This Spring, our team hit the road to visit our shelter partners in Texas. This was one of the most impactful rescue trips we’ve ever made! Let me take you along to meet the incredible people and wonderful animals that Lynette Duford (Rescue Flight Coordinator)  and Kara Pollard (Executive Director) worked with as they visited our partners. They witnessed firsthand the struggles many overcrowded animal shelters face on a daily basis. Each worker and volunteer plays a crucial role in the well-being of every animal that comes through their door, as they prepare for a flight to their forever home with Dog Is My CoPilot. 

Lynette and Kara traveled over 2,000 miles, toured over a dozen animal shelters both large and small, connected with hundreds of staff and volunteers, and met thousands of animals in need of a forever home. They were welcomed at every shelter with open arms and smiles, and were humbled by the hard work of each staff member and the army of volunteers that are working to save the lives of the animals in their care.

At first glance the shelters could be seen as sad, tragic places. It can be overwhelming to think that on any one day, these organizations are caring for thousands of animals. The shelters are up against what seems to be insurmountable circumstances because of the sheer volume of dogs and cats in their care. Kara and Lynette were anticipating some tears throughout the week, but the opposite happened. They left this trip inspired, hopeful, and excited to work even harder with their partners to rescue more animals in our upcoming rescue season.

Shelters making a difference

Lynette and Kara visited several large municipal and private animal shelters like Austin Pets Alive, San Antonio Pets Alive, Laredo Animal Care Services, El Paso Animal Services, and Fort Worth Animal Care & Control. At many locations, there were animals in every area of the shelter, multiple animals per kennel.  To meet the demand, sometimes the shelters used tarps outside to house the overflowing numbers under their care. At one shelter visit, it took them over three hours just to walk by each kennel, and of course they made sure to surprise the animals with treats. Kara and Lynette were amazed that the staff and volunteers knew all the dogs’ names and how long the animals had been in the shelter and their backstories. 

In addition to working with Dog Is My CoPilot to provide rescue flights, many of the large shelters are running spay and neuter clinics, community vaccine clinics, and adoption drives, and engaging the local community to help provide homes for strays. Kara and Lynette were heartened to see how the rescue flights not only save lives but also boost morale and inspire the workers at these shelters. They left Texas feeling more motivated than ever to work with their partners to rescue more animals and create positive change.

Small shelters have the same struggle

From some of the largest to some of the smallest, Kara and Lynette got to meet with the staff and volunteers at Luling Animal Shelter that has only six kennels, and Robert Pedraza who created Paws and Strides Rescue out of his home. At first glance you would think smaller shelters would have it much easier than a massive shelter, but it’s all about scale. Fewer dogs means fewer staff, no walk-in traffic of potential adopters, yet every week new animals arrive that need a home. No matter how big or small a shelter, there is always a need for more shelter space.  However, what stood out to Kara and Lynette was the level of dedication and passion that the staff and volunteers put into saving every animal’s life. They were humbled by Robert’s huge heart and all the love this incredible man had for each dog in his care.

Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) has created a unique transportation hub where they collect animals from these smaller rural shelters where adopters are sparse and veterinary resources are limited. APA! then works with receiving organizations and provides health screenings before animals are transported.  Through our partnership with APA! we help fly hundreds of animals a month into homes across the country, both on the west and east coasts. For many shelter workers, knowing that all the hard work and time resulted in an animal finding a home is rewarding enough to come back to face the challenges at the shelters every day. 

 

Kara and Lynette met Sweet Tia at Laredo Animal Care Services in Laredo, Texas. Shelter and in 48 hours, was with a foster family in Wyoming. Tia, a little cattle dog, had been overlooked for weeks in the shelter but won the heart of Kara and together with the Animal Adoption Center she found a loving home in the Tetons!

What we learned

After reflecting on their trip, Kara and Lynette were struck by the importance of partnerships, the humbling nature of their experiences, and the hope and gratitude they felt.

