My wife Diane and I have been helping transport dogs under the Pilots N Paws umbrellas since May 2010. Our Piper Saratoga is uniquely suited to carry dogs of all sizes, so we volunteered, created accounts on pilotsnpaws.org, and went to work. That first transport was a learning experience for us, but we were hooked on helping.

Then, as today, we rely heavily on the transport coordinator to put it all together.  As we’re sure other pilots have experienced, we are often treated like the hero when we arrive to pick up a dog. However, we think the rescuers, fosters and transport coordinators are the real heroes – they do all the hard work. If not for them, we wouldn’t have dogs to transport. We have worked with many wonderful rescuers, fosters and coordinators, but this story is about one particular transport coordinator, Terrie Varnado, who we have come to admire and love.

We worked with Terrie for the first time in late 2010. She is a red-headed fireball of energy and was quick to give us great advice from her experience as a transport coordinator. She was organized, timely, communicated well, and always kept the best interests of the pet being transported at the top of everyone’s priority. Working with her was a dream come true.

It is not beneath Terrie to do anything it takes to ensure animals are rescued and find new homes. She does this all with a smile, a hug, and a little zany enthusiasm. She is both endearing and inspiring. We quickly learned, through a near-tragic experience, that not all rescuers are in this for the good of the animals. Since learning that, we relied heavily on Terrie to vet the destinations of our charges even when they were not coordinated through her. She was quick to let us know her recommendations and to this day we have never had another problem. Our recommendation to others interested in transporting rescue animals is to not blindly accept an assignment without doing a little research first. The vast majority of organizations are great, but there may be a few with which you do not want to be associated.

Terrie started helping transport rescue animals as a driver in 2006. By 2008 she was coordinating transports so that she could help many more animals find new homes. Despite a few personal setbacks, she is constantly organizing transports for all kinds of animals, in all sorts of conditions, to destinations near and far, whether by road, rail, or air. Frankly, it is exhausting work and we do not know how she can keep up with all the demands. She also fosters some of the dogs while they are waiting for transport.

We have many great stories of meeting wonderful people associated with Pilots N Paws transports; all because of the work Terrie has done. Though working with her for several months, we did not actually meet her until we landed in Hammond, LA (HDC) and pulled up to the FBO in early 2011. Terrie was there waving to us like we were the King and Queen of England. She had her big Ford Explorer parked on the side of the hanger replete with every conceivable notion a transport would need; food, water, treats, medicine, kennels, leashes, collars, tags, bandanas, towels, blankets, and more!

On one transport we took 18 Chinese Crested dogs from our home in Conroe, TX to Terrie in Hammond, LA. They were a handful but Terrie brought a large pen and we constructed it on the ramp at Hammond Jet Center (great people!) and got everyone sorted out to new destinations. At one point Terrie was in the middle of the pen taking care of each dog.

On another occasion it was raining hard in Hammond when we landed one ugly day. She had arranged for the Hammond Jet Center to raise their hangar door and we taxied up underneath the door to block the rain. We popped out of the aircraft with dogs in tow and never got a drop of rain on us.

One of our favorite stories involved a Pug/Boxer mix named Buddy. Buddy was rescued from a bad situation in Dallas and we transported him to Conroe to spend a few days with us before heading to the east coast. He got along great with our dogs and we had fun all playing together. Soon it was time to take him to Terrie in Hammond, LA, and from there he was on several transports and ended up with a wonderful foster home in Maryland.  We were elated to find out that he soon found a new owner. Unfortunately, Buddy did not get along well at the new house and was returned to the foster because “he chewed a toy.” Yes, we couldn’t believe it either. We thought dogs were supposed to chew things like toys. After living through the winter in Maryland, Buddy boomeranged back to us and eventually found his way into our home where he lives today. Although he took a circuitous path to our house, it was because Terrie thought Buddy belonged with us, and her persistence in seeing it through, that he found his way back into our hearts. When we wanted Buddy’s return route to include everyone who originally took him to Maryland, Terrie was at the Hammond airport with a smile on her face and a skip in her step. It was only then that we found out she was really sick and should not have been out of the house. We felt awful, but that is just how dedicated to these dogs that Terrie is!

Terrie is generous with both her time and her possessions. It is a rare transport that she does not offer a crate, or a leash, or a collar, to send on the trip. A few weeks ago we had a rare empty leg to Hammond and carried a dozen crates we had collected over time in our hangar that belonged to Terrie. She also has special dog treats that our own pets love that she sends along when we transport to or from Hammond. It is normal for us to carry donated supplies to other rescues, too, that Terrie provides. She is also notably organized; when transporting several dogs at a time Terrie color coordinates each dog’s paperwork binder with their bandana or leash tag. Is that not amazing?!

Even though we can only do weekend transports, we have helped rescue 220 dogs, travelled nearly 53,000 nautical miles, and logged more than 400 hours of flying. Most of that would not have been possible if we had not met our favorite transport coordinator Terrie Varnado. It certainly would not have been as much fun, or as rewarding without her. I would bet a month’s salary that there are many more transport pilots and drivers out there that would agree completely. She is our hero.

-David & Diane Newton, PNP Pilots

Saratoga N389BW