane on his way to a new life with Uncle Jim
Before boarding, Jim Carney spends time with each animal, walks them, and helps calm their nerves before takeoff. Smaller dogs and other small animals are placed in crates, but larger dogs sit in seats directly behind the pilot seat. Carney takes photos of every animal he transports and stays in touch with new owners to find out.
“Jim Carney is one of our pilots who goes beyond the mission. His passion and dedication to helping animals in need is a calling,” Debi Boies says. “The animals are given a second chance to find a loving home, and Jim will do whatever he can to ensure that this happens.”
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Shelley is a canine journalist living with her family and three dogs, in Austin, Texas. She enjoys writing about working Labrador retrievers and related programs and is eager to read your tips for future columns. Please contact her directly – SHBueche@aol.com – with your ideas.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Pilots N Paws
pilotsnpaws@gmail.com
Labrabor Retriever Rescue ofFlorida(LRRF)
(813)988-2370
