As 2021 comes to a close, we are thankful for you!

Our success over the last year would not be possible without the support of our loving community which has helped us save the lives of 21,000 dogs and cats from the southern tip of Texas, to the northernmost reaches of Washington State, Idaho and our newest destination North Dakota. 

We are thankful for our volunteer pilots

Our founder, Dr. Rork was joined in 2021 by six amazing volunteer pilots. They have collectively flown hundreds of volunteer hours for our rescue flights since joining our team this year. Having more pilots meant we were able to fly 5-7 days a week with a total of 75 flights in 2021 and were able to rescue more than 4,000 animals! Learn more about our volunteer pilots on the Team Page of our website!

The pilots face long and exhausting days in the air with quick loading and unloading stops on the ground to deliver animals to receiving partners. They have a challenging and demanding volunteer job, and we are in debt for their hard work. 

Brisket, pictured below found her way to Jackson, Wyoming from Laredo, Texas on one of our rescue flights in 2021. This is what her mom had to say,

“Although she has not experienced a Wyoming winter yet, we think she is going to be just fine. She is already bounding across the ranch where she lives and snuggling next to the fire with her sister cat at the end of the day. Brisket has found her happy place, she is all smiles, every day”

We are thankful for our partnerships and volunteers

Our rescue network has grown to over 150 partners across the Western states in 2021. These incredible teams of shelters and adoption centers, along with their volunteers and employees, are the backbone of our organization . We could not rescue animals without their tireless support. 

We are proud to build a trusting foundation between our partners, allowing for more animals to be flown to safety. These partnerships mean so much to our team, but even more to the animals.  

Krystal McGough, shelter manager at Idaho Humane Society said this,

A special memory from working with Dog Is My CoPilot would be anytime we see the plane land, knowing we helped save so many lives!

We are Thankful for the families of adopters and fosters

In the end, if we do not have families that are willing to adopt or foster the animals that we rescue and transport, none of our work would be possible. We are extremely thankful for all the families across our network who welcome our passengers, HOME! 

Every year, there are always a couple stories that really touch the heart of our team and this year it was  Knox, a pitbull mix that sat for nine months in an overcrowded animal shelter in Texas. As time passed, his health began to decline and he was eventually put on the euthanasia list. The shelter put out one last plea to help save him. This is when his guardian angel and super volunteer, Paula Powell, came to the rescue. Paula sprung him from the shelter and brought him home to foster, bringing him back to health over the next couple months.  On the next leg of his journey, we welcomed him on our rescue flight and flew him to a partner rescue in Montana where he joined a loving family! Saving the lives of animals like Knox is why we have dedicated ourselves to flying animals to safety and we hope you will continue to join us in saving more lives together!

We are thankful for you

From financial support, to the comments and likes on social media, it is all welcomed and appreciated. The work that we provide would not be possible without the support of our community and we are excited for what 2022 has to offer.  Here is a heartwarming updates on a passenger from Laredo, Texas that found a home in Jackson, Wyoming through the Animal Adoption Center.  His family had this to say, 

Rossi (formally Peter Pan) came to us in mid-July and immediately fell into a rhythm within our family. He is the sweetest, most gentle dog we could ever hope for and loves his cat sister, Coco. His thick coat has finally filled in after a very short shave due to the ticks and fleas in Texas. He is learning to chase balls and hike our mountains like a true Jackson pup. We waited a long time for Rossi and are grateful to Dog Is My CoPilot and the AAC for their loving dedication of rescuing animals from high risk shelters. Sincerely, The Harris Family (Adam, Kristine, Grainger and Kiki)

Annie was flown from an overcrowded shelter in Texas and arrived at Bounce Animal Rescue.  This unique organization has no central holding facility for newly arrived dogs but instead relies on a network of foster families that take in the animals before permanent homes can be found. After spending  a few nights in her foster home she landed a loving home in Boulder, CO with a young man. Annie has been found on the trails around Boulder following behind her dad on a mountain bike or just hiking along in the woods. She is very happy to have found a place to call home in Colorado.

Happy New Year and we look forward to rescuing more animals in 2022 and sharing our stories with you.