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Rescue a Pet, Build the Connection

Pilots help furry friends while building flight experience.

[Courtesy: Pilots N Paws]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Pilots N Paws is a volunteer-led non-profit where general aviation pilots use their personal aircraft and cover their own expenses to transport rescued animals (dogs, cats, etc.) from shelters to adoption or foster homes across the U.S.
  • Wings of Rescue conducts larger-scale animal rescue missions, often using chartered aircraft to move numerous adoptable pets from disaster areas or overcrowded shelters, and also transports humanitarian aid, with the organization covering operational costs.
  • Both organizations demonstrate a strong connection between aviators and animals, leveraging volunteer pilots and general aviation to save thousands of animal lives annually while providing pilots with meaningful flight opportunities.
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There’s a connection between aviators and animals. You have probably been to an FBO that has a resident dog or cat on the premises. These animals often have aviation-related names like Piper or METAR——and are very often rescues from a local shelter. Animal rescue is a cause that many pilots can and do support. If it has fur, fins, or feathers, there is probably a volunteer pilot organization dedicated to its transport.

Pilots N Paws

The group Pilots N Paws is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and one of the most active volunteer animal transport groups in the U.S. The website forms a digital meeting place for volunteers who are “engaged in the valuable services of rescuing, sheltering and adopting animals, and volunteer pilots and plane owners willing to assist with animal transportation.”

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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