At Dog Is My CoPilot, the mission to save the lives of animals in need is wholly dependent on the support and collaboration of shelter and rescue partners. As such, it is critical that everyone involved in the organization’s efforts, from its staff and volunteers to its supporters, recognizes and values the vital work being done by these partners every day

One such partner is El Paso Animal Services (EPAS), which takes in anywhere from 50 to 100 animals per day and houses up to 800 dogs and cats at any given time. Given the staggering number of animals in their care, and the fact that only about ten adoptions are made on a good day, EPAS is always struggling with overcrowding. This is why the work of organizations like Dog Is My CoPilot is so important: by flying out 75-100 animals from this one shelter every three weeks, the team is making a significant difference in the lives of the animals left behind. Kara and Lynette were grateful for the opportunity to meet the hardworking people behind the scenes and express their appreciation in person. They left their visit feeling even more connected to their partners, knowing that they are all united in their goal to help save adoptable pets.

Thank you

We are forever grateful to the shelter workers and volunteers who tirelessly care for animals in need. They carry a heavy load, yet they do it with unwavering love and compassion. We are humbled by their dedication and inspired by their selflessness, said Kara Pollard, Executive Director 

In addition, Kara and Lynette saw first hand how your support makes a difference in the lives of these pets. With two airplanes in operation and over 100 flights scheduled all over the country, we are anticipating flying over 5,000 animals to safety this year. 

Thank you to our entire community who have prioritized saving animals, spreading love, and keeping our planes, the Sequel and the Big Dog, wheels up for years to come.

With gratitude,

 

2022 has been another amazing year for Dog Is My CoPilot. This is our 10th Anniversary, we rescued our 25,000th animal, and we now have a second rescue plane, ‘The Sequel’!  We have so much to be thankful for and look forward to sharing our journey with you.

Dog Is My CoPilot began after the depths of tragedy. Founder, President and Chief Pilot Peter Rork, lost his wife unexpectedly in 2012 and was encouraged by a friend to do something to deliver from his grief. Peter, a lifelong pilot, began using his small personal plane to transport a few animals at a time from a shelter in San Francisco to a shelter near his home in Wyoming. After visiting a municipal shelter in Merced, CA where over 90% of the animals were being euthanized, he realized more needed to be done. He soon began transporting animals in his small personal plane 4-5 days a week, but the demand for his rescue flights continued to grow.

To purchase a larger plane, Peter mortgaged his house, gave the money to Dog Is My CoPilot, and went from rescuing twenty dogs at a time to up to two hundred and fifty dogs. Dog Is My CoPilot purchased “The Big Dog”, a Cessna Caravan turbine aircraft, from a Canadian mining company. Peter knew the plane was meticulously maintained, but visually it was a disaster. “Chipped paint, ripped seats, it was perfect!! The dogs won’t care what the inside looks like!”, Peter recalls saying. Around this time, Executive Director, Kara Pollard joined the team, Petco Love became a major sponsor and Dog Is My CoPilot scaled up from rescuing hundreds of animals a month to thousands of animals a year!

Tonto captures the heart of many people

One of our long time partners is the small six kennel Presidio Shelter, in far west Texas.  There are many stories of dogs coming from this amazing rural shelter, like the story of a dog named Tonto. This 80lb love bug was surrendered with paperwork that listed the reason: “don’t want him anymore”.  In the shelter, despite being great with people, low energy, and co-kenneled with female dogs with no problems, he languished. No adopter, no foster, no rescue partner.  Tonto was at the Shelter for fourteen months until the City said it was time. If he wasn’t adoptable, he had to be euthanized. 

That motivated our partner, Heather Hall who runs The Underground dog Rescue to step into action quick!.   Without alternatives, in Tonto came as Heather’s foster dog; he didn’t miss a beat. Happy, housetrained, mellow, snuggly, 100% non confrontational with any of the dogs and respectful of the cats. Shared his stuff, didn’t pull on a leash, took treats nicely, slept in his crate, was just so damn happy for a quiet place, a regular routine and a soft couch. We could not have been prouder. He snored. His tongue didn’t fit in his mouth. He had the softest ears. We loved him.

