Flying Them Home: How Animal Rescue and Transport Save Lives

October 8, 2024

For animal lovers, nothing tugs at the heartstrings more than the thought of homeless pets waiting for a second chance. Here at Dog Is My CoPilot, we’re grateful to partner with over 200 shelters and rescues nationwide. We believe every dog (and cat) deserves the chance to find a home, and we’re dedicated to being part of the solution by providing flights—always at no cost to our partners—thanks to the support of our amazing community of donors.

Last year, 400,000 pets were needlessly euthanized in animal shelters across the U.S., simply because they had no place to call home. Transport programs like Dog Is My CoPilot help save lives by relocating animals from overcrowded shelters to areas where adoption rates are higher, giving them the second chance they deserve. Transport not only provides immediate relief to sending shelters by freeing up kennel space for incoming animals, but also allows these shelters the opportunity to focus on community programming that addresses the root causes of overpopulation.

Meet Iris: Dog Is My CoPilot’s 35,000th Passenger!

One such success story is Iris, a lovable dog from Presidio Animal Shelter. This shelter—a 6-kennel metal shed located between the stockyards and landfill in Presidio, Texas—has no address and no budget for rescue. It’s almost 100 miles from the nearest vet, and only two pets have been adopted from the shelter so far in 2024. The community is small, remote, and overwhelmed with stray and homeless dogs. Despite these challenges, Iris’s rescue journey began here, made possible because she found a foster home with OTAT-West Texas 125 miles away, where her path to a forever family started.

Iris’s foster family shared the joy she brought to their lives: “Iris thrives on making people happy. She’s silly and loves to make you laugh. Mornings with Iris brought more joy than I can possibly put into words. She simply wanted our approval and affection,” said Holly Olds, OTAT West Texas foster mom. While her foster family adored her, they foster dogs as a way to help pets in their community and hoped Iris would eventually find her perfect forever family. Thanks to our rescue partners and transport flights, Iris found that family waiting for her in Portland, Oregon through OTAT PDX.

Iris was flown 1,800 miles across the country, marking our 35,000th rescue on a Dog Is My CoPilot transport flight. With transport, pets like Iris are given the gift of life, and families across the country have the chance to adopt their new best friend.

Howdy from the tarmac!

Heather Hall, Director of OTAT-West Texas, shared her experience with Dog Is My CoPilot rescue flights:

“I remember the very first time we participated in a Dog Is My CoPilot flight. We had five dogs on board, flying out of Las Cruces, NM. We drove through the night for the 4 a.m. load-up and arrived to find the El Paso Animal Services (EPAS) team already there, dozens of people walking dozens of dogs. They were in uniform: cargo pants and shirts emblazoned with a message that seemed to glow in the dark: Together We Can Save More Lives. The Dog Is My CoPilot (DIMC) plane stood gleaming on the tarmac, ready to whisk 50 or 60 pets out of their desperate situations to communities and rescues eagerly waiting to receive them. Tired, grateful, and completely awestruck, I immediately started to cry. ”

“Six years later, being on the tarmac with EPAS and DIMC has become part of the rhythm of rescue life, though it hasn’t lost any of its magic. Tired, grateful, and still completely awestruck, I stand at the chainlink fence every departure, watching the red blinking light of this miracle plane disappear into the dark, headed for the safety of our partners in Jackson, Bend, Portland, and Seattle. In the early hours of August 9th, DIMC’s milestone 35,000th passenger boarded the plane. Her name is Iris, and fittingly, she came to us from the place where OTAT-West Texas was born: the Presidio Animal Shelter.”

How you can help:

Approximately 7 million homes across the U.S. are planning to add a pet to their family this year. If just 6% more people choose to adopt rather than purchase a pet, we could end the needless euthanasia of pets in our nation’s shelters. Our best friends don’t belong in shelters; they belong at home. By fostering, adopting, and spreading the word, everyone can make a difference for pets in need.

Iris’s story is proof that fostering shelter pets is a lifesaving solution. Fostering provides a temporary but essential link in helping dogs from overcrowded shelters find permanent homes. If you’re unable to adopt, consider fostering to save lives. We hope Iris’s story inspires you to visit your local shelter and get involved today.

So…FOSTER! ADOPT! And whatever you do, #adoptdontshop.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being part of our mission. We hope you’ll check out more Happy Tails like Iris’s, who got the “Golden Ticket” of a rescue flight. You’re changing lives—one flight, one adoption, one happy family at a time.

With love and gratitude,
Kara

SUPPORT OUR WORK