Celebrate a lifesaving year with us!

December 19, 2024

This year has been one for the books! We faced challenges at every turn, but our hard-working team, our community of animal lovers, and amazing shelter partners showed up time and time again to help us complete an incredible year of life saving! Thanks to you, we have saved over six thousand dogs and cats in 2024, (more than thirty-seven thousand total), transporting them from overcrowded shelters to loving homes. Each one of these animals has a unique story, a journey from uncertainty to hope, that inspires us to do more.

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Turning Tragedy into Triumph

Our year began with promise, as we expanded our operations with two aircraft flying daily. But this past spring we suffered a devastating setback when our second aircraft, “The Sequel”, was damaged in a tornado. Fortunately, no animals or humans were injured.

For most of the summer, we relied heavily on our original plane, “The Big Dog,” flying every day of the week. Unfortunately, the need for pet transport remains urgent and overwhelming in many areas of our country and our one plane just couldn’t keep up. To meet this demand, we purchased our third aircraft, “The Third”. As I write this, repairs on “The Sequel” are underway. This means that next year, we will operate all three aircraft to serve our growing partner network nationwide. Every dog (and cat) deserves the chance to find a home, and we are dedicated to being part of the solution by providing these flights, always at no cost to our partners.

Our Milestones This Year

Despite setbacks, 2024 has been a milestone year. With the dedication of our six volunteer pilots, three full time pilots and over two hundred rescue partners, we transported thousands of animals to adoption centers nationwide. Each flight represents a new beginning, for animals like Dove. Every dog or cat we save is a testament to the life-changing impact we make together.

Flew over 6,000 dogs and cats to safety
Overcoming challenges like a damaged aircraft from a tornado
Purchasing our third aircraft
Expanding our network of shelters and adoption partners
Welcoming new pilots to our team in order to help keep our aircraft flying every day of the week.
Completing one hundred thirty rescue missions, always at no charge to our partners

A Story of Hope: Dove’s Rescue Journey

One special passenger was a dog named Dove. Dove found herself at the El Paso Animal Shelter (EPAS), after being abandoned with her puppies. This shelter has over five hundred dogs in their care everyday. Many of their kennels are tripled up with dogs. Dove was frightened and timid, looking away and trying to hide when people walked by her kennel. After weeks of waiting, her time was up. But her fate changed when a family in Jackson, Wyoming saved her life! The rest is history. Since arriving in Jackson, Dove is living the good life thanks to our amazing community of animal lovers!

“After tremendous loss, Dove has brought joy and healing back into our lives. Dove arrived in Wyoming literally on a Wing and a Prayer. This terrified little heeler I knew almost nothing about was pulled from EPAS on a gut feeling and undeniable synergy. Dove, who was paralyzed with fear and wouldn’t leave her kennel for more than potty breaks, is a blossoming youngster. She is showing us her true colors daily and has decided that the little kids in the house will always have food falling that needs to be cleaned up after regularly. We have also learned that if our shoes are missing they have been collected in one of her caches under a couch. Not chewed on, just hoarded. Dove now explores the woods, rivers and trails of Wyoming. When she isn’t zoomy’ing around with her dog friends her favorite place is wherever mom is. But the couch is a close second. We found each other at a time where we both really needed a friend. So don’t pass by the shy and cowering, they may just surprise you”

– Krista Lapier, Dove’s mom

A Growing Need for Help and Resources

Operating three aircraft in 2025 will allow us to expand our reach, with each focused on a different geographic location. But it also brings significant costs. We project that our flight-related expenses will increase exponentially. This includes hiring an additional staff member to coordinate flights and build new partnerships, sending more volunteer and contract pilots for training, fuel, maintenance, and other essential costs such as hangar fees and insurance.

These resources are vital to sustaining our rescue network and reaching more overcrowded shelters where otherwise healthy and adoptable animals face euthanasia due to lack of space and resources. Be sure to watch our journey as we celebrate over 37,000 shelter pets flown to safety in this heartwarming video.

Our mission in flight.

Follow along our lifesaving journey transporting pets from overcrowded animal shelters to adoption centers nationwide.

Your Role in Our Mission

Your support has allowed us to keep these flights wheels-up, giving animals like Dove—and thousands more—the chance to find a forever home. Thank you for believing in our mission, for being a part of the Dog Is My CoPilot family, and for being a part of the solution. Your commitment to saving animals’ lives has helped us grow from a small rescue operation into a nationwide network bringing hope to so many.

Happy Tails

We are so thankful for everyone in the Dog Is My CoPilot family; our dedicated partner organizations, animal advocates like you, adopters, fosters, volunteers, and our passionate team. Your compassion and generosity are what make our mission possible. When we help a pet find a new family, we change their life forever—and their unconditional love changes ours as well. Throughout the year, we hear so many wonderful stories from adopters, sharing how these animals have filled their homes with joy and love.

Thank you!

Thank you for being part of this incredible journey and for being part of the solution with us. Every life saved is because of all of us working together. Here’s to more lives saved, more wagging tails, and more happily-ever-after’s in 2025!

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