“It can be almost impossible to assess dogs in the shelter environment. For 14 months of waiting there, within 3 weeks of being fostered, Tonto had his rescue ticket with Dog Is My CoPilot our a partner in Bosie Idaho Bosie Bully Breed Rescue. He was set up for success in the best way possible. Fostering can be hard – emotionally and practically. Sometimes they eat your shoes, or cry all night, or pee on your couch. But it’s the surest way to save a dog’s a life, and to have the amazing experience of being supported by so many other people who see your effort and help get your foster dog home. I’ll never forget Tonto, or all the people who came together to give a great dog in a high risk shelter at the middle of nowhere the life he deserves. They understand how bittersweet it is. It will be so amazing when I see Tonto again, finished with all the transitions, safe and secure in the love of his people, snoozing without a worry in the world, on a couch that he knows as home.”

The need for animal transportation services is rising across the country 

Although the pandemic initially led to an increase in the number of animals being adopted, over the last 12-18 months adoption rates have decreased. Shelters are overcrowded because of an increase in the number of homeless animals, a lag in spay/neuter services, and a shortage of animal shelter workers nationwide. This has been a tough year for animal shelters all over the country. Shelters are full and adoption rates are down. The employees in these shelters are working tirelessly to save the pets that walk through their doors. These shelter workers are the true heroes and we want them to know their dedication never goes unrecognized by our team. We are so grateful to each and every person that has devoted their life to saving shelter pets.  Be sure to watch this heartwarming story created by one of our partners, One Tail at a Time PDX. 

We are responding to the crisis 

We could not sit by and watch the crisis go from bad to worse. In 2022, we realized that the time had come to once again scale up, and obtain another aircraft. “The Sequel,” a second Cessna Caravan, became part of our family in June and is based in Texas. The Sequel will have a large impact in the Southwest where there are too few services and a growing population of stray animals. Looking forward into 2023, there will be two planes in the sky, five to seven days a week, transporting animals out of our nation’s overcrowded shelters.  

Yuki needed a rescue after being abandoned at an overcrowded Texas shelter

Yuki, who was found dirty, skinny, and terrified, was one of the lucky pets we saved this year. 

She’s a powerful reminder of why our work is so important. At risk for euthansia in an overcrowded shelter in Texas, she was adopted by a loving family in the northwest just a few days after her transport flight. Thanks to our Texas shelter partners and One Tail at a Time PDX for working together to make sure  Yuki found her family! 

We live a magical life with Yuki.  We are all still learning with each other, there are times that she gets triggered and scared, but we scoop her up and love her and she knows it’s going to be ok. We are so lucky that she was rescued.  Not only is her life better, but our lives are better because of her. Thank you”, Angela and Peter Panagakos, the humans to Yuki Joon. 

With two planes flying every day, we needed ground staff to ensure all of the pets have a smooth ride 

The help we needed came from two long time volunteers: Lynette Duford and Frank Maresca. Lynette Duford has joined the Dog Is My CoPilot team to help with the logistics and planning for our rescue flights. Coordinating with shelters, volunteers, and airports, not to mention changing all of the plans when weather impacts our flight schedule, is a full time job. With her help, Dog Is My CoPilot has become more efficient and is saving more animals than ever before. 

Frank Maresca started as a volunteer pilot and quickly started to spend the most time of any pilot in the captain’s chair. While we was logging thousands of miles in the air every month, we saw the need for better coordination with our team of ten volunteer pilots. Frank’s work, organizing the pilots and coordinating the maintenance schedules of our two aircraft, helps keep Dog Is My CoPilot wheels up and loaded with as many animals as possible.

Recently we rescued our 25,000th animal Bunches

He is a big dog, weighing in at over 80 pounds, and like most big dogs, is loyal, loving, and compassionate. Bunches proves most stereotypes about big dogs wrong. After waiting over a year in a Texas shelter, it only took one rescue flight and twenty four hours for Bunches to find a loving forever home in Utah. Bunches is another inspiring example of how a single flight can change the lives of both animals and humans alike.

