Our founder, Dr. Peter Rork started flying lessons when he was 12, earned his pilot’s license when he was 16, and took his first solo flight on May 15, 1969. Years later, Peter found himself flying 20-30 pets for animal rescue organizations in his Cessna 206H “Stationair.” This was the beginning of Dog Is My CoPilot that was created in the wake of tragedy. After his wife died in 2012, Peter needed to find a purpose. He teamed up with Judy Zimet, a Scottsdale real estate attorney and animal lover, to start an organization that combined their shared passion for animals and charity with Peter’s passion for flying. Dog Is My CoPilot soon became a victim of its own success and needed a bigger plane to help with demand. The organization acquired a larger Cessna 208B Grand Caravan — aka “The Big Dog” — that was retrofitted from a 12-passenger plane to one that can carry up to 251 animals in crates. Now with two planes in Dog Is My CoPilot’s fleet, there is more than enough power to fly rescued dogs and cats to their new homes and meet demand for DIMC’s services. There is plenty more room in the cockpit, and amazingly, while it seems chaotic with lots of barking and scrambling on the ground, Peter says it’s very peaceful once he starts the engine and taxis down the runway.
“It’s as if the dogs know they’re on a flight to freedom. It’s as if the dogs truly are my co-pilots.” says Peter.
