The ultimate goal in the animal welfare industry is to keep people and pets together, but sometimes assistance is needed to make this happen. Many times, Animal Humane Officers are put into difficult situations when they find animals that need extra care and attention. And as animal lovers, they are able to make powerful decisions that can change the trajectory of the animals in their city. This is one of those stories.

A big heart

Myrna De La Torre is an animal humane officer for Animal Services in El Paso, Texas. She was driving around during her regular animal welfare checks and came across an owner that had two adult dogs that accidentally had a litter of ten puppies.  While this owner loved their dogs, they did not have the resources to care for the new family.  When Officer De La Torre arrived, four of the puppies had already died of malnutrition and she realized something had to change quickly. 

Officer sprang to action

Officer De La Torre immediately provided the owner with food and told them she would be back the next day. By the time De La Torre returned to the house the next day, only three puppies were alive.  The owner allowed Officer De La Torre to take the remaining puppies to El Paso Animal Services where they could receive immediate medical attention. Officer De La Torre helped the owner spay and neuter the adult dogs to ensure that the parents would not have puppies again and left them with food.   

Big Dog to the Rescue!

Early this winter, the three adorable pups made the journey on the “Big Dog” with Dog Is My CoPilot to Jackson Hole, Wyoming thanks to our partners El Paso Animal Services and Animal Adoption Center. After a very tumultuous start to their lives, the three puppies have all found forever homes! 

The Puppies Find New Life in Wyoming!

There is so much we all have to say about 2020 – in some ways it was kinder than other years – with the pressures of social life and travel gone, we have all enjoyed more of our own meals and focusing on the relationships closest to us. In other ways, it has been one of the hardest and strangest years – full of heartaches for the state of our country and our world. We are still incredibly grateful 2020 still brought us many blessings, Justin and I got married and settled into our new home in Jackson Hole. We were missing one thing to make it complete. Pancake has brought such an intense joy into our lives. She loves snuggling in bed in the morning, playing with her favorite animal toys and learning new things – like she can eat snow! We feel so incredibly lucky to have her in our lives and can’t wait to teach her new things and explore more of this magical place we live. Thank you so much to Dog is My CoPliot for the incredibly important work you do!

 

El Paso Animal Services

Dog Is My CoPilot is fortunate to have partners like the El Paso Animal Services and the Animal Control Officers that work with them in El Paso, Texas.  These rescue organizations and support staff have a thankless job where the number of stray animals outnumber the available adoptable homes.  Partnerships like this provide inspiration, and remind us what collaboration can accomplish in each of our own communities!  El Paso Animal Services are changing the lives of animals and their owners in their community.  “We are no longer just a shelter. We’re here to provide pet resources that go beyond the shelter walls,” said Ramon Herrara of the El Paso Animal Services.

Give Thanks at Year End

We are looking forward to flying into the new year and saving thousands of more lives together! Please join us in making 2021 just as meaningful and impactful as 2020 has been.  Your support goes straight to work, allowing us to transport pets so they can find forever homes.

 

 

Rescuing dogs and cats is a logistical challenge. Of course, there are obstacles with coordinating the relocation of animals between shelters and rescue partners.  But once the animals are in the sky, most of the time they are calm, and sleeping for their journey north. This is when Peter the Pilot takes over in the adventure and where Lightspeed helps us on our life saving flights. 

Headset for the Big Dog

Recently, Dog Is My CoPilot received a headset from Lightspeed Aviation. This company builds high quality aviation headsets for pilots.  Since their inception in 1996, Lightspeed has been the leader in wearable ANR technology headsets. They’re based in Lake Oswego Oregon, outside Portland, and we have delivered many animals to partners in their vicinity and their high quality communication devices have helped us with these flights. 