Our hearts are full as the end of the rescue season draws near

In ten short years, the growth of Dog Is My CoPilot has created many memories and has helped place tens of thousands of animals into loving homes across the country. Looking ahead to 2023, we will be offering more than one hundred and fifty rescue flights, at no charge, to our partner shelters, saving the lives of more than 5,000 dogs and cats. In the future there will be new partnerships across the country, many new volunteers on the ground and in the air, and more smiles and tails wagging than ever before!  

From everyone at Dog Is My CoPilot, have a wonderful holiday season! 

Thank you for being part of our Dog Is My CoPilot family, we are so grateful to our community of supporters, our shelter and rescue partners, our volunteer pilots and everyone out their working tirelessly to save dogs and cats! Happy Holidays. 

📸 Laura Verhaeghe: https://www.lauraverhaeghe.com/index

Last week we were wheels up with two very special passengers! Thanks to a wonderful team in El Paso, Texas and Portland, OR, we flew rescue animals number 24,000 and 24,001, because let’s get real, it’s hard just to choose one adorable rescue to celebrate!

In early June, the Sequel (our second plane) made its first rescue flight with a new volunteer pilot. We were also able to connect two new partners in Oklahoma and North Dakota. The Sequel is already allowing us to rescue even more animals amidst an ever dire shelter crisis across our nation. According to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary at this very moment, about 100,000 more dogs and cats in U.S. shelters are at risk of being killed compared to this time last year.  Because of the pandemic, more pets are entering shelters, fewer pets are being adopted, shelters are short-staffed.

Expanding DIMC requires more volunteer pilots.

Since we now have two planes, potentially doubling our rescue flights, we needed to find some more volunteer pilots. One of our newest pilots is Jason Wojteczko. When Jason is not flying, he is thinking about flying. He comes to us with over 30 years of aviation experience in both private and military backgrounds. Jason currently operates an international aircraft delivery company called Compass Rose Aviation. He also served in the US military for 23 years with multiple combat tours. Learn more about Jason, his four chihuahuas, and the rest of our pilots at https://dogcopilot.org/meet-the-team

 

New partners in Oklahoma and North Dakota

Ardmore Animal Care in Ardmore, Oklahoma is a brand new animal shelter partner for our rescue team. Our rescue flight picked up 32 animals from this shelter, and another 10 from Tulsa Animal Society of which were a mama and 9 new puppies that were not able to make an earlier transport. Thankfully, an amazing foster family in Enid, OK were able to watch them till our rescue flight in mid June. Transporting pets allows Ardmore Animal Care to have a 90% save rate which is incredible considering the animal welfare crisis in our national sheltering system. We transported this plane load to Souris Valley Animal Shelter, another new shelter partner in Minot, North Dakota. These two shelters are part of a mentoring program established by the Best Friends Animal Society. We are thrilled to be able to offer free transportation services to these amazing organizations.

The State of the Animal Sheltering System 

As we talk to our partners about the need for transportation services for their animals, we have found that there are a few issues that are contributing to this crisis in the animal shelter system.  First, the COVID-19 pandemic paused many animal spay and neutering services. This has created a backlog of treatment and an increase in animal intake to many shelters. Second, as people have gone back to work and “normal” returns, adoptions across the country have slowly decreased while the intake of new animals has increased. Finally, compounding the already very full shelters, there are not enough people to work in these shelters. The staffing crisis across the country has not spared the animal shelter system. New and old partners alike have the same problem, everyone is short staffed. Before the pandemic, shelters could staff multiple positions from basic animal care to veterinary staff giving a full spectrum of care for rescue animals. Now shelters barely have enough staff to care for the many animals that enter their shelter. Many animals are suffering because there is just not enough staff or resources to support all the pets in their care. Sadly, animal shelters, primarily in the south, have had to euthanize many animals because of lack of space. They are confronted with these difficult decisions for the most at-risk animals in their care.

What you can do

You can help your local shelter or rescue in many ways, including monetary donations, volunteering your time at a shelter or even becoming a foster family.  Fostering an animal is the easiest way to alleviate some of the stress on the shelter system. It is going to take help from everyone to get through this crisis and we know our community can help! Now is a great time to adopt a pet and find all the benefits of having an animal in your life.