Celebrating Pilot Peter's Birthday and 26,000 passengers flown to safety!

As we kick off May, we’re excited to celebrate our 26,000th passenger flown to safety! Our two airplanes have already touched down on both coasts and both borders of the continental United States, and have been ‘Wheels up’ nearly every day transporting hundreds of dogs and cats from overcrowded shelters to the safety of receiving organizations.

Happy Birthday Pilot Pilot Peter!

This month we are also celebrating Pilot Peter’s, our Founder and Chief Pilots Birthday! Dr. Rork started Dog Is My CoPilot eleven years ago with a single small personal airplane after the passing of his wife. Now in 2023, we have two rescue planes and an army of volunteers to help us save as many animals as we can. To help celebrate Peter’s birthday and the 26,000 animals we have saved, ‘Abba’ and her dad have generously stepped forward to match every gift dollar-for-dollar- up to an incredible $25,000! Please share with your friends and family to help both our airplanes stay ‘Wheels Up’ saving lives all year long!

I am amazed by the growth of our reach. As I begin another trip around the sun, I want to thank everyone who supports our life saving rescue flights… you are all heroes, especially to the 26,000 lives flown to safety, said Peter Founder and Chief Pilot.

Passenger 26,000 saved!

One recent rescue flight stands out as particularly heartwarming. We were able to give Shaffer, a 3-year-old gentle giant from El Paso Animal Services, a golden ticket to One Tail At A Time in Portland, Oregon. Shaffer had been at the shelter since September 2022 and quickly became a staff favorite, but despite his sweet face and gentle demeanor, he struggled to find a forever home. Thankfully, he’s now in the loving care of foster mom Michelle, who reports that he’s “just one big hunk of love” and loves snoozing on the couch and keeping an eye out for pesky squirrels. We’re confident that it won’t be long before Shaffer finds his forever family, thanks to supporters like you.

We wanted to take a moment to recognize our amazing partner, El Paso Animal Services (EPAS), who has been working tirelessly to help animals in need. As the only open access shelter in the county, they take in any animal that arrives at their doorstep, which means they face a daunting challenge every day. With 50 to 150 animals arriving daily and only about 10 animals adopted out, the shelter is severely overcrowded, putting a tremendous strain on their dedicated staff and volunteers. That’s where Dog Is My CoPilot comes in. We’ve been proud to partner with EPAS for the past five years, and one rescue flight to their shelter can make a huge difference in the lives of animals and the people who care for them. By transporting animals to other parts of the country, we’re able to alleviate some of the pressure on EPAS, giving them more space, time, and resources to focus on caring for the animals in their care.

Fly along with us and watch this heartwarming film!

Together with Petco Love and Bobs from Skechers, we are giving shelter pets a second chance at life by transporting them from cities where the shelters are overcrowded, to cities where the demand for rescue is high. A win-win for everyone involved and a true mission of love.

We’re thrilled to report that the 2023 rescue season is off to an incredible start, with hundreds of animals already rescued and transported to loving homes across the country. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our pilots, staff, and volunteers, our planes have landed in cities like New York City, Chicago, Minneapolis, Boise, ID, Portland, OR, and Seattle, WA, to name just a few.

We are looking forward to the next 26,000 animals saved and the hundreds of stories of animals finding their forever home. We could not do this life saving work without their support, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being part of our Dog Is CoPilot family.

Here are some heartwarming photos of recent rescue flights and the passengers you have helped to save!

With gratitude,