Peter Flies Alone

Once the rescued dogs and cats are loaded into the plane, Peter likes to quickly get off the ground and head to the next destination.  We often fly to multiple destinations in one day and Pilot Peter prefers to spend as little time on the ground as possible. During the flight, it is very important that our flight team be in constant contact with the various flight towers across the flight plan.  As Peter said, “This is an essential part of our equipment for the pilots who volunteer their time to Dog Is My CoPilot.”  We’re incredibly fortunate to have 3 volunteer pilots that donate their time to fly the Big Dog to our rescue partners.  Lightspeed headsets, and all of our modern aviation equipment, makes each and every flight that much easier and safer. 

 

 

 

In 2020, we knew that the Old Bill’s Fun Run was going to be different than it has been in the past. That said, there was no way to know how our community would respond since the actual run and celebration was all virtual. We are beyond excited by the support of the community, not only for Dog Is My CoPilot, but for all the non-profits taking part in this amazing event ❤️ 

By the Numbers

Old Bill’s Fun Run in 2020 generated over 24,000 gifts from 4,349 donors, totaling $15,314,287 of donations, which represents an increase of 7% over last year. The match pool, created with gifts from Mr. & Mrs. Old Bill, Co-Challengers and Friends, totaled $3,500,245, while participating organizations received $11,814,041 in gifts designated specifically for them. 

Supporting Our Home Base

Donations from Old Bill’s allow us to fly rescue dogs like Abby from Abilene, Texas to Jackson Hole.  She was fostered by a local family through the Animal Adoption Center (AAC), and they fell in love with her bravery and sweet nature. Abby is estimated to be middle-aged and came with some health issues, but she quickly adapted and was made a permanent member of the family four days after she arrived. “We are so thankful to Dog Is My CoPilot and are happy to support their efforts to find loving homes for so many at-risk pets”, said Michele Pacifico and John Martin of Jackson, WY, Abby’s new parents. We hope Abby loves her first snowy winter! 

 

Our partners

We have amazing partners in Teton County, Wyoming who are also supported through Old Bill’s Fun Run. The Animal Adoption Center has been busy finding homes for hundreds of dogs and cats over the past several months as demand has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the newly adopted animals have arrived on the “Big Dog” and you’ll see them around town with their new families! PAWS of Jackson and the Teton County Animal Shelter have also been incredible supporters of Dog Is My CoPilot and welcomed many more dogs into their program where they found homes here in Teton County.

THANK YOU!

Dog Is My CoPilot is so thankful to our local community and all those that donated through the Old Bill’s Fun Run.  We are eternally grateful to be a part of this community and would not be able to rescue over 17,000 animals without the generous support of our everyone at home base. Thank you!

 

Dog Is My CoPilot is thrilled to announce our new partnership with Wondercide.  Austin-based Wondercide, the leader in safe & effective, plant-based pest protection for pets, people, and homes, is teaming up with Dog is My CoPilot and has committed to sponsoring our first flight in 2021! Wondercide products are not harmful to the environment, are not tested on animals, and are sourced in the United States.  All that, and Wondercide still provides lasting protection. 

A percentage of proceeds from the Wondercide holiday sampler box, featuring a set of four trial sizes of their signature Flea & Tick Pets + Home will benefit the Dog Is My CoPilot 2021 flight. The sampler box will be available for sale online starting as of October 26, 2020 through the end of the year.

Wondercide’s beginnings

Wondercide was created in 2009 with grit, perseverance, and intuition by Stephanie Boone.  At the time, her dog Luna was suffering from the negative effects of pesticide poisoning. After years of traditional treatments on Luna’s skin and pesticides in Stephanie’s yard, Luna’s body began giving out.  Although many vets told Stephanie that this should be the end of Luna’s life, Stephanie decided that Luna’s prognosis was not the end of the story. Stephanie wanted to find a way to not only help her own dog, but families across the United States.

Wondercide product lines

Fast forward to today and Wondercide is a growing company with products for all facets of our daily lives. They have a full line of products that will protect your dog or cat both inside the house and outdoors. Wondercide offers sprays, shampoos, wipes and skin care for all your furry friends. They also provide products for your family, with repellents for your personal protection in your yard and even for indoor surfaces. Their products’ natural ingredients are not harmful to the environment or the people and animals that use them.  

Gift Box to support the first 2021 flight

Wondercide has created a gift box for the 2020 Holiday Season that supports Dog Is My CoPilot.  For $9.99, a sampler box not only gives back to a worthy cause, but makes a great holiday gift for pet lovers! Gift mini bottles of Wondercide’s superstar product in Cedarwood, Lemongrass, Rosemary and Peppermint. Flea & Tick for Pets + Home protects against harmful bugs and keeps them away for good. This aromatherapeutic product keeps pets safe and rids the home of pesky critters. If fleas & ticks aren’t your problem, gift a sampler box of Insect Repellent or Indoor Pest Control and still give back to Dog Is My CoPilot.

Thanks to the generosity of companies like Wondercide and donors like you, we have been able to rescue over 16,500 animals and look forward to saving more lives in 2021!

A special note from the CEO of Wondercide

“When you love someone, you do everything in your power to protect them. I thought I was keeping my family safe by using common products to protect us from bugs like mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks, but when my dog Luna suffered devastating side effects from flea-and-tick meds and pest control services, I knew there had to be a better way. So I quit my job and founded Wondercide. Our safe, effective products replace the need for nasty chemicals that can harm us,” said Stephanie Boone, founder and CEO of Wondercide. “This partnership with Dog Is MyCoPilot gives us the opportunity to help hundreds of lovable pets find their forever families. Luna’s legacy lives on thanks to our incredible community that stands behind our products and inspiring organizations like Dog is my CoPilot who are doing so much good in this world.”

 

On October 9th, Dr. Peter Rork and Kara Pollard were asked to join Ruff Talk.  This Facebook live event was created by Victoria Stillwell who hosts a nationally recognized TV show called “It’s ME or the DOG.”  In this series, Victoria shares different stories of families who are struggling with a misbehaving dog. Victoria helps the families determine why their dog is acting inappropriately.  She then works with each family by sharing tips and tricks to help reduce their dogs troublesome behavior. Since the pandemic hit in March, Victoria has also been hosting a weekly online show called Ruff Talk.

Ruff Talk, a fun filled hour for every animal lover

Ruff Talk is a weekly 30-45 minute Facebook Live conversation every Friday, where dog behavior expert Victoria Stilwell, Heather Paul from State Farm, Hero therapy dog Aladdin (with his fur mom, Michele), and Larissa Wohl from Hallmark Channel’s “Home & Family” bring a dose of fun into your home with celebrity guests and their pets. They talk about pet news, pet peeves, and pet advice, all with a heavy dose of humor.

Dog Is My CoPilot is working on expansion

Kara, the Executive Director of DIMC, and Pilot Peter joined Ruff Talk to discuss Dog Is My CoPilot’s mission and all the logistics that it takes to plan all the rescue flights with their partners across the West.

As we shared in the video above, many of our shelter partners are able to care for more animals because they know Pilot Peter and his flight team will arrive every month and help find new loving homes for up to 80 dogs and cats. 

Adopt! Volunteer! Foster! Donate!

As we approach the holiday season, don’t forget a wonderful point made in the video about adopting an animal from a shelter; when a dog is adopted from a rescue or adoption center, two dogs are actually saved.  The one that is brought home, and the one that takes its place at the shelter.  Pilot Peter provided us with a great reminder that even if you are not able to adopt an animal or make a financial commitment, fostering an animal or volunteering at a shelter can also support animal adoption centers across the US.  

Thank you

Thank you to Victoria Stillwell, Heather Paul and Michele Schaffer-Stevens for inviting our flight team to Ruff Talk. We welcome the Ruff Talk fans to our community and hope that you’ll join us on the next rescue flight. With the help of everyone in our community, Dog Is My CoPilot has rescued close to 17,000 animals in the last 8 years and over 50 rescue flights in 2020 